Although we are unable to travel at the moment, it’s still possible to discover the joys of Latin America – from the comfort of your home! Each week we are giving you inspiration from a different destination in Latin America, sharing movies, music, books and recipes to pique your interest, and this weeks destination is a country that was undiscovered by international tourists for decades, Colombia. Forget everything you think you know about Colombia. This is a land of stunning landscapes, lost cities, romantic Caribbean islands, vibrant festivals and the best coffee in the world! Delve deeper into colourful Colombia with our favourite inspiring read, film, food and music below. Read: La Virgen de los Sicarios by Fernando Vallejo After the Second World War, a literary boom thrust a lot of Latin American authors into the spotlight, none more so than Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who would go on to win the Nobel Prize. There are plenty of…
Our Travel Specialist Thomas has returned from a recent trip to Colombia where he found himself faced by a question… Why visit Colombia? I am asked as we board the bus from Bogota airport to our hotel. I’ve rarely arrived somewhere to be asked to think about why, as a visitor, I am there in the first place. Our guide, Pedro, perched over a seat and grasping his microphone as we swerve through traffic, hypothesises: What draws travellers to Colombia? Why is its popularity growing constantly? How much is Narcos responsible for the peak in interest? Here I retreat, conscious of how irksome it must be for Colombians when naive Westerners profane wanting to ‘walk-in Pablo Escobar’s steps’. But far from vilifying Narcos as a negative portrayal of a country through its dark history, Pedro talks of embracing the opportunity that such programmes as Narcos have given the country to…
