Is Colombia safe as a solo female traveler?

As a solo female traveler, my first question when researching a new destination is always:  is it safe?  

I usually start by reading the experiences of other travelers, but especially other solo female travelers.

So, when I started planning my trip to Colombia, I read as much as I could.  Most of what I came across was really positive.  

In the US, Colombia is often talked about as a dangerous place with an active drug scene.  There is, of course, historical truth to that.  However, in the past few decades, Colombia has been working to change its reputation.  

After researching and chatting with some friends who had spent time in the country, I decided to make Colombia the 11th country that I have visited.

I spent nearly 2 months and visited 4 cities in Colombia:  Medellín, Cali, Bogotá, and Cartagena.  

Here’s my experience in each city:

Medellín

I spent the greatest percentage of time in Medellín.  If you know much about Pablo Escobar or have watched the show Narcos, you have probably heard of Medellín.  In the 80s, it was the home base of the infamous drug lord. 

Nowadays, Medellín offers travelers a diverse range of attractions: dancing the night away on La 70, exploring the street art of Comuna 13, eating in El Poblado.  There’s a lot to do and explore.  

I spent the majority of my time in the Laureles and El Poblado neighborhoods.  I felt extremely safe in both areas and even walked alone at night.  Use discretion though.  Even in those neighborhoods, there were certain streets where I felt slightly less safe.  

If in doubt, use a taxi or an app like Uber or Cabify (technically Uber is not legal in Colombia, but it still operates.  You might just be asked to sit in the front seat instead of the back).  

I will offer caution that the downtown area is a bit more dangerous that some other parts of the city.  In the central area, it’s very crowded and would be very easy to be pick pocketed.  

I did notice a higher rate of unhoused individuals and potential drug use in the city center area.  I felt pretty safe during the day, but I wouldn’t recommend walking in this area at night.

Comuna 13 is another area that is quite safe for tourists. However, when I was walking from the metro station to the actual hillside, Google Maps took me down some streets I would have otherwise avoided. I didn’t feel in danger, but it took me through some alleyways and when asking for directions from a local, she said it would be safer to return to the main road.

Click here for more Comuna 13 info.

One thing I heard over and over again was to be very careful with my cellphone.  Even though I never had any issues, I heard this piece of advice from countless locals and read it in several blogs, so there must be truth behind the cautionary comments.    

I used the metro extensively, even at night, it was safe and easy. The only thing I would note is that the trains do get crowded, so just be aware of your phone and possessions.

Cali

Cali is the salsa dancing hub in Colombia, so if you’re wanting to learn some salsa, this is a great place for it.  

However, Cali’s reputation, even in Colombia, is hit or miss.  

When I was planning my second stop, I asked several Colombians about their impression of Cali.  

I had a tough time getting a clear picture because the responses ran the gamut from “yes, go.  It’s amazing.” to “Be really careful, it’s still kinda dangerous”.  

Because of the mixed advice, I decided to only spend one week in Cali.  I opted to stay in a hostel because if I’m feeling any sense of uncertainty about a city, I appreciate having a wider network of people.  

Cali was an interesting experience.  I met some incredible people and had a lot of fun.  But I think my overall impression was skewed because I heard so, so many warnings.  

A lot of people told me to completely avoid walking at night and that it’s better to just take a taxi.  I was warned to be really careful with my phone and purse when out.  And I had a lot of people just generally warned me to be careful.  

Do be careful with your possessions.  I met a girl who had her bag of valuables stolen from the overhead storage on a night bus from Medellín to Cali.  So, incidents do happen.  

I didn’t have any issues during my time, but I think I was more on edge because of all of those words of warning.  

Also, the area where I stayed wasn’t particularly walkable and the streets were quite small and not very well lit (I stayed at La Vaina Cali).  If I were to go back, I would probably choose a different area of the city.  

I didn’t spend much time in these areas, especially at night, but I thought the areas around Parque del Perro, El Peñon, and Versailles were quite nice and seemed safe. 

Bogotá

Bogotá is an enormous city with a population of over 11.5 million.  It’s huge, so as with any other big city, it comes with its potential dangers. 

I stayed in the Chapinero neighborhood, but I also spent a decent about of time in La Candelaria and Zona G. 

The areas where I spent time seemed really safe, and I walked alone even at night.  La Candelaria is historic, very cute, and a lot of tourists stay in that area. However, it is in the downtown area, and some streets started to feel a little less safe once the sun had set.

I think it’s extremely important to be aware of your surroundings and to stay alert.  Stick to areas that are well lit and that have other people around.  

There is a number of unhoused individuals in Bogotá.  This isn’t necessarily a direct correlation to danger, but it is good to stay aware.

For transportation, I took the TransMilenio bus quite a bit.  One thing I heard a lot was to be careful with my phone on the bus (because it can easily be snatched out of your hand) and to be very careful with your possessions.  

On one hand, I saw a lot of locals using their phones, so as time went on, I got more comfortable using mine.  On the other hand, I did see someone’s bag get stolen.  So just always be aware and keep a firm grip on everything you’re carrying.

Cartagena

Cartagena is extremely touristy.  The industries in this city seem to revolve around tourism, so if you don’t look like a local, you will be inevitably be approached to buy something.  

I stayed in the Marbella neighborhood because of its beach access.  I wouldn’t recommend that just from a practicality standpoint.  If you are only in the city for a short amount of time, stay within the Walled City.  

I spent almost 100% of my time in the Walled City except when I left to go home for the night.  There wasn’t much happening outside of the Walled City, so I did regret staying outside of it.  

Walking from the Walled City to Marbella, there usually weren’t other people around, which made me a little uneasy.  My walk wasn’t too far, maybe 20-25 minutes, but it wasn’t very well lit and there weren’t many other people.  I would recommend taking a taxi if you stay outside of the Walled City.  It’s relatively inexpensive and is just a good safety precaution.  

Because the city depends heavily on tourism, there is a vested interest in keeping the city safe. 

I walked alone at night a lot within the Walled City and it never felt dangerous. Because all of the tourists stay in a quite concentrated area of the city, there are always other people around. 

Even though it felt extremely safe, I had mixed feelings about Cartagena as a whole.  It’s definitely beautiful and worth seeing.  However, because tourism is so prevalent, it felt difficult to have an authentic experience.  I was constantly asked for money or to buy something, even by people who started innocuous, friendly conversations. 

So, though I never felt unsafe in Cartagena, I did feel targeted by tourist traps.  I’m a pretty savvy traveler and have seen a lot, but even I was taken aback by how often I was approached.  

Overall

I loved my time in Colombia.  A lot of people have the perception that you shouldn’t travel to Colombia because it’s unsafe.  Though I have certainly heard stories of dangerous incidents, I didn’t have any issues in my 2 months there.

I would absolute recommend Colombia to any other traveler.  If you ask me, I’d say as long as you use common sense and you’re a smart traveler, you should be fine.  

There’s so much to experience in Colombia.  It would certainly be a shame to skip.