Map of Colombia: regions, departments, cities and distances

Looking at a map of Colombia before you go is the quickest way to understand how to plan your trip. The country is big, roughly twice the size of France, and the Andes run through it, splitting it into valleys, high plateaus and two coastlines. The result is that cities that look close on the map are separated by 10-20 hours by bus on mountain roads, and that the climate changes more with altitude than with the season. Here you’ll find the interactive map, the regions, the departments and their capitals, and the distances that matter for an itinerary.

Interactive map of Colombia

Interactive map of Colombia

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Where is Colombia?

Colombia sits in the north-western corner of South America, the only country on the continent facing two oceans: the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Panama to the north-west, Venezuela and Brazil to the east, and Peru and Ecuador to the south. The equator crosses the south of the country, in the Amazon.

Fact	Value
Area	about 1,141,000 km² (440,000 sq mi)
Population	over 50 million
Capital	Bogotá, at about 2,600 metres (8,500 ft)
Neighbouring countries	Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador
Coastlines	Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean
Administrative division	32 departments + the Capital District of Bogotá
Highest mountains	Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, about 5,700 metres (18,700 ft)
Main river	Magdalena, over 1,500 km (930 mi)

The physical map: the Andes and the six natural regions

Physical and political map: Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi (IGAC).

In the south, on the border with Ecuador, the Andes enter Colombia and split into three ranges running north like the fingers of a hand:

• the Cordillera Occidental (Western range), closest to the Pacific;
• the Cordillera Central (Central range), with the volcanoes and snow peaks of Los Nevados National Park above the Coffee Region;
• the Cordillera Oriental (Eastern range), the widest, with the high plateau of Bogotá and Boyacá.

Between the ranges flow the two main rivers, the Cauca and the Magdalena, which empty into the Caribbean. This geography gives the six natural regions Colombians divide their country into:

Region	Where	What to expect	On this site
Caribbean	the north coast	hot all year, beaches, colonial cities	Caribbean coast
Andean	the three ranges and their valleys	big cities, cool to spring-like climate, coffee	Central Andes, Antioquia and the Coffee Region
Pacific	the west coast	rainforest, whales from July to October, few connections	—
Orinoquía	the eastern plains (Llanos)	savannah, cattle ranching, Caño Cristales	—
Amazon	the south-east	rainforest and rivers, reachable only by plane (Leticia)	—
Island	San Andrés and Providencia in the Caribbean, Gorgona and Malpelo in the Pacific	sea and coral reef	—

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, near the Caribbean coast, is a massif separate from the Andes: it’s the world’s highest coastal mountain range, with peaks around 5,700 metres (measurements vary by source) less than 50 km from the sea. At its foot lie Tayrona National Park and the trek to Ciudad Perdida.

Colombia’s 32 departments and their capitals

Colombia is divided into 32 departments, plus the Capital District of Bogotá, which isn’t part of any department. Each department has a capital, but many tourist destinations aren’t capitals, such as Villa de Leyva in Boyacá or Guatapé in Antioquia.

Department	Capital	On this site
Amazonas	Leticia	—
Antioquia	Medellín	Medellín, Guatapé, Jardín, Jericó, Santa Fe de Antioquia
Arauca	Arauca	—
Atlántico	Barranquilla	—
Bolívar	Cartagena	Cartagena
Boyacá	Tunja	Villa de Leyva
Caldas	Manizales	—
Caquetá	Florencia	—
Casanare	Yopal	—
Cauca	Popayán	—
Cesar	Valledupar	—
Chocó	Quibdó	—
Córdoba	Montería	—
Cundinamarca	Bogotá	Zipaquirá
Guainía	Inírida	—
Guaviare	San José del Guaviare	—
Huila	Neiva	—
La Guajira	Riohacha	—
Magdalena	Santa Marta	Santa Marta, Tayrona, Minca, Taganga
Meta	Villavicencio	—
Nariño	Pasto	—
Norte de Santander	Cúcuta	—
Putumayo	Mocoa	—
Quindío	Armenia	Salento
Risaralda	Pereira	—
San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina	San Andrés	—
Santander	Bucaramanga	—
Sucre	Sincelejo	—
Tolima	Ibagué	—
Valle del Cauca	Cali	—
Vaupés	Mitú	—
Vichada	Puerto Carreño	—

Bogotá is the capital of Cundinamarca but, as the Capital District, has its own separate administration.

Distances between the main cities

On the map Colombia looks easy to cross by bus, but the roads climb through the Andes with bends, steep climbs and roadworks. That’s why between the big cities a domestic flight is almost always the right choice, while buses work well for short hops.

Route	By bus	By plane
Bogotá – Medellín	9-10 hours	about 1 hour
Medellín – Cartagena	13-14 hours	about 1 hour 15
Bogotá – Cartagena	18-20 hours	about 1 hour 30
Bogotá – Santa Marta	16-18 hours	about 1 hour 30
Cartagena – Santa Marta	4-5 hours	—
Medellín – Salento	6-8 hours	fly to Pereira or Armenia
Medellín – Guatapé	about 2 hours	—

Airlines, prices and tips for each type of transport are in the guide to getting around Colombia.

FAQ

How big is Colombia?

Colombia covers about 1.14 million km² (440,000 sq mi), roughly twice the size of France. That’s why people fly between the main cities: Bogotá-Cartagena is about 1 hour 30 by plane versus 18-20 hours by bus.

How many departments does Colombia have?

Colombia has 32 departments plus the Capital District of Bogotá. The ones travellers visit most are Bolívar (Cartagena), Magdalena (Santa Marta and Tayrona), Antioquia (Medellín), Quindío (Salento) and Cundinamarca with Bogotá.

Which countries border Colombia?

Five countries: Panama to the north-west, Venezuela and Brazil to the east, and Peru and Ecuador to the south. It’s also the only country in South America with coastlines on both the Caribbean and the Pacific.

What are the regions of Colombia?

Colombians divide the country into six natural regions: Caribbean, Andean, Pacific, Orinoquía (the Llanos), Amazon and the island region, with San Andrés and Providencia.