I used bestonwardticket — they asked me in Miami when I was checking a bag with Avianca but not upon arrival in Colombia.

I’ll give it a try! Never played but I’m tall and fast so I can’t be that bad

Try this page www.flightconnections.com/|https://www.flightconnections.com/br />
There’s a direct flight from JFK but not direct flight from Toronto to JFK seem like they start on December.

Also, pwpmtvsxzxgrd try Google Flights to easily see many options.

also let’s you see days when there’s flights (sometimes flights aren’t daily), so you want to time things right.

There’s usually direct flights from Miami but you’ll probably have to buy the flights separate on different carriers

🛬 ikygigwlny just arrived in ⛰ Medellín, #colombia

Toronto > FLL > Cartagena (couple days) > Medellin

Cartagena or Santa Marta?sunny Which city would you recommend for staying & working for 1 month?

Santa Marta is closer to Parque Tayrona and all the surf spots over there. But I felt it was more of a stopover city before folks would head to Ciudad Permida/Parque Tayrona

Sta Marta is cheaper and has access to more and better beaches

Cartagena is more expensive, the beaches are meh but there’s a lot more to do for partying, museums, etc.

Depends on what you’re looking for when you’re not working

I am planning to move to Cartagena in november but the reasons I am moving there might be different than if you want to digital nomad. I feel that as a digital nomad location Cartagena is not the greatest, you can get through pretty much everything in 2-3 days. I think you would get pretty bored in cartagena for an entire month.

Cartagena is a more vibrant city indeed, but staying in Santa Marta is cheaper and closer to better beaches (Palomino) and the Tayrona park which is a must . Probably you want to stay in Santa Marta and make short trips to Cartagena just for fun. It all depends the kind of vibe you are looking for.

My wife and I are looking to buy a place near Santa Marta for my suegra. I like having relatively close proximity to the beach and mountains. I also really like Valledupar which is only like a 4 hour drive from Santa Marta.

Again, depends what you're looking for. Cartagena has far better restaurants imo.

Does anyone have any on the ground reports of how Cartagena is doing right now?

How’s TripAdvisor for finding restaurants and stuff to do in the city? I have friends here in Cali but they’re work during the week

I’ve been consistently disappointed with online discovery of good restaurants/experiences in Colombia (and really, most places outside of the US/part of Europe). Nowadays, I do some web searches, but mostly I rely on local friends that can tell me about the scene.

Let us know if you find a good source of info!

Just look for peruvian restaurants 👀

TripAdvisor is not very good. Google maps is a little bit better. but the best is to reach out for locals. For restaurants I recommend you start with Creps & Waffles and Parmesano, they are both chains but have quality food, and you can easily find them on shopping malls

Thanks friends! I was hoping someone would know of a secret app to make the search easier haha

Unfortunately it’s the sad state of the internet these days! Somewhere in there there’s a good zero-trust based review startups, which I hope someone builds and is able to grow :wink:.

I used to use foursquare but I don't think it is still used in Colombia so usually end up using Google maps.

anyone else in bogota at the moment?

Hi everyone, how are things in Colombia, covid restrictions wise, right now?

Medellin has been a digital nomad destination since I can remember (at least 2005)

has anybody done a visa run for colombia, any issues? my 3 month tourist visa expires soon so wanted go to peru for few days and then return to colombia

apeljt I did the exact same thing and didn't have any issues. I mean there was an issue I overstayed my 3 months and had to pay a fee, but then I did peru.

a 3-month tourist stamp (on-arrival is a stamp, not a visa, if you have an actual visa then I don't know) you can also extend once for another 3 months if that's the only reason for the visa run

Apparently it's pretty easy to extend to 180 days online, never tried but I plan to do so

People who have been living in Colombia for a long time do you have a perception that crime has increased in your area after Covid lockdowns?

I have family there (through wife) and they told us that things have gotten worse in some areas but we also know that tourism is booked out, there is a family member down there who own a small island resort and it is booked out months in advance. I imagine with money pouring in things will start to improve, I am still trying to find out the situation in Cartagena because I was planning to move there in november but I am probably going to end up in Baranquilla instead and might shift over to Cartagena later.

I’ve heard mixed things from family members in Medellin (Navarra, Buenos Aires and Manrique). Some say crime has skyrocketed and others have said everything is back to normal. Guess it depends which generation you ask.

Locals can often be hyperbolic because they are more sensitive to smaller changes.

Hi all! 👋 I will be arriving to Medellin next week for the first time. Would love to meet some of you and explore/grab drinks if anyone is around! vblue_heart

Do you know of a site other than Airbnb to find long term rentals in Colombia in similar places?

biaokrskjf We found an apartment where we signed an actual lease but my wife has a cedula. I think it is possible without it but it might be more challenging. We found it through a facebook group, there is a bunch of them. Just ask and you will usually get a ton of messages.

Colombia has a law that any place that can rent under 30 days has to register and comply with hotel regulations. So don't bother with any other short term accomodations.

