At time of writing, travelling to and around Colombia is a relatively easy experience, depending on where you’re coming from - I believe the hardest part about travelling from Europe is justifying leaving your country if it's under lockdown! Travel between the UK and Colombia is currently suspended indefinitely. Most South American land borders are closed, but in Central America you can move between countries by providing a negative test. It's also very easy to fly from Colombia to Panama, and as it stands travelling from the US and Canada is very simple. All people travelling to Colombia are obliged to provide a negative PCR test taken within 96 hours of arrival. Cases have dropped off sharply in recent weeks, with many hoping that this is the pandemic tapering off in Colombia.
In Bogotá, there is very little tourism and most hostels are closed. Botanica and the Cranky Croc in the Candelaria are open, but otherwise the area is dead. Chapinero and the north are buzzy with bars and restaurants open, no clubs. In the bigger cities restrictions come and go, but at time of writing there are currently very little limitations to socialising in Medellin, Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena and Santa Marta.
At El Rio, our nearest city is Santa Marta, which is currently quite quiet in tourism terms; mostly Colombian but with a smattering of internationals. That being said, the hostels in our area (the Taryona area, between Santa Marta and Palomino) are busy on weekends and behind closed doors their bars are open and swinging, with a lot of activities running as before. The Lost City is open, but you have to do a test beforehand, Tayrona Park is open as normal.
This area lives from tourism and there has been a collective stance of "Covid doesn't exist here", with pretty much 0 confirmed cases and 1 death since March (a policeman, ironically, who was going round enforcing the restrictions). The lockdown back in March, although on paper lasted until September, was completely ignored by the locals in rural areas all across the country, with no social distancing and all shops reopening immediately. People here deal with mosquito and water born bugs all the time, so Covid was shrugged off as unimportant. In other words, it has most likely ripped through and done the rounds, however with symptoms identical to the stomach flu most people catch once or twice a year here, any cases of the virus have been (rightly or wrongly) blamed on this annual flu. These factors, plus the huge amount of vitamin D and fresh air the locals are blessed with, could explain the phenomenal resistance to the virus. To many local people, the knock-on economic effect and consequent inability to provide for families has been a much larger concern; it’s currently more an attitude of "work with what tourism there is and scrape by" than worry about outbreaks.
So essentially if you're considering coming our way you can do so relatively easily. To those pondering that by coming here and travelling you're potentially endangering the lives of locals, from what I've witnessed most Colombians are going about their lives as normal and travelling their country freely, so you wouldn't be doing anything that they are not.
By coming here you're also helping the recovery of the economy, which around here at least is mainly reliant on tourism (the other source being agriculture - banana plantations). As I stated above, most locals who live from tourism see going hungry as a far greater concern than Covid. However with the vaccine around the corner (vaccination began mid-February in Colombia) if you're planning a longer trip it might be better to wait - a traditional pan-South American "backpacking" experience is still a way off. But for a bit of winter sun and a more relaxed attitude, Colombia is a good shout.
One of the most important things is to be flexible during this time because restrictions can change from one day to the next in a local or international setting. This is why considering a backup plan for the unexpected such as travel insurance is essential. Things happen, medical emergencies, issues with baggage, etc. It can seem daunting to know what option could be the one for you and your family, so this in-depth research about the best travel insurance provides insights on what it covers so you can compare and shop around before committing.
