Backgrounders about Colombia, and how it works – or doesn’t – drawn from my context journalism and years of living here.

Sailing historic Cartagena

A sailing trip from Cartagena brings its rich colonial history to life.

Bogotá water cuts: all you need to know

Bogotá is facing water cuts following a dry start to 2024. Here’s some info.

Bogotá: Cost of Living

How much does it cost to live in Bogotá? It’s a key question for anyone shifting to Colombian capital, whether a digital nomads seeking a new hangout, a retiree wanting to stretch out the pensions, or anyone looking for a new start in life in South America. Here I’ve compiled data from March, 2024. And looking back over 10 years, yes there’s been changes, but the overall picture remains the same: Bogotá is an affordable and stable city to put down roots.

Homicides in Colombia: 2024 update

My round-up of homicide data and trends for Colombia, based on recent official data (2023) and news reports and analysis. I’ll be posting a parallel blog Is Bogotá Safe? 2024 and you can also see my2023 post on safety and security trends in Bogotá here. Posted March 2024. Contact me on colombiacorners@gmail.com Other related posts on security on Colombia Corners are: Colombia’s Cocaine Conflicts – report of recent travel to coca growing villages in Nariño.Is Colombia Safe? – some security

Did ancient Colombians visit Polynesia?

Recent DNA evidence suggests that Colombia´s Zenú people mixed with Polynesian islanders 800 years ago. How did that happen? Some ideas…

Is Bogotá safe? 2023

“I’m visiting Latin America. Is Bogotá safe?”: the question pops up regularly on social media. Colombia’s capital is a mega-city of nine million people and spread over 1,600 kilometres squared (600 square miles) with extremes of poor and rich. Parts of the city are very dangerous, others much less. According to recent data, Bogotá is safer than most other cities in Colombia (including Medellín) – but is still a large gritty city with plenty of crime. Your safety also depends

Colombia’s fantastical fossils – and where to find them

Colombia had some freaky fauna in its pre-history, from giant sloths, weird mammals, biggest-ever snakes and crocodiles to ferocious marine reptiles. Here’s a guide to getting on the fossil trail and exploring the lives of these ancient beast, many of which were unique to South America. Don’t expect Smithsonion-style mega-museums: palaeontology is not well funded in this part of the world. But fossil sites like Villa de Leyva and The Tatacoa Desert unique finds, and local palaeontologists and keen amateur

Burundanga – it’s bad and it’s back

In Colombia you’ll hear about scopolamine, AKA burundanga , “Devil’s Breath” or “borrachero”. And perhaps you think these druggings only happen to sex tourists. But anyone can fall victim, including local people, seasoned travellers and expats settled in Colombia. You can be ‘scoped’ in a park, in a café, in the street, or on a bus, or even during a Spanish lesson. On the other had around 5 million tourists and visitors come to Colombia every year, and only a

Colombia’s Check-Mig: the on-line form for international air travellers

The free on-line migration form Check-Mig continues post-Covid-19 – as do the scammers trying to make you pay. Here’s an update for 2023 and links to some ‘How To’ videos (and which to avoid).

Will Colombia cull its cocaine hippos?

Colombia could be home to 200 wild hippos, says a report which also proposes controlled hunting of the African mammals now living wild.

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