Another thing to think of is getting an unfurnished apartment for 6-12 months and just spending the money to furnish it, this could potentially be cheaper depending on how much stuff you need.

facebook groups. other than airbnb, i have been fortunate to have found really nice accommodations from FB groups. it takes more work and time to search but make a post and see if you get any responses

Yeah I wouldn't mind the 12-month lease and then just resell whatever I can and donate the rest. I've found a few sites in English to find rentals but prices seem catered to foreigners there. Do you know of any FB groups where locals go to or just the marketplace?

search for "digital nomads medellin" or "digital nomads around the world" or "expats in colombia" i always join groups for the city i am planning on going to ahead of time and do some networking and info gathering 😁

I'm actually part of all of them 😂 The digital nomads medellin didn't have anything I liked. Will try to find groups in Spanish 🤞

ya, sometimes it takes some digging and searching. FB marketplace is a good place too.

in theory you become a tax resident if you spend more than 183 days on a 365 days period. That's theory, no idea if it is enforced

I think the 183/365 is on calendar year, so you can still do 12 months in a July-June term with extensions and a visa run

Hey guys, a bit of a niche visa-type question, but wondering if anyone knows. I’m an Indian citizen with a valid US tourist visa. I read that you don’t need a visa to enter Colombia as long as you have a valid US/Schengen visa, but I haven’t seen any governmental websites say this. Wondering if any of you know if this is actually true? Or, if any of you where I could ask to confirm this?

www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/procedures_services/visa/requirementsbr />this page says after selecting India:
```You do not need a visa to enter Colombia if you are a US or Schengen visa holder with a minimum validity of 180 days at the time of entering Colombia (an airport transit visa is not admissible) or you have residence permit in a Member State of the Schengen Area or in the United States of America. Otherwise:
You must apply for a visa. Contact the Colombian consulate closest to your current place of residence.```
means you're good

You will need to get the visa at a Colombian consulate outside of Colombia, so they will verify everything when you get the tourist visa.

There’s a few reasons for me but the main ones would be that I’m kinda used to it as In honduras I used to live in gated communities. It gives me an additional sense of safety and kinda feels more like home than living in an apartment.

I really prefer 1 floor of stairs to get to my room than 10 floors in an elevator.

It usually also means I slow down a little, have a better kitchen most of the time and I enjoy the extra space.

There’s also a little More contact with most of the neighbors and it’s nice building that type of relationships.

perpetually staying with visa runs is a bit problematic because they might not let you back into the country after a while (actually happened to a friend of mine, he then spent 2 weeks in Panama and then entered via a smaller city and got in without issues)

Thanks guys, your source seems legit saddup so hopefully they let me into the country 🤞

good luck!

🛬 btpiafon just arrived in ⛰ Medellín, #colombia

Where are the areas has most nomads in Medellin? Planning to come end of the this month probably

Probably El Poblando if I were to guess.

Poblado and Laureles
Poblado if you want an international environment, restaurants, bars, and don't mind walking up and down hills all the time
Laureles is more flat and walkable, and a bit less touristic

Poblado is great for coffee shops/coworking, there are plenty of them

🛬 aiqflzjygjaqoa just arrived in ⛰ Medellín, #colombia

Hi all! in Medellín till tuesday evening then going to Cartagena

Hi Guys! Taking my flight over later today from CDMX to Colombia (I am US citizen) . If I have a return ticket, will I be issued a visa automatically when entering for 90 days? The website says visa requirement but I was under the impression that was given upon entering?

I got 90 days on entering.

djlmclxhy yup - given on entry. Nothing needed prior to arrival for visa.

🛬 vlombsowfsfwgytxx just arrived in 🏖 Cartagena, #colombia

I gotta take a flight back to the US next month, does anyone know where I can go getthe required covid test in bogota?

🛬 cyzifylllh just arrived in 🏖 Cartagena, #colombia

cpaunmgwsaemwudw lots of Google results, but this from the US embassy looks interesting (although no clue as to the last update date):


The Rappi option is very interesting.

I’d definitely go for an option where they come to you vs. going somewhere because it’s so easy here.

gracias!!

Gonna be there too! lets meet!

Hey guys, I saw some scary comments regarding the Parque Arvii in Medellin where people were stolen and assaulted. We wanted to go for a visit this weekend with my girlfriend but apparently it's recommended to go with a guide for safety issues (especially since covid). I wonder if you guys know if people are organizing groups to visit the park, we don't want to get a guide, not because of the price but because we just want to visit the park without learning about the story and co lol

There is usually a good amount of people there on the weekends. Weekdays are a bit more sketchy. Last time I went I spent time with people I met on the metro cable.

Oh ok, gtk thanks 🙂

I heard such rumors also before covid, and we also got the recommendation to take a guide (didn't end up doing any larger hike inside because the group was not up for it)
the people at the information booth were pretty helpful identifying the areas on the map that could be sketchy, so that could be an option to avoid some parts of the park

My general for not just colombia but pretty much anywhere that could be sketchy. Lots of people = good. Little to no people = bad

Thanks for these advice :)

also if you go to hike around sketchy areas you don't know, just take cash and a cheap spare phone and nothing that you cannot afford to lose

hbjwrqbrnxsybjrbd well the problem with large natural areas is that you cannot really predict the density of people in specific places

If guess if I get robbed at least I won't have to find an excuse to myself to buy the latest smartphone 😂

If anything invite some Antioqueño friends to join you for company and added security ;)

It's only my gf and me 😢

🛬 ohcdooznak just arrived in ⛰ Medellín, #colombia