Barranquilla and the areas surrounding it proffer an embarrassment of riches. Be it plopping into 200 metres of mud of Volcan el Lodo del Totumo or driving down to Cartagena to stroll down the narrow cobblestone streets of Ciudad Antigua that are dotted with overhanging balconies of old Spanish mansions.

Towards the end of February every year, four full days of partying, dancing, outlandish costumes and parades are subsumed into the Barranquilla Carnival. The Teatro Municipal Amira de la Rosa is the culture hub of the city. The Pumarejo Bridge, the Museum of Gold and Nobel Prize winner Gabriel García Márquez's old bohemian hangout, La Cueva, are some places worth a look. Tourists eager to savour local delicacies should try arroz con coco and sancocho de guandul.

The transparent waters of the Caribbean sea and the pristine sand beaches mix with the warm spirit of its people to make Barranquilla an ideal tropical destination for beach lovers.

In downtown La Candelaria, several architectural highlights such as Catedral Primada, Museo del Oro and Teatro Colon are situat...

Between Christmas and the new year, the Cali Fair takes place, highlighted by myriad street activities. Around the same time, the Bullfighting Festival, a land...