Street scene in Cartagena
When we booked a trip to Colombia, almost everyone asked “Is it safe to travel there?”. This question is, in some ways, the inspiration behind the BroHawk Adventures site. We love to share our travel stories and want to help dispel the myth that Colombia is a dangerous country to be avoided in your travel plans.
Despite how Colombia is portrayed in popular media – such as the television show Narcos and the movie Collateral Damage – the reality of life in Colombia is very different. It is true that at one time – especially in the early 90’s – Colombia was one of the most dangerous countries in the world, rife with cartel violence and political corruption. However, things have changed drastically since then. Drug production has plummeted and the country has made major strides toward peace. Unfortunately, the perception of Colombia has been slower to change.
Bogota Street Scene
Coming from a country like Canada that has a reputation of having no crime at all (which is another inaccurate perception), we felt no less safe in Colombia than we normally do in Canada. Sure, if you go searching for trouble, you will find it, and you might encounter some shady individuals (we didn’t). The same could be said of just about every country on earth.
In more densely populated areas, like Bogotá and Cartagena, there is a notable presence of security personnel, some of which are heavily armed. In many countries this would indicate a potential security problem, but in this case it is primarily preventative. Although it may initially be frightening, it is something you get used to, especially knowing it is not an indication of a threat.
A little common sense and respect goes a long way no matter where you travel and there are things you can do to protect yourself. In simple terms, if you do not flash fancy electronic gizmos, are open minded and friendly to the locals, and follow advice from the locals about where to stay away from (yes, there still are slums in the big cities that tourists should stay out of), the chances of ever even feeling unsafe are extremely low.
While you still have to exercise caution and regular common sense while travelling in Colombia, we could not speak higher of Colombia as a nation, or the Colombian people. They will do everything possible to welcome you and put you at ease. Colombia is a beautiful country worthy of any travel bucket list.
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Hi, as a Colombian woman who lives in the UK, all I can say is that if you did not feel any less safe in Colombia than you normally do in Canada, then your circumstances must be extreme, or you have underestimated the danger that does still exist in Colombia. As you said, the 90s were terrifying times to grow up in Colombia (I witnessed the fear and the threat). A lot of people in Colombia have abnormal psyches, and psychology is not taught in the school curriculum. Catholic curriculums still exist, and ethics tend to become religious, rather than out of emotional intelligence. A lot of abnormal behaviours are hyper-normalised, and because of the cartel genocides and the hyper normalisation of serial killing, and how serial killers won (My grandfather was assassinated because he was a progressive politician). An entire generation has been silenced into fear of disclosure. My generation (born in 1990) does not know how to cope with the psychopathology arising as the aftermath of panic and danger. Psychology is not POP in Colombia. It is a culture very much based on social dominance , and the dysfunctional nature of serial killers is romanticized and promoted in Colombian TV, and my generation is struggling to understand how to navigate that other side of reality where there is so much fear. Antisocial personality disorder is an epidemic in poor circumstances. I think there is much more danger than is being picked up by guests. It is when you observe the social behaviour that concerning superego quo.
Thank you for writing a nice post.
Warm regards.
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