Colombia Is The Perfect Place To Start In South America

 

Ready to take a motorcycle ride through South America? Colombia, nicknamed “The Gateway to South America”, is the perfect place to start! 

 

Allow me to opine…

 

• Colombia Has The Best of Everything - There is a saying that goes  “If you want the best Caribbean beaches to go to the Bahamas, if you want the best Amazon go to Brazil, if you want the most amazing Andes go to Peru, but if you want them all in one place, go to Colombia. If you’re short on time, you can experience a little bit of everything that makes South America magical. Rather than rush through a whole continent in 2-3 months, barely seeing anything except asphalt and gas stations, choose one spot and see it well.

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• Unexplored and Undiscovered…- Colombia is a country that not even the locals have thoroughly explored. With the improved political situation, huge areas that were formerly off-limits to tourists are now open for business – locals and foreigners alike are finally exploring their own fantastic backyard. It wasn't that long ago that places like the Lost City in Santa Marta or Comuna 13 in Medellín were totally off-limits and, nowadays, they’re becoming downright tourist hubs.

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• …But Not for Long – We recommend coming to Colombia sooner rather than later. Colombia still feels new and authentic and it’s worth getting here first before it too gets overrun by mass tourism.

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• You can skip The Drama of The Darién - Shipping your bike is expensive, time-consuming, and nerve-wracking at the best of times. Unless you're on a bucket list trip that specifically includes a trip through Central America, you can skip the drama of the Darién and start your trip in Medellín. You’ll still have the best of South America at your feet. 

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• It’s the most obvious ‘break’ on a Pan-American motorcycle tour - Not everyone has the chance to traverse two continents in one trip. Most of the time, adventure riders will actually split up North and South America into two journeys, taken even a few years apart. Colombia is the most obvious place to break up the long-haul odyssey in two and is absolutely genius for North American riders, who can explore their continent on their own bike and then fly to Colombia (either shipping their bike or buying one here) and continuing south to Ushuaia. 

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• Perfect Climate Year-Round – The equatorial climate means you can start your South America adventure trip at any time of year, even winter, and travel south as spring and summer hit. Colombia allows you more flexibility in travel which is pivotal for a motorcycle trip.

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• Friendly people - We find Colombians to be among the friendliest people in all of Latin America and they’re a huge reason we call this place home. Locals are not just interested in meeting foreigners but they’re incessantly eager to help out. No matter what issue you may be facing on your travels, don’t be shy: if you’ve lost your way or need some assistance on the road, chances are you’ll find it at a moment’s notice if you simply ask.

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• Location - Medellín is surprisingly close to the United States and is only a 3.5-hour direct flight from Miami. Another good thing is that since Colombia is directly south of the United States, the time zones won’t change that much, if at all, which helps you avoid jet lag. Also, when it’s winter in the states, it’s summer in Colombia which means that Colombia is the perfect place to visit if you want to escape the winter and ride.

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• Chill out and learn some Spanish - Colombia is an insanely popular place to take Spanish language classes and here you’ll find some of the best language schools in South America! Add to this the fantastic weather and friendly locals and it’s easy to see why “hanging around” for a while, before tackling a full continental crossing, is an excellent idea. Chilling out in Colombia will also help you get a feel for the culture, let you get into the flow of the trip as well as get any of the bugs worked out before you head off on your journey.