SECOND REPORT (Second Part)

Colombia: Adventure and Extreme Sport

Colombia’s rugged topography encloses an infinite number of environments that are ideal for exploring. Colombia adventure features varied landscapes and regions, rich in flora and fauna, which are an invitation to experience unforgettable thrills.

To explore our natural parks, valleys, mountains, savannas, deserts, seas, lakes, and rivers is to discover an exuberant nature where the practice of extreme sports is a permanent temptation. In Colombia, adventure is waiting for you.

Diving in Colombia

Colombia is not only a tropical land. It possesses a gigantic aquatic garden in the Pacific Ocean and a virtually unlimited pool in the Caribbean Sea.

Indeed, our house is enormous and the only one in South America with such attractions. Located at the geographical center of the American continent, it occupies a small portion of the tropical zone, and is a country graced by abundant water, bathed by the two biggest oceans on the planet, and dotted with islands, cays, and coral reefs. Over 2,900 km of coastline, with cliffs and rocky and sandy beaches, constitute a large tourist attraction due to their expanse and color.

River Rafting in Colombia

With so much water running down the slopes of the mountains of Colombia, it is only natural that there be so many stages for engaging in the thrilling sport of river rafting, a discipline with remote origins in southern Africa, yet relatively new in Colombia.

What is rafting about?

It is about challenging the force of rivers from aboard inflatable boats. A group of people maneuver paddles and struggle to stay afloat to avoid bowing down to the rapids formed in the river. The rapids are classified in six classes - 1 to 6 - according to their level of difficulty.

Class 1 is the gentlest, perfect for beginners, although they can easily advance to Class 3 rapids in a short time. Classes 4 to 6 are very demanding, with challenges only for experts; here the margin of error and the rescue possibilities are minimal.

Paragliding

A French poet once wrote that “flying is like looking at birds and smiling without envy, knowing that when one wishes, one can open one’s wings to accompany them.” As an action, flying is a dream common to all men, a dream of being carried away by a sense of freedom and surrendering to the will of the wind. In the context of expression, flying is about going beyond, about giving in to imagination to the point of abandoning logic.

Surely, these were the motives of the creators of paragliding - undoubtedly the sport that comes closer to man’s old illusion. Flying on a paraglider is safe, does not pollute, allows contact with the wind and, if as this were not enough, it is a delight to the senses when flying above spectacular and exotic landscapes.

Paragliding Sites in Colombia

Due to their geographical conditions and climate, the best sites are in Santander, Valle del Cauca, the Bogotá region (department of Cundinamarca), and Medellín (department of Antioquia). Paragliding may be practiced year round, with the exception of rainy days. The absence of electric power lines, poles, and facilities ensures the safety of these sites.