Packing list for Colombia, travel insurance for Colombia, and taking your belongings

To take or not to take to Colombia, leave at home or arrange locally?

Sufficiently insured or not for your activities in Colombia?

Sufficiently insured or not for your trip to Colombia?

What to bring to Colombia: highlighted

Highlighted items:

• Documents: passport with 6 months validity, copies.
• Money: cash in Colombian pesos (COP) for the first few days. Debit card with worldwide coverage.
• Care: high factor sunscreen – you are at altitude here and/or close to the equator, so you burn faster than you think. Lip balm with SPF (yes, your lips can burn too).
• Outdoor and handy items: sunglasses and possibly a cap or hat.
• Clothing: light clothing for the warm regions (coast and the Amazon), a jacket or warm sweater for Bogotá and Medellín.
• Shoes: good walking shoes for the jungle, mountains or Lost City Trek, sandals or flip-flops for the beach.
• Medicines and travel pharmacy: a small first aid kit with plasters, painkillers, anti-diarrhea and ORS (dehydration is a thing). Mosquito repellent with DEET or picaridin. Safety: money belt and dummy wallet.
• Technique and equipment: world plug type A/B (like the US).

What else can you bring:

• Reusable water bottle with filter, then tap water is just a little safer.
• Rain gear for the rainy season.
• Your dance moves.

What knowledge is useful when you go to Colombia?

• Spanish.
• Knowledge of the history, customs and culture.

Are there mosquitoes in Colombia?

• Mosquitoes are present on the coast, in the Amazon and in other tropical areas.
• They can transmit diseases, so protection is important, especially in the rainy season.

Are there sand flies in Colombia?

• Sand flies are present in various parts of Colombia and they can transmit leishmaniasis.
• You are only safe in the provinces of Bogotá D.C., San Andrés Islands and Atlántico.

Can you buy DEET, or other anti-mosquito products, in Colombia?

• You may be able to find it in major cities in supermarkets and pharmacies, but often in lower concentrations and at a higher price.
• So it’s best to bring your own favorite drug.

Where can you get food and drinks in Colombia?

• Supermarkets: Éxito, Carulla (more expensive), D1 (budget), Olímpica.
• Street food: empanadas, arepas, jugo natural – cheap and often surprisingly tasty. Be careful with hygiene at unofficial stalls.
• Local markets: perfect for delicious fruit and fresh vegetables.

Can you buy a joint or weed in Colombia, or take it with you to Colombia?

• Marijuana is partly legal in Colombia and technically decriminalized to a few grams for personal use and a few plants at home, but this is not an invitation.
• Open use is not appreciated, especially in more conservative areas. The rules can also change at any time.
• Bringing cannabis into the country is definitely not allowed, and you can be severely punished for it.