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I'll just state the obvious: driving in Colombia is EXTREMELY dangerous, since local drivers do not care about rules, regulations, nor traffic laws. I know two expats from the USA who drive (one guy here in Barranquilla, another guy in Medellin)... listen, I'm no Urologist nor Metallurgist, but I am fairly certain those dudes have GIANT balls of STEEL 😅

Personally, I will never drive here (not car, not motorcycle)... becaue that'd just be asking for instant death within 20 minutes of getting on the road. I wanna go, sure, but not like THAT 😆

That being said... my opinion is based on "city living". I've heard of a bunch of expats who have cars or trucks but they ONLY drive them in the semi-rural or even rural areas (which is somewhat safer than within the city).  When I relocate out of Barranquilla, if I find myself in a small semi-rural town that has less traffic, I might consider getting a bicycle... for getting around rapidly while also getting exercise.

There are some good drivers in Colombia, but...

They are vastly outnumbered.  If I had to choose just one word to describe driving in Colombia, it would be "chaotic".  Or maybe CHAOTIC!!!

I used to think driving in Memphis, TN was bad - but it was just a training ground for me to be able to handle driving in Puerto Rico.  And PR was but a training ground for me to drive in Colombia...

The book, Road Safety in Colombia, is certainly one of the shortest books in the world.

At the risk of sounding boastful my passion is doing road trips everywhere in Colombia and even down into Ecuador, always starting/ending my road trips at my home in Medellin.

I do 3 or 4 of these long road trips every year and am gone from a few weeks to a couple of months, sometimes my best Colombian buddy is with me and many times it is just me solo.

In 5 years I turned 100,000 km on my once new KIA.

Been driving all over Colombia in this fashion for 8 years and before this had a motorcycle for a few years which is a whole other conversation.

Now 10 years ago I jumped at the opportunity when my Colombian friend in Medellin offered that I ride shot gun in his tractor trailer so spent a week delivering cargo from Medellin down to Cali then over at the port into Buenaventura then north to Manizales and a few other load drop-off's and pick-up's along the way back to Medellin..................what an eye opener and invaluable experience this was.

Here is a sampling of cities, pueblos, seaside villages, attractions and regions/departments where I have driven:

Santa Cruz de Mompox, Aracataca-Magdalena (home of Gabriel Garcia Marquez), Gral. Farfán/San Miguel-Putumayo, Cali, Yarumo, Mocoa, Ipiales (including nearby Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Las Lajas), Pasto, Silvia, Popayan, Villavicencio-Meta, Puerto López & Puerto Gaitán-Meta/Los Lanuras, La Plata, El Florián-Santander and the nearby Las Ventanas de Tisquizoque, Jamundi, San José del Guaviare-Guaviare, Vereda Cerro Azul-Guaviare, Tierradentro, Parque Arqueologico San Agustin-Huila, Salento, Palmira, Buga, Cartago, Armenia, Santa Rosa de Cabal (including nearby Termales), Filandia, Manizales, Pereira, La Chamba-Tolima, Ibaque, Anapoima, Girardot, Quibdo, Moñitos, Jerico, Jardin, Salgar, Ciudad Bolivar, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Tarso, La Pintada, Neiva, Villavieja, Tatacoa Desert, Guamo, Paracuachon @ Col/Venz border, Honda, Villeta, Facatativa, Fusagasuga, Soacha, Bogota 40+ visits over 34 years, Chia, Zipaquira, Villa de Leyva, Puente Boyaca, Puerto Berrio, San Basillo de Palenque, San Gil, Barichara, Guane, Villanueva, Chicamocha-Santander, Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja, Cucuta, Buenaventura, Nuqui-Choco via flight from Medellin, Nueva Venecia via boat ride from Cienaga, Barranquilla, Tamalameque, Valledupar, Maicao, Riohacha, La Guajira, Uribia-La Guajira, Cabo de La Vela-La Guajira, Cartagena, Bocagrande, Getsemani, Rosario islands, Archipelago de San Bernardo including Mucura/Tintipan/Santa Cruz de Islote, Palomino, Buritaca, Los Naranjos, Tayrona, Minca, Taganga, Santa Marta, Rodadero, Cicada Perdida/Lost City (4 day hike), Tolu, Turbo, Covenas, Maicao, Rincon del Mar, Mendihuaca, Baru, Monteria, Caucasia, Yarumal, Segovia/Remedios Antioquia, Necocli, boat to Isla Fuerte, Capurgana via boat from Necoli, Apartado, Guatavita-Cundinamarca, Tunja-Boyaca, Sogamoso-Boyaca, Mongi-Boyaca and of course Medellin and dozens of pueblos. in the outlying areas within 50km where I live and call home.

And as I mentioned in the above I also drove from Medellin into Ecuador a few times and returned. Here is a sampling - Drove the complete 800 km coastline from top to bottom on the E15 La Vía del Pacífico o Troncal del Pacífico, from San Lorenzo, Esmeraldes, Atacames Canton, Mompiche, Pedernales, Canoa, San Vicente, San Jacinto, Manta, Portoviejo, Montecristi, San Lorenzo, Puerto Cayo, Machalilla, Puerto Lopez, Salango, Olon, Montanita, Ayangue, Monteverde, San Pablo, Salinas,La Chocolatera, Quito, Ibarra, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Banos, Ambato, Nueva Loja.

So in summary how, when and where should you/could you and more importantly areas that you should not drive in Colombia just depends on so many factors, too many to list here. If anyone has a particular route they have in mind just ask.

In the meantime when I am not on my road trips you can find me driving the roads of Medellin from one end of the Aburra valley to the other.

And mind you I first visited Colombia in November of 1990 on a months long extended visit so in addition to driving these roads I have used buses, hired private cars, rentals and have been a passenger in my friends car/truck/van.

Godspeed to all!