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The Glossary

Chivas - "multicolored minibuses, the most common mode of transport in Colombia."

From Colombia Glossary

Colombia seems at last to be emerging from decades of internal strife to take its place alongside the other Latin and South American tourist magnets like Costa Rica, Buenos Aires, and Puerto Vallarta. More and more travelers have discovered the untouched mountains, beaches, and rainforests of Colombia, as the criminal activities of the country's drug cartels and terrorist organizations continues to diminish.

Those tourists willing to take a chance on Colombia are welcomed by a Caribbean coastline of more than 1600 kilometers (1000 miles), many of them found int Tayrona National Park. This park is generally regarded as one of Colombia's wildest and most spectacular areas, with beaches accessible only from a network of rain forest trails which pass through giant formations of white boulders. Tayrona National Park plunges down to the Caribbean Sea from some of the highest coastal mountains on Earth, and has within its borders not only a tremendous range of wildlife, but the archaeological ruins left by Indians who lived there before the New World was discovered.

Taganga, until very recently, was nothing but a sleepy fishing village on a peaceful bay just five miles from Colombia's oldest city, Santa Marta. But because it borders on Tayrona National Park, it has now been discovered by backpackers and by divers who want to explore the coral reefs off Tayrona. Taganga is gradually evolving to meet its new role as a tourist haven, with more and more eating and lodging places each year, but its lack of plentiful fresh water may enable it to retain most of its quiet and unassuming charm.

While the town of Taganga itself is all about the beach, with its major activities being sunbathing, swimming, sunbathing, diving, sunbathing, and fishing, its proximity to Tayrona and Santa Marta means that hiking and cultural expeditions are popular alternatives for passing the time.

Santa Marta, the earliest Spanish settlement in all of South America, was raided by pirates many times in its early history, and was the final home of Simon Bolivar. Its Museo de Oro, as its name suggests, has a vault full of gold along with an impressive collection of archaeological artifacts, all of which are a great stepping-off place for a six-day backpacking trek to trip to Cuidad Perdida, Colombia's "Lost City" and most significant site of archaeological ruins.

Cuidad Perdida, built by the Tayrona Indian tribe over a millennium ago, and later the home of the Kogi tribe, is the oldest pre-Columbian settlement in the Americas and was in use until its inhabitants abandoned it to seek protection from the Spanish Conquistadors by hiding in the northern Colombian rain forest.

At an elevation of between 900 and 1200 meters (3000 and 4000 feet), it covers more than 400 hectares (1000 acres) and is thought to have had a peak population of between two and four thousand people. Trekking to Cuidad Perdida means fording several streams and rivers, as well as managing a climb of approximately 1200 stone steps, so it is not for the faint of heart!

For those who love the idea of seeing ruins, but don't have the time or stamina for a trip to Cuidad Perdida, there's the paved pathway at Cabo San Juan del Guia, about 1 hours from the Park entrance, which will lead, in about 1.5 hours, to the ruins known as El Pueblito. The original name of this settlement was Chairama, and its still-standing drainage system will provide wonderful insights into the engineering skills of the ancient Tayronan people.

The nightlife in Tatanga reflects the laidback atmosphere of the town, with affordable drinks and music in several languages, but not much in the way of live entertainment.

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