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Realcolombia.co.uk has a mission to provide realistic information about Colombia, South America including hotels, visas, photos, real estate, safety, facts and figures, books, music and useful links.

Travel to Colombia -The New El Dorado. Colombia, South America’s best kept secret? This forgotten world a magical land of myth and legend is probably the most misunderstood country in the world.

The availability of cheap international air travel is making the world smaller and Latin America is becoming an ever more popular tourist choice. Yet there is a forgotten and overlooked corner of South America that will richly reward the independent traveller with a beautiful and exotic experience. Colombia.

Tourism is booming now in Colombia. The number of cruise ships visiting each year is up 45% to 45,000. The Lonely Planet has listed Colombia as one of its Top 10 hotspots for 2006. The World Tourism Organisation Convention 2007 is scheduled to take place in Cartagena. With the number of foreign tourists up 21% to a record 1 million in 2005 and a target of 2 million for 2006 this secret will not last for much longer. Now Colombia strengthening economy is also attracting foreign real estate investors seeking low priced Caribbean properties, or high yielding low priced city apartments.

For those travellers that visit this magical place they will be repaid with a fantastic experience. With South America well and truly established on the backpacker and ‘gringo trail’ it is hard to find an original or unique experience. Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Havana are no longer exotic or destinations. To discover a path less travelled the intrepid traveller needs to search harder. In Colombia reduced levels of tourism comes the benefit of a truly warm welcome and your money will certainly go much further than other more established tourist centres.

Located at the northern tip of South America, close to the Equator and bordering Brazil, Peru, Venezuela and Panama. Colombia is the only South American country with both a Caribbean and Pacific coast line.

When you visit Colombia it is like visiting multiple countries at the same time. With its high Andean mountains the colourful Caribbean coast, the amazing coral reefs of the archipelagos of San Andres and Las Islas del Rosario National Park. To the hot Amazon lowlands of Los Llanos, the tropical colonial splendour of Cartagena de Indias, and the cool sophisticated Andean capital of Bogotá descibed by the 19th century explorer, Humboldt, as the Athens of America.

The country is dominated by the three Andean mountains that comprise the Cordilleras Occidental, Central and Oriental rising up as high as 5000m and divided by the two large valleys; Valle del Cauca and Valle del Magdalena. Colombia also has the largest coastal mountain range in the world, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta on the Caribbean, with its two peaks, Simon Bolivar and Cristobel Colon at 5775m.

The Spanish conquistadors landed in 1499 and were amazed at the wealth of the local Indians. They heard tales of a kingdom of gold inland and from this was born the myth of El Dorado. The tales of El Dorado were derived from the Muisca indian ceremonies in which they threw golden offerings into their sacred Lake Guatavita. The Spanish were lured by the stories of this treasure into the interior of Colombia and whilst they never found their El Dorado they did discover a fertile and rich land high on the Andean plateau that forms the backbone of this country. And here in 1538 Jiménez de Quesda founded their capital of Santa Fe de Bogotá.

In more recent times Colombia has suffered a turbulent history and has become infamous as a major producer of cocaine. However the security situation has improved considerably, particularly in the last few years since the election of President Alvaro Uribe. This new safer Colombia is not reflected accurately in the guide books. Even for example the excellent Lonely Planet Guide that was written in 1988 and updated in 2003. Although the guide is due to be replaced this year. To quote Lonely Planet “travellers to Colombia are often immediately amazed how normal and orderly everyday life is despite the problems the country is going through. And most visitors leave Colombia with fantastic experiences and enthusiastic comments”.