Colombia, segundo mejor destino del mundo para practicar deportes extremos

If adrenaline and extreme sports drive your passion and make you feel alive, you should take a look at what Colombia has to offer for you!

This Latin American country is the second best destination in the world to practice extreme sports, as recognized by “Rough Guides”, a British travel guidebook and reference publisher. Actually, Colombia it’s the only Latin American destination in the ranking.

Paragliding

Thanks to the Colombian reliefs, the hot winds and the wonderful landscapes, there are many destinations to practice paragliding. In several places they offer the possibility of long flights, with acrobatics and recordings.

Places we recommend for paragliding:

• The Chicamocha Canyon, near San Gil
• Paradise Territory by Cali
• San Félix, Jericó or Jardín a few hours away from Medellín
• Sopó outside Bogotá

Rafting and Kayak

Colombia’s wonderful relief makes it an ideal place to practice rafting and kayaking. Near the pleasant city of San Gil, a reference place to practice this sport, are three rivers with rapids from type 2 to 4+: Fonce, Suarez and Chicamocha.

On the other hand, we can’t forget other well-known places such as the Magdalena River in the department of Huila, the Barragán River in Quindío and Rionegro in Cundinamarca.

Hiking

To enjoy the most all the varied landscapes from Colombia that include mountains, deserts and jungles, it’s just ideal to go hiking.

In the midst of nature, far from the city and pollution there are excellent places visited by hikers:

• “Ciudad Perdida” and its jungle
• The snow-capped mountains and glaciers from the Cocuy National Park
• Volcano and wildlife at the Puracé National Park
• The wax palms located in the Cocora Valley
• The incredible reliefs of the Tatacoa Desert
• The Amazon and its virgin jungles
• The Tayrona Park with the variety of fauna and flora

Diving

The Pacific Coast, the Caribbean Coast and the beautiful islands make Colombia a country with diverse options for diving.

Here is a list of places with spectacular seabed that receive junior and experts divers:

• San Andrés and Providencia, considered the third largest coral reef in the world and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO
• Malpelo Island
• Sapzurro
• Capurganá
• Taganga
• Barú

Cycling (mountain climbing)

Cycling is a very popular sport for Colombians. This common passion is celebrated around the country thanks to entertaining races and the mountainous terrain that has allowed Colombians to be competitive cyclists, participating regularly in international competitions such us: the “Tour de France”, the “Giro d’Italia” and “La vuelta a España”.

The best places to practice mountain biking in Colombia are:

• San Gil thanks to the route of the Chicamocha canyon
• Armenia in the route of Peñas Blancas
• Medellín in the route of Santa Elena and Guatapé
• Salento with the routes of Alegría and Simón Bolívar

Speleology

Exploring the depths of Colombian lands is possible by visiting enchanting and enigmatic caves in different regions:

• Grottos in Rio Claro Antioquia
• La Vaca Cave in Santander
• Caja de Agua in Huila

Those are examples of some places where you can go through rocks, tunnels and waterfalls several meters high. This accompanied by the discoveries of ancient wildlife and rocks of thousands of years.

Surfing

Colombia has incredible beaches where you can surf, on the Caribbean Coast and Pacific Coast, adapted to all levels.

On the Caribbean coast the places are easily accessible and more frequented. They are also adapted for a beginner audience. It’s more difficult to access the Pacific Coast, but it’s a quieter place.

The best season to surf in Colombia is from December to March and from July to September.

Canyoning

Canyoning is an adventure sport that is practiced in nature and its objective is to cross different obstacles by alternating walks, swimming, climbing, rappel, jumps, etc.

This activity is in the category of sports of strong sensations, it’s a demanding discipline and it requires a lot of practice, taking into account some safety rules. The sites that offer this type of activity are Ibagué and Minca.

Are you excited already? It’s amazing the diversity of extreme sports you can enjoy while you explore Colombia!

And if you want to take this experience to another level you can take a Spanish course. Centro Catalina Spanish School is located in Cartagena and Medellín, and it offers and amazing learning experience that will help you connect with the Colombian culture.

Now you know where you can live an experience full of adrenaline and helpful knowledge. If you want more information, please visit www.centrocatalina.com