What's It Like to Drive in Colombia?
- Trevor Lawrence
- Jan 14
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 12
Challenge Level: 4 out of 5
Colombia’s road network is modernizing at an impressive rate, making it challenging to keep up with ever-changing conditions. While many highways are fully paved and well-maintained, we still encounter routes where a vehicle with good ground clearance is recommended.
For most travelers, a standard SUV or crossover should be enough—four-wheel drive isn’t strictly necessary unless you’re venturing deep into rugged areas.
But if you’re picturing calm, orderly lanes, think again. Colombian roads are lively, to say the least.
Quick Takeaways
Road tripping is tiring – don’t overestimate how far you can travel in a day.
Limit nighttime driving – it’s not just a suggestion; it can be downright dangerous.
GPS time estimates are misleading – plan to add about an hour+ to the time.
Infrastructure is evolving fast – new highways and expressways pop up all the time.
Use Google Street View – spot-check road conditions before you go.
So, what's it really like to drive in Colombia?
Here's everything we learned.
Let's Start with the Infamous “Double Overtake”
Imagine a huge bus passing a line of traffic on a two-lane highway, only to have another car pass the bus using the shoulder AT THE SAME TIME.
Welcome to driving in Colombia.
Similarly, you’ll see vehicles decked out in flashy lights and neon strips. These aren’t just for show—they help drivers stand out thanks to all the risky maneuvers constantly being undertaken. I like to think it's a bit like the concept of aposematism in nature, where bright colors warn predators to stay away. Here, the message is basically, “Let’s avoid a head-on collision, shall we?”
Metaphor Alert
Navigating a Colombian city by car can feel like you’re a single fish swimming in a massive school. Motorcycles and scooters weave around you in a rushing, flowing mass. While it might sound chaotic, your best bet is to flow with the traffic. Don't try to weave or jerk the steering wheel. These people are so accustomed to this style of driving, just let them navigate around you. If you’ve driven in parts of Asia, you might find this familiar, but if not, prepare for a steep learning curve.
Outside the Cities
Outside metropolitan areas, roads range from a few wide-open expressways with gorgeous mountain views to plentiful slow, winding stretches that hug Colombia’s three Andean ranges: Occidental, Central, and Oriental. These towering mountains leave few straightaways, but that’s slowly changing thanks to major investments in new expressways that literally reshape Colombia’s geography.
Despite these improvements, you’ll inevitably hit traffic jams whenever a single slow-moving truck clogs a narrow two-lane road. In these moments, you’ll quickly see Colombian drivers push the limits of passing on curves, hills, or with oncoming traffic.
Thrilling—or terrifying—hardly covers it.
“Learn by Doing”? Not Always the Best Plan
It’s easy to pick up local habits—like passing a long line of cars in one fell swoop. One risky scenario: you assume the driver ahead has a clear view, so you follow them into the oncoming lane…only to have them abruptly cut in.
That's when you realize there’s a semi-truck barreling your way. Sometimes you’ll get lucky, and the oncoming vehicle swerves onto the shoulder. Sometimes you won’t.
Resist the urge to copy local maneuvers until you can calculate the risk yourself. When we lived in Manhattan, one of the local pastimes was watching crowds of pedestrians at a crosswalk, eyes glued to their phones, suddenly step off the curb under the mistaken belief they had a walk signal—simply because a few other daring souls had decided to cross through gaps in oncoming traffic.
Why Driving at Night Might be Nuts
Colombia’s scenic roads by day can become treacherous at night. Common hazards include:
Poorly lit or missing road markings just outside city limits.
Unlit motorcycles and vehicles with faulty or nonexistent headlights/taillights.
Nonstop livestock wandering onto unfenced roads.
Sharp, unmarked hairpin curves with minimal signage.
Pavement that absorbs headlights, making it feel like driving through a black hole.
If you must drive after dark (maybe you miscalculated your travel time or hit unexpected delays), take it slow. Many locals drive with their hazard lights on for added visibility, and you might want to do the same.
Route Info: Medellín to Salento
Routes 25, 60 South, 25B, 25, 29, and 50 are mostly smooth and quickly improving. Expect some temporary detours due to ongoing construction, but most vehicles should be able to handle this route without issue.
Route Info: Cartagena to Santa Marta (Magdalena)
Route 90 might be one of the most exhilarating (and sometimes scary) drives in Colombia:
Excellent pavement covers about 90% of the route.
Single-lane sections with wide shoulders invite drivers to treat the shoulder like a passing lane. And they will at high rates of speed!
Speed cameras abound every 10–15 km, and even being 1 km over the limit can get you a ticket. Use Waze to know where to find them. You can also learn to spot the new cameras (the old ones are still out there, too, making it all very confusing) Sudden brake lights are another signal that you're about to encounter a speed camera.
Police presence is high. Expect checkpoints and possible stops—especially if you look like a tourist. Shakedowns can be an issue here; consult our full article on what to do if this happens to you.
Route Info: Villa de Leyva to Medellín, Routes 60 & 62
Rather than backtracking through Bogotá, we traveled this 400 km cross-country route. Is it worth it? These lesser-known routes sometimes feature partly paved roads, stretches of expressway, and rougher dirt/mud sections in mountainous areas. On the whole, this is one of those routes that's been vastly upgraded in a short amount of time, but there's still some areas that provide some steeled nerves.
Especially around Santander from approx. Jordan Alto through Landazuri, the road gets pretty muddy and pot-holed with a single lane passing through swimming-pool sized puddles. While you might spend an hour navigating this area, especially when there are others vehicles, it's not a particularly long stretch of bad road.
Of note, there are often flaggers working these sections. These people stand out in these super remote areas on opposing sides of a single-lane stretch, from dawn to dusk, helping people safely navigate. They are often carrying a small bucket for gratuities, so I'd recommend having some pesos on hand to tip them.
We try to rely on forums to get a sense of roads, but some references online might be five or ten years old, which is ancient history for Colombia’s rapidly changing infrastructure. One tactic I love is accessing Google Street View through Google Maps (noting the image date on the bottom right!) to confirm the current state of the road with spot checks along my route.
How to Check Road Conditions
Use Google Maps & Street View
Plot your route, then click on specific segments to see actual road photos.
Check the image capture date (shown at the bottom). The more recent, the better. Check out our article about how to use this awesome travel trick.
Try Waze (Before You Embark)
In Colombia, Waze is king for real-time traffic, construction updates, and even identifying speed cameras or roadblocks. Every local uses it.
Keep in mind it relies on cell signal.
Forums and Travel Threads
Look for recent posts. Anything older than a year might be outdated, given how quickly roads are upgraded. Moreover, the rainy season and frequent geological instability throughout the Andes can drastically change road conditions with no warning.
Colombia’s roads can be both breathtaking and challenging. Keep your plans flexible, drive defensively, and double-check road conditions before hitting the highway.
As always, if you have any updated information about popular routes or personal driving experiences in Colombia, drop us a line. We’d love to keep our community informed and safe on the road.
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