Colombia still has a bad reputation, but is it justified? Can Colombia shake off the dark shadows of the past when drug lords ruled over the country and violence and death were a way of life here? I hope so! I loved Colombia. It was my favourite country in South America, after 10 months of travelling alone around the continent.
Colombia is vibrant, colourful, friendly and welcoming. But as we all know, travelling to Colombia alone brings its own set of potential dangers.
Is Colombia solo travel safe? This website contains sponsored and affiliate links. If you click through the links on this page and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support. In reality, the areas where you are likely to have problems with terrorism, kidnappings and drugs are not places you would want to go anyway.
I spent about three months as a female travelling alone in Colombia and had no problems. I met a lot of other solo female travellers in Colombia, too, more than any other country, and they all said the same β how much they loved Colombia! Unfortunately, as a woman travelling alone, you will likely draw more attention to yourself than you might like.
Colombian men are not shy, and machismo is still very common in that women are often still seen as objects or as mothers to children, not as independent, free-thinking people, especially in rural areas. It was frustrating to have to answer the same questions repeatedly, but I hope that the more women who travel solo in Colombia, the less unusual we will become! I travelled by bus most of the time and took my time to explore villages and towns, beautiful countryside, glorious beaches and lost cities.
