Girls.. I'm gonna make my first travel alone to Colombia

[Guest]

Hello girls! In January I'm gonna make my first travel alone to Colombia. I'm a 23 year old girl and was wondering if anyone has experience as a solo traveller being a girl. Ever felt unsafe? Tips? Should I prepare for several things? To be honest this was kind of impulsive hahah, but ready to make my first travel alone..

[Jayla]

I was in Colombia this past march! Such a lovely country. I went to Bogotá, salento, Medellin, Cartagena, costeno beach, minca, and Barranquilla. Felt unsafe in Bogotá for sure, nothing happened to me personally but it was more a general vibe I got being a female. Lots of weird looks from men. Someone did get robbed right outside of my hostel and another traveller I met was held at gunpoint. Make a friend or go out with a group if possible. Don’t show your valuables and you should be fine though!

Also make sure you bring a belt bag that you can lock or isn’t easily opened. I got my phone stolen, granted it was at carnival lol but I also met many other travellers who had their phones stolen as well!

All the other places I felt relatively safe, just have to be smart. Hope that helps…have fun!

[Kate]

I travelled alone to Colombia at that age and I was fine, just gotta be vigilant in the cities.

Also! I don't recommend wearing short shorts or skirts etc unless you can handle a lot of staring, catcalling etc. I wore shorts one day in medellin and had literally 30 catcalls, stuck to jeans after that

[Toni]

I'll be in Colombia in January as well, I've met a lot of travellers here in Peru including solo women who had an incredible time there. Also in a group chat of female travellers in South America I can add you to if you like

[Danielle]

Go girl you can do it and you will feel brave and powerful because of it! Just be careful about walking around at night if you’re alone or in large groups (of gringos) and be mindful about drinking — know your limits and always make sure you can get yourself home safe. As a female solo traveler I love to see more girls going for it! You got this.

[Stefan]

Get yourself some basic Spanish until then, will make a big difference

[Tamara]

I travelled alone to Colombia when I was 23-24. Best experience of my life. I think safety is a hard thing to vouch for, as travelling down the road could even be unsafe in certain circumstances anywhere in the world.

But as a general theme and in my experience, yes I felt safe and very welcomed by locals in smaller remote places and fairly confident in most of the cities. I kept my guard up whilst in transit as I would anywhere.

I personally felt a little unsafe in Cali as there had unfortunately been a murder near where I was staying in a hostel and I actually saw the body before police arrived…But again, I had almost no context to this place before travelling and found the people and the experience to be very positive.

[Linda]

I was just in Colombia for 4 months solo traveling, and 90% time felt safe. Cali and Bogota I didn’t feel as comfortable, and I also made sure not to walk alone at night and always research what are the areas to avoid. And I also speak fluent Spanish so that helps a lot.

If you want a place where you’ll feel as safe as I feel in my home country Finland, go to Barichara! It’s an absolute gem Overall I can really recommend Colombia for a solo female traveler

[Lucia]

the number one advice is: no des papayas ! It is a colombian saying and it means try not to give others an opportunity to take advantage of you (there are some parts, especially in the big cities, where it is better not to use your phone, or just walk around with your camera..) and the best way to do that is to observe what the locals do and try to follow. I´ve spent 7 months in this beautiful country (I was 20 the first time I went), fell in love with it and want to go back again soon. Mostly I was travelling on my own and never felt unsafe, however, the city centers might get a bit sketchy sometimes, especially after it gets dark, so it is best to avoid that..

knowledge of spanish (at least some basics) is definitely going to make your experience in the country more interesting:)

the coffee region (Filandia, Salento, Pijao, etc.) is worth visiting for sure, the Pacific coast also, it is very different to the Caribbean, however a bit more difficult to get there.. Tayrona, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, San Gil, Valle de Cocora (but try to go during the week, way less people there), and I could go on. The country is beautiful and has a lot to offer, just enjoy and be open to new experiences!:)

[Campbell]

I spent month in Colombia at 23 as a solo gal and felt safe and absolutely it!! Keep your wits about you and don't drink so much that you're unaware around you. Bogotá isn't the safest, it's a massive capital city. I'd recommend only a day there if you need to fly through it, otherwise I'd skip it.

My rule of thumb for traveling is to dress how the women around me are dressing. Maybe pack light and on your first day there take yourself shopping? That's always fun..

My boyfriend and I will be in Medellín for 3 months January-march if you need anything or want to meet up! I got you