Colombia is one of the hot destinations to visit right now and for good reason. Here are some interesting facts you probably didn’t know about Colombia!
1. Colombia is the only country in South America with both the Caribbean and Pacific Coast. They are also some of the most beautiful in the world!
2. It is mandatory for radio and public television in Colombia to play the national anthem every day at 6 am and 6 pm.
3. Colombia’s ‘second city’ Medellin was once the murder capital of the world with 17 murders every day in 1991. It has since undergone a renaissance and is now one of the country’s main cultural hubs.
4. Colombia is the world’s leading producer of Emeralds. The finest quality emerald, a green gemstone, is found only in Colombia. The country has more than 150 mines churning out high-quality emeralds.
5. Colombia is the second most bio-diverse country in the world (Brazil is first, but it is 10 times the size). It is one of only 17 “megadiverse” countries in the world.
6. Colombia is the third largest exporter of coffee in the world after Brazil and Vietnam.
7. Cano Cristales – the “River of Five Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow”, is a river in Colombia located in the Serrania de la Macarena province of Meta. This river’s bed changes color between yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red, beginning the end of July and through November.
8. Drinking hot chocolate in Colombia is a cheesy affair. Here, for an unknown, weird reason, people put blocks of salty cheese into their hot chocolate when they are finished drinking it, and eat the mushy blobs of chocolate soaked cheese.
9. Everyone and everything is sweet in Colombia, including its local alcohol, Aguardiente. It is made from sugarcane and is the best drink to enjoy the Colombian sun.
10. Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, at 13,000 m, is the world’s highest coastal mountain range. Incidentally, it’s on the run, and has moved more than a thousand miles in the last 170 million years.
If this has made you want to discover Colombia for yourself then why not join us on one of our Colombian Adventures