Colombia Culture, Geography and History

Colombian culture tends to revolve around the Four F’s: Festivals, Food, Fun and Family. While this bold and beautiful nation loves to party, it’s also a very traditional, family-centred society, with many Colombians choosing to live near their families and remain at home until marriage. With most Colombians being Catholic, religion plays an important part in daily life, and visitors will be able to see this themselves while travelling through Colombia. Hundreds of churches and cathedrals populate the large cities, while smaller chapels are dotted throughout the villages and rural areas. Religious festivals like Easter and Christmas are celebrated with gusto – after quiet times of reverence come the massive street parties, parades and feasts. A variety of cultural influences collide at these events - Spanish, African and Caribbean customs and traditions have been brought to Colombia over the centuries and shaped its vibrant culture.

The hallmarks and customs of daily life vary from region to region, with Bogota’s upwardly mobile citizens enjoying bars, driving cars and having access to a wide range of technology, cuisine and media. Colombia’s rural-dwellers (subsistence farmers, plantation workers and tribal groups) live a more simple existence in rustic housing and without traffic or the stresses of modern life. What unifies most Colombians though, regardless of living conditions or class, is a fierce love of Colombia, respect for God and loyalty to the family unit.