Language schools in Colombia

Colombia

There’s an old joke about Colombia which is popular amongst other South Americans.  The story goes that God is relaxing, having just created the world, when suddenly St Peter comes running up, exasperated. ‘There’s been a terrible mistake’ cries St Peter, “You’ve created a country with everything: beautiful beaches, lush jungle, temperate highlands, high mountains, massive natural resources such as emeralds, oil and coal. Everything! This is terribly unfair!”.  There’s a long pause and then God leans over.  ‘One minute, St Peter’ he chides, “You haven’t seen the people I’m going to put there yet!”.

While the joke is mean on the Colombians themselves, Colombia is a country which is truly blessed in many regards, and is home to a massive variety of landscapes and climates.

Places to visit to in Colombia

Colombia is still relatively under-developed when it comes to tourism. And that’s no bad thing.  The major destination for foreign visitors is Cartagena de las Indias, a colonial-era gem on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Other visitors will go to the country’s dynamic cities such as the capital Bogota, Cali, the country’s Salsa capital, or super-rejuvenated Medellin, which is also a mecca for cyclists.

A difficult recent history

Colombian has definitely had all kinds of problems in the past: social, economic and political. For years an unofficial war was waged against the incredibly powerful drug syndicates, while a prolonged civil war was fought with both left-wing and right-wing Guerrillas.  Very few countries manage to have significant armed groups from both ends of the political spectrum, at the same time, but that’s Colombia for you! At least, it was Colombia, because the country has changed massively for the better in recent years.  The major guerrilla groups have laid down their arms, and drug-related violence is far below previous levels.  Major efforts have been made to renovate run-down urban areas, with Medellin, in particular,  a global example of how such policies can be successfully implemented in a relatively short period.

When it comes to Colombia, the times they are a changing… as Bob Dillon once crooned.

Medellin

Cool, rejuvenated, Medellin is fast-becoming a must-visit destination for younger travellers.  Go there before it gets too popular!

Cartagena

The colonial city of Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with beautiful beaches a short drive away.  A fun, humid destination which is also fantastic for history buffs.

Bogota

The country’s financial and political capital. Bigger, and more impersonal than other Colombian cities, but with a strong cultural offering.

Here is a very small selection of Spanish schools in Costa Rica. We’ll be adding more academies during 2019!

With thanks to the following photographers:

Fort Image: Martin St-Amant (S23678) [CC BY-SA 3.0], from Wikimedia Commons

Main panoramic image:  By Norma Gòmez – originally posted to Flickr as Pie de Popa e islas de Santa Cruz de Manga, Boca y Castillo Grande y Tierra Bomba vistas desde el, CC BY 2.0, Link