COLOMBIA on a plate, and its UNESCO heritage

Traditional Colombian dishes

Each region has its own cuisine, shaped by its altitude and its history.

• Ajiaco: Bogotá's chicken and potato soup, flavoured with the herb guascas and served with cream, capers and avocado.
• Bandeja paisa: the generous platter of Antioquia, with beans, rice, meat, egg, plantain and arepa.
• Arepas: corn cakes found all over the country, with a different recipe in every region; in Boyacá, the arepa boyacense is sweet and filled with cheese.
• Cuchuco: the wheat soup of the Boyacá highlands.
• Sancocho and tamales: slow-cooked dishes shared at family gatherings.
• Fried fish with coconut rice and patacones: the classic of the Caribbean coast.

Fruits, coffee and other flavours

Colombian markets are full of fruits that are hard to find in Europe: lulo, passion fruit, soursop, granadilla and cape gooseberry. Coffee is part of daily life, often as a small black tinto, and in the Andes hot chocolate is served with a slice of cheese to melt inside.

UNESCO World Heritage sites in Colombia

1. Port, fortresses and monuments of Cartagena (1984)
2. Los Katíos National Park (1994)
3. Historic centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox (1995)
4. Tierradentro National Archaeological Park (1995)
5. San Agustín Archaeological Park (1995)
6. Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary (2006)
7. Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia (2011)
8. Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System, shared with five other countries (2014)
9. Chiribiquete National Park, "The Maloca of the Jaguar" (2018)

Living heritage

UNESCO also recognises Colombian traditions such as the Carnival of Barranquilla, the cultural space of San Basilio de Palenque and the Wayúu system of the palabrero, the mediator who resolves conflicts with words.

A cooking class, a coffee farm or a market tour with a local guide can be part of your tailor-made trip.

Updated by Colombie Travel, Colombia DMC and member of ANATO and ACOTUR. Last reviewed: November 2026.