The Compass: Colombia

Emerald mountains, quaint colonial towns, irresistible coffee, and the nostalgic strains of vallenato music—Colombia’s riches have been inaccessible to travelers for decades, but the country is emerging from its tumultuous past following a landmark 2016 peace treaty.  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC VIEW ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE TO NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Your navigation into the weekend Colombia

Emerald mountains, quaint colonial towns, irresistible coffee, and the nostalgic strains of vallenato music—Colombia’s riches have been inaccessible to travelers for decades, but the country is emerging from its tumultuous past following a landmark 2016 peace treaty. This week we learn how tales of ancient treasures lured looters to a "lost city," discover if Pablo Escobar's escaped hippos could help the environment, and see how the country is blossoming into the world's next ecotourism hotspot. Let’s explore Colombia.

HISTORY & CULTURE

ALAMY/ACI Tales of ancient treasures lured looters to Colombia's 'Lost City' When looters targeted Teyuna, ancient capital of the Tairona people, archaeologists scrambled to save this repository of Colombia’s past. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHARLIE CORDERO See photos from 2017 of the most crowded island on Earth It's a two-hour boat ride from Cartagena to an island the size of two soccer fields, where there are no roads and families live in close quarters. READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY GENA STEFFENS Fear, anger, desperation: How Bogotá's residents are coping with COVID-19 The lockdown in Colombia’s capital lowers infection rates, but tensions are high, and many in the city are struggling to put food on the table. READ MORE

PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN FERRY, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Indigenous protectors of these sacred peaks have kept others out—till now The Arhuaco invite National Geographic to the upper reaches of their Colombian homeland to reveal threats we all face—and remind us of our roots in nature. READ MORE SHARE

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

ACCESS THIS ARTICLE AND MORE BY SUBSCRIBING NOW

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUAN ARREDONDO After five decades of civil war, Colombia’s healing begins A peace accord has ended the fighting. But the countryside is littered with land mines, and criminal gangs are growing. READ MORE SHARE

ANIMALS & ENVIRONMENT

PHOTOGRAPH BY RAUL ARBOLEDA, AFP/GETTY Could Pablo Escobar's escaped hippos help the environment? Colombia's "cocaine hippos" are making waves in their new home, but whether that's a good thing or not depends on who you ask. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY FUNDACION ATELOPUS Thought extinct for 30 years, the starry night toad is rediscovered An indigenous community in Colombia considers the white-spotted amphibian sacred. Recently, they allowed it to be reintroduced to the world. READ MORE PHOTOGRAPH BY JUAN CRISTÓBAL COBO, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC This city bans cars every Sunday—and people love it Spurred by environmental concerns, an experiment in Bogotá, Colombia, is spreading worldwide. READ MORE

PHOTOGRAPH BY FEDERICO RIOS, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC After decades of war, this jungle is now open for exploration Scientists found rare, and likely new, species while guided through remote Colombia by ex-FARC rebels. READ MORE SHARE

TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

PHOTOGRAPH BY MIKE THEISS Colombia is a haven for biodiversity Home to 10 percent of the world's flora and fauna species, this nation is blossoming into the world's next ecotourism hotspot. READ MORE SHARE

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANCESCO LASTRUCCI Sip your way through Colombia’s coffee towns A new coffee destination bears fruit in the country’s north. READ MORE SHARE

TRAVEL Everything to know about Medellín READ MORE

WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT? Be sure to check your inbox next week to find out.

SHOP DONATE SUBSCRIBE TRAVEL

READ OUR LATEST STORIES

SHOP

DONATE

SUBSCRIBE

TRAVEL

Clicking on the Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and National Geographic Channel links will take you away from our National Geographic Partners site where different terms of use and privacy policy apply. This email was sent to: agaogroups@gmail.com. Please do not reply to this email as this address is not monitored. This email contains an advertisement from: National Geographic | 1145 17th Street, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20036 You are receiving this email because you elected to receive marketing communications from National Geographic under the terms of our Privacy Policy. Manage all types of email preferences with National Geographic Partners. Unsubscribe from this type of email. If you reside in the EU/European Economic Area and wish to exercise all other data subject rights, click here. © 2020 National Geographic Partners, LLC, All rights reserved.

{LITMUS TRACKING PIXEL}