Semana Santa in Colombia

Easter week or Semana Santa as it is known in Colombia is a big deal, not only for its religious significance but also in that it is the first real break in the year in which Colombians gather up the family and travel en masse all over the country.

National news outlets will routinely film thousands of Colombians in snailing queues eagerly waiting to purchase bus tickets home, domestic flights about the country soar in cost and the highways exiting the main cities of Bogota and Medellin are seriously congested.

This is not to say that you are advised not to travel as an international visitor during this period, precisely the opposite, we heartily recommend it since some of the sights on display are unique not only to Colombia but also internationally.

The two main Semana Santa celebrations in Colombia are at opposite ends of the country and it remains open to debate which is the more scenic or most representative but rest assured that both that of Popayan and Mompós are pretty special.

These celebrations take the form of austere and lengthy processions often starting in the late afternoon and running into the early hours of the following morning. Pilgrims referred to as Nazarenes don heavy tunics in the afternoon heat to shoulder the burden of the weighty religious floats as onlookers stand in awe on the pavements.

As is to be expected in either destination you choose hotels place a normal three-night minimum stay and prices climb steeply, you are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. The keys days are generally the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Easter week.

If a religious or cultural destination is not to your liking, head with the thousands of families to the resort towns of Cartagena, the beaches of Santa Marta, Tolu and Covenas on the Caribbean coast or Juanchaco and Ladrilleros on the Pacific coast.

However, if you want to have places to yourself you are just as well off exploring the major cities of Bogota, Cali and Medellin as all of the aforementioned will have witnessed vast exoduses of the local population to holiday zones. The drawback of course is that most museums, shops and even restaurant will be closed for business!