Party at one of South America’s biggest carnival celebrations and relax on quiet beaches at this department set in the heart of the Costa Caribe region.
Visit colonial towns, soak up the sun at laid-back beach resorts and be part of a flamboyant carnival in Atlántico. This is one of Colombia’s smallest departments, stretching from the Caribbean Coast, along the Magdalena River and across fertile plains. Caribbean Indians were the first to inhabit the Atlántico area, with Spanish conquerors following in the 1500s. See the legacy of the Spanish in towns filled with colonial architecture.
The hot and hectic port of Barranquilla is the department’s largest city and the main gateway to its attractions. Admire the richly ornamented Barranquilla Cathedral, spot varied wildlife at Barranquilla Zoo and learn about Colombia’s Caribbean history at the Museum of the Caribbean. Time your visit to coincide with the concerts, extravagant parades and riotous street parties of Barranquilla Carnival. The main event starts a few days before Ash Wednesday, although activities begin as early as mid-January.
Travel along the coast to beaches framed by swaying palms and lined with food shacks selling fresh seafood. A 30-minute drive from Barranquilla is Puerto Salgar, home to the 19th-century Salgar Castle. Continue south to Puerto Colombia and enjoy superb coastal views from Puerto Colombia Pier. Santa Verónica is popular among local vacationers while Puerto Velero is good for windsurfing.
Go to colonial Soledad to see architectural masterpieces such as the Church of San Antonio de Padua and to try a spicy sausage called butifarra. Attend festivals dedicated to pigeon peas, plums and roasted pork skin in Baranoa. Swim in a mud pool at Totumo Volcano, on the Atlántico-Bolivar border.
Cross the departmental border into Magdalena and spot around 200 bird species in the mangrove forests of Salamanca Island Nature Reserve. Discover picture-perfect beaches in Tayrona National Park, a short drive from Santa Marta. Take scuba diving classes in Taganga.
Reach Atlántico by flying to Barranquilla’s Ernesto Cotissoz International Airport from Bogotá, Cali, Medellín or Miami. Expect high year-round temperatures with frequent downpours from May to October and long, dry periods between December and March.