Colombia

Colombia is unique in that it is the only South American country with a Pacific Ocean coast and a coast on the Caribbean Sea. Colombia is south of Panama and is the first country south of the Central America isthmus. The country received it named in honor of voyager Christopher Columbus. The reason was he visited Panama on one of his voyages and Panama was part of Colombia through 1903. With coasts on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, there are a number of attractions for tourists that love water sports. Cartagena is a colonial city steeped in history on the Caribbean coast with lovely beaches and many ruins. The interior of the country has the Andes Mountains, flatlands and lush jungles. There are many beautiful sites to visit in the capital of Bogota as well in other cities like Medellin. Tourism in Colombia is best during the dry season from late November through late March. At this time, one can enjoy the warmth at coasts, the rain forests and mountain plateaus.