Around the Globe

Colombia: Top beaches, festivals and fairs

CHIC SAVVY TRAVELS

Santa Marta and San Andres Island, homes of the Playa Blanca and Parque Nacional Tayrona, are the Colombian destinations TripAdvisor included in its annual selection of the best beaches to visit around the world.

Tayrona National Park in Santa Marta, Colombia. Photo Credit: Proexport Colombia

These getaways made it into the list of top 10 beaches in South America, along with Rio de Janeiro and Punta del Este, Uruguay. The chosen destinations were rated on their hospitality and natural beauty.

If you’re considering a trip to these Colombian beach destinations, you might want to tie it into one of the country’s many colourful festivals:

The Medellin Flower Fair, August
This annual event features the largest outdoor flower show and horse parade in the world. It offers more than 140 traditional events, including an orchestra festival, the National Trova Festival (singers who duel using improvised verses) and the Chiva Carnival.

World Coleo Encounter in Villavicencio, October
This event takes place in Villavicencio, a city known as the “Gateway to the Eastern Plains.” Located two hours from the Colombian capital Bogota, the festival features harp music, Joropo dancing and traditional foods. Coleo, a local sport where players topple a cow or young bull while riding a horse, is deep-rooted in the traditional culture of the Colombian savanna and is played throughout the festival.

Festival of the Lights in Villa de Leyva, Colombia. Photo Credit: diegotorquemada/Flickr

Festival of the Lights, December 7-8
City streets become a blaze of light, with sidewalks, balconies and terraces covered with lit candles. This is the traditional Noche de las Velitas, or “Night of the Little Candles.” The festival takes place in the picturesque Villa de Leyva, and includes a lantern contest, concerts by Christmas choirs and fireworks shows.

Barranquilla Carnival, January
As the second-largest carnival in the world after Rio, this festival is one of the highlights of the year for tourists and residents alike. Featuring four days of endless “rumba,” the Barranquilla Carnival brings together people from all over the country, showcasing an array of classic Colombian music.

Holy Week in Colombia (Semana Santa), March – April
Holy Week celebrations run from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. During these eight days, participants stage the events of Christ in a variety of interpretations that reflect the social and cultural history of the country. The cities of Popayan, Mompox and Pamplona are most notable for their religious processions.

Date Added: July 25, 2012 | Comments (0)