Login
Register
6
Login
Register
6
Close

Colombia - Update History

Jul 05, 2025
  • Colombia is located at the NW extreme of South America and is the only country in South America with coasts on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Panama to the northwest, Venezuela to the east, Brazil to the south and Peru and Ecuador to the southwest.
  • Colombia is divided into three distinct regions by the Andes mountain range which runs southwest to northeast through the country dividing the eastern plains from the Caribbean coast. Most of the coastal development is on the Caribbean side, which has the large towns of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Santa Marta.
  • The country has a population of over 45 million and 99% speak Spanish.
  • Currency is the Colombian Peso (COP). See more details in the Money section.
  • Time zone in Colombia (GMT-5)
  • With its close proximity to the equator, the climate in Colombia tends to be consistent with hot and humid weather on the coast and drier, cooler air in the mountains. See Weather for more details.
  • Most cruising boats visiting Colombia do so on their way from the Eastern Caribbean islands to the Panama Canal, while those heading in the opposite direction use Colombia as a convenient stepping stone in their battle with contrary winds and current.
  • Cartagena is a popular landfall, with a safe anchorage for extended stays and excellent haul out/repair facilities. For a shorter visit, Santa Marta has a modern marina that offers the most efficient and organized yachting facilities and is a good base to explore Colombia, for day-trips or beyond. There are also good repair facilities at Barranquilla with both haul-out and repair services, but the approaches to the port, which lies on the bank of the River Magdalena, are very difficult. Barranquilla is also considered a high-security risk area. There is now a new marina at Puerto Velero, approx. 25nm SW of Barranquilla.
  • The Colombian islands of Providencia and San Andres are visited by boats on their way north from Panama. Repair facilities and provisioning are good on San Andrés Island, but more limited on Providencia.
  • Some of the cays and reefs further north, such as Serrana, Serranilla and Roncador also belong to Colombia, which maintains a military presence on these cays. Boats that have sought shelter there have been visited by the military, but have been allowed to stay.
  • For details of services for cruising boats see Yachting Essentials.

If you have information for this section, or feedback on businesses used, please let us know at editor@noonsite.com. We also welcome new information about businesses you have used (see Related Businesses).

Colombia was last updated 6 months ago
Related to following destinations: Colombia

Search the site

Log in to your account

Become a Noonsite Member

As a free member or guest you are restricted to 3 formalities per month. You have viewed 0 formalities this month. Please , register or upgrade your membership to view more.

Note: you can still view formalities you have already viewed this month without counting towards your monthly limit.