Megan Kennedy has been living and travelling in Colombia with children for a couple of years now; like See Colombia she loves this country and is keen to help show the world how much it has changed. Here she writes about why people with children should visit Colombia. Megan…
I lived in Chile and travelled in Central and South America in my pre-kid days, when the Internet was young and so was I. I didn’t make it to Colombia until 2012, when I moved with my husband and two young boys to Medellín. I immediately fell in love with the country and, like See Colombia Travel, I am committed to correcting outdated stereotypes and misconceptions about Colombia and convincing everyone I know to come visit. I work in international education, occasionally teach English, and try to keep up with my five-year-old’s Spanish.
Colombia is a backpacker’s paradise. But it’s also paradise for kids, and the people who travel with them. Here are a few reasons why you should come to Colombia, especially if you have kids.
Colombia is seriously child-friendly
Kids are welcome pretty much everywhere and a lot of places here have been built with families in mind. Take, for example, the prevalence of restaurant playgrounds. I don’t mean fast food chains with play areas, though they have those too, but real restaurants with wine and appetizers and Wi-Fi. This phenomenon should immediately be replicated around the world. Colombia has restaurants where kids can make their own dinner, or frolic with miniature horses. There is a restaurant that has staff to push your kids on the swings for you. My personal favorite is the one that will secure your kids in the trampoline while you enjoy a beverage and the beautiful mountain views. It’s a win-win!
The People
Colombians are incredibly warm and friendly, and they will go out of their way to make sure you enjoy your stay. You and your kids are guaranteed to meet people who want to practice their English, learn about where you’re from, and fawn over your adorable children (even if they’re in the midst of a tantrum). Traveling with kids is so much more pleasant when everyone around is happy you’re there!
Colombia is fun….
The Colombia Tourism Board did not choose this as their official slogan, but my kids would have. There are endless options for entertaining your kids in Colombia; amusement parks in the mall, science and children’s museums, botanical gardens with roaming iguanas! But even getting around is entertaining. My 5 year old thinks Colombian taxis were made for kids’ enjoyment. You can see jugglers, robots, and break dancers, all from the back of a taxicab. Of course the metro is fun too. In Medellin, you can take a ride on the Metro’s cable car to Parque Arvi, a nature reserve with walking trails, ziplines, a butterfly house and a bug museum. Or maybe you would rather take a chiva bus, or a horse. So many options!
There is something for everyone
Mountains, cities, beaches, parks…. Colombia has just about everything. The largest cities have enough to keep you busy for weeks, but there are endless options outside the cities as well. While the kids might not be clamoring to go to the coffee region, it’s only because they don’t know what they’re missing. In just a few days in the Eje Cafetero you can go to a volcano, visit two amusement parks, stay in a 100-year-old working coffee farm, and take a Willy to see the Cocora Valley wax palms.
You should be here! Now, get the niños to Colombia for a trip you will all enjoy.
Megan Kennedy
