Safety in Colombian national parks alone without a guide

Hi everyone, I’d love to explore Colombia next winter and, of course, I’m really keen to discover the country’s natural wonders. However, I know that despite impressive progress, there are still security issues in Colombia, and that remote mountainous forest areas were once favored by guerrillas and drug traffickers as hideouts. I assume things are different now. I’m well aware that big cities like Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena require extra vigilance, but that seems pretty normal in itself.

But I’d like to know if it’s possible—and safe enough—to rent a car and explore the national parks and nature reserves on my own, without a guide (such as Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza, Parque Nacional Natural Páramo de Iguaque, Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de los Yariguíes, Pico Cristóbal Colón, etc.).

Of course, I’m also aware of the dangerous wildlife (pumas, jaguars, snakes, spiders, crocs, etc.), but that’s another story.

Thanks for your replies! :-)

Hello. What a lovely project: Colombian nature can be truly wonderful, even if—like elsewhere—it’s often under threat. As for safety, rest assured: travelers aren’t targets for drug cartels or guerrillas. Colombians will tell you the precautions to take in each place, and those are just common sense. As for the dangers of nature itself: the odds of being attacked by a puma are roughly the same as winning the EuroMillions jackpot. About visiting parks (you seem to have a preference for high altitudes), renting a car doesn’t strike me as a good idea. You’ll inevitably run into rough tracks at some point. This isn’t Kruger... 😉 I’d recommend hiring a guide and driver instead. At least a guide if you’re heading into areas where it’s easy to get lost. Again, it’s best to ask locally for advice. At high altitudes, you won’t encounter much wildlife. It’s far more visible in the Amazon or the Llanos, for example. Special mention: Colombia is the world’s top country for bird species diversity... In some places, they’re easily observable. If you have any questions... I’m the author of this recent book: https://www.philippepratx.net/Colpresent.htm Happy travels, Ph. Pratx