Why diverse, transformed Colombia is the perfect destination for Harry and Meghan

A $20 pair of running shoes. During the 1980s, that’s all it cost to hire a hitman in a country where life had become worthless and delinquency ran deep. 

Once the centre of a narcotics trade masterminded by larger-than-life character Pablo Escobar, Colombia was rife with tales of kidnappings and murder. Bombs were put in planes, cars and even on the backs of donkeys. Large areas of the jungle were ruled by the guerilla group Farc.

The perfect setting for a Netflix drama, it’s hardly a top holiday choice for members of the Royal family. But this week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are heading to South America’s most northerly (and once most notorious) nation on a non-official visit, after accepting an invitation from vice-president Francia Márquez. 

Accusations of irresponsibility and concerns for their safety have already been reported in the press, especially following political demonstrations in the Latin nation in April.

Personally, I couldn’t think of a better suggestion for a couple keen to shake off the shackles of tradition and challenge conservative stereotypes. I’ve travelled to Colombia – alone – several times, most recently earlier this year. Unlike Meghan, I don’t speak fluent Spanish, but have always managed to find my way around without ever running into difficulties.

The transformation of people, place, politics and attitudes has been remarkable. Tired of all the violence and social upheaval, communities have remodelled their country into one of the world’s most exciting and dynamic tourist destinations.

A fine example is Medellín, a temperate, Andes-wrapped city, which was once the nerve centre for dangerous cocaine cartels and dubbed the “murder capital of the world”.

High in the hills, former no-go neighbourhood Comuna 13 is now a trendy hub of bohemian bars and open-air graffiti galleries all connected by a system of hi-tech escalators. 

Lesbian rapper and long-term resident Catalina leads tours of her home, which overlooks a mass burial site where bodies were thrown after the government’s bodged Operation Orion – which aimed to expel urban guerrillas from the area, but which also saw hundreds of civilians caught in the crossfire – in 2002. A memorial to her family, all killed when she was eight years old, is inked on her body via a series of tattoos.

Uplifting stories of resilience are everywhere – from displaced women setting up successful restaurants, to families forging open-air art galleries from garbage tips.

A major turning point for Colombia was the 2016 peace agreement, signed between the government and Farc. Tighter laws around the production of illicit drugs and a dramatic reduction in violence have opened up the country, while tax breaks given in conflict areas have encouraged investment. Some guerillas have even converted to birdwatching – putting their knowledge of the jungle to a very different use. 

“We have successfully run trips in ex-Farc areas safely for years now, through one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet,” says Sam Bruce, the co-founder of Much Better Adventures. “It is disappointing that we still sometimes see comments online about the threat of being kidnapped – something that has never come even close to happening – as well as reference to drugs or civil war. Modern-day Colombia is not 1980s Narcos.”

San José del Guaviare is one of the places many Colombians – along with international tourists – are discovering for the first time. On the edge of the Amazon, the small town was once dominated by illegal coca plantations. Harvesters recall being blindfolded and taken into the forest, and many families have relatives who disappeared and never returned. 

Now years of bloodshed have ended, the only rivers flowing red are caused by a type of algae appearing between June and November – one of several attractions off-limits for decades.

Graciela Vergara, who worked as a cook at one of the illegal plantations, now takes tours of the region’s key highlights: one of the world’s largest collections of prehistoric rock paintings, which lay undiscovered for more than 12,500 years. The most accessible of these paintings can be found beneath a rock shelter known as Cerro Azul. 

Despite the inevitable criticisms a Left-wing government brings, president Gustavo Petro – a former member of the M-19 ideological rebel group – has introduced some ambitious reforms, improving rights for women and lower classes.

Years ago, I wouldn’t dare walk alone in the capital city Bogotá, one of three cities reportedly on the royal itinerary, along with Cartagena and Cali. But now areas such as upscale Chapinero are an attractive option for strolls between Michelin-star restaurants and fancy boutiques. There’s also a greater tolerance for diversity in a country once dominated by the Catholic Church. Same-sex marriage is legal, and it was the first Latin American country to legally recognise non-binary identities, following a court ruling in 2022.

During a foodie tour of sultry, Caribbean-kissed city Cartagena, young Afro-Colombian chef Andrea De La Hoz Gaviria spoke passionately to me about the greater acceptance of gay relationships in her country – although admitted she probably wouldn’t get married in a church.

In a nation made up of 87 ethnic groups, including uncontacted tribes living in the jungle and descendants of Africans brought here as part of the Atlantic slave trade, it took a surprising amount of time for the first black woman to be given a top job in government. Shared African heritage and experience of racism will undoubtedly be a topic of conversation between Meghan and vice-president Francia Márquez.

For me, cultural diversity is undoubtedly one of Colombia’s greatest lures – from listening to drummers perform in the squares of San Basilio de Palenque (established by slaves in the 17th century as the first free town in the Americas), to exploring the ancient Lost City of the Tayrona with white-robed Kogi guides.

“What’s not to love about trekking the Amazon, hiking the Andes, exploring coffee plantations and experiencing wildlife safaris?” rightly points out Liddy Pleasants, the founder of Stubborn Mule Travel, which has just launched several family itineraries to the destination.

Increasingly open-minded and preoccupied with daily life, it’s unlikely Colombians will even register the royal visit. But perhaps that was the main incentive for Harry and Meghan’s choice of destination. For a celebrity, an opportunity to travel incognito is the ultimate holiday, after all.