What Long Stays Teach You That the Internet Doesn’t
There’s a version of Colombia that exists almost entirely online, and occasionally in the memories of older Colombians who lived through a very different era. You see it most clearly in Reddit threads and comment sections. In that version, you don’t go out at night. You don’t walk alone. You don’t trust anyone. You move in groups, keep your head down, and treat the country like a constant threat. Why would you even want to live like that?
To be fair, that version isn’t invented out of nothing. I get it. But it's just not what Colombia is today.
The problem is that most of the time, the safety conversations about Colombia are either completely naive or paranoid. People ignore the context of the situations they find themselves in or dismiss their own behavior. Other times it kind of comes across as a fear mongering campaign.
Living in Colombia long enough changes how you understand risk. You begin to see where things tend to go wrong, and more importantly, why.
Tourists and Residents Live in Different Countries
One of the biggest mistakes people make when talking about safety in Colombia is assuming everyone moves through the country the same way. They don’t (I can include Colombians themselves here).
Tourists compress their experience into a few weeks. They move quickly, stay out late, enjoy the party supplies, and spend most of their time walking into unfamiliar places. Their social interactions skew toward bars, chance encounters, and maybe dating apps. This can make you a target in Paris just as much as it can in Cartagena, in my opinion.
Long-stay residents usually do the opposite. We repeat the same routines. We go to the same cafés. We live in the same neighborhoods long enough to become recognizable. We lives get boring in the best possible way.
That distinction matters more than any crime statistic.
It’s why someone can spend months in Bogotá without incident, while another person runs into trouble in a single weekend. They weren’t unlucky. They were moving differently.
Where Risk Shows Up
Most incidents involving foreigners in Colombia don’t come out of nowhere. They cluster around the same situations, over and over again. Bars! Drinks that aren’t watched. Trusting the gorgeous women who are all over you. People who are too friendly. People buy into the idea that life can really be that easy.
The stories tend to sound dramatic after the fact, but when you slow them down, the moments are familiar. A stranger who is suddenly your best friend. A drink offered without context. A shift in atmosphere goes ignored.
Those moments aren’t unique to Colombia. You’ll find them in Toronto, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, Paris. The difference is that Colombia has less tolerance for it.
A Night That Didn’t Become a Story
The first time we spent real time in Bogotá, we ended up at a metal bar. Nothing flashy. Small little spot where they were happy to have a few people show up. They let us play DJ all night.
At some point, someone approached us who already knew where we were from, so there were people talking about us.
It wasn’t threatening. There was no confrontation. But the tone shifted. You could feel the room tilt slightly. They were offering shots, which we turned down. There was just something off.
So we slowed everything down. We made sure the beer caps came off in front of us for that last round and we didn’t linger. We left and got straight into a cab.
Nothing happened. That’s the point.
Had we stayed and taken those shots. Had we brushed off the feeling because it felt awkward to acknowledge it, there’s a decent chance the night would have ended differently. That’s how most incidents begin, and it’s also how many of them don’t.
So, is Colombia safe? Not entirely. But, again, I’ve had experiences like this in Canada and Europe as well.
Here we are, before realizing we are likely being set up to be robbed. Ignorance is bliss.
City Context Matters
Colombia isn’t a single environment. Cities behave differently, and so do the risks attached to them.
In Bogotá, scale and density shape safety more than targeting. The city is large, spread out, and less centered around nightlife. Long stays tend to settle into routines quickly, which lowers risk. Bogotá doesn’t feel effortless, but it is predictable.
In Medellín, the stories people repeat most often revolve around nightlife and dating apps. The city is social, compact, and easier to move through late at night, which can be a strength or a liability depending on who you are. Neighborhood choice matters more here than almost anything else.
In Cartagena, the risk is less about violence and more about attention. Being flashy brings problems. Interactions are almost always transactional, although I have a few stories that say otherwise. But overall, it’s a city that rewards awareness and punishes openness.
None of this makes one city “safe” and another “unsafe.” It just means they expect you to have some common sense.
Going Out at Night Isn’t the Problem
One of the most repeated claims online is that you can’t go out at night in Colombia. That’s rarely true in the way it’s presented.
People go out at night every day. Restaurants fill. Bars stay open. Life continues.
What doesn’t work is being loud, flashy, and careless. Pulling out cash. Wearing jewelry. Drinking heavily without paying attention. Treating unfamiliar environments like home
Personally, I don’t wear jewelry and at 40 years old, you will never see me in a nightclub again. If I’m having a drink, it doesn’t leave my sight. Those aren’t Colombia rules. They’re adult rules. The same ones that apply anywhere worth being.
Colombia isn’t doing anything differently. It's just not Japan.
Why the First Months Matter Most
The riskiest period for most people is early on.
There’s confidence that builds after a few smooth weeks. A sense that nothing has gone wrong, so nothing will. Social circles are still forming. Routines aren’t set. But it’s long enough to either let your guard down or figure out how to move like the locals.
You learn which streets you don’t need to walk down. Which invitations you don’t need to accept. Which nights don’t need to be extended.
Safety improves simply because your life becomes more ordinary.
The Country Isn’t Out to Get You
Colombia isn’t the third world. It isn’t a war zone. It is not a nation of pirates waiting for foreigners to make mistakes.
It’s a place with warmth, generosity, and an expectation that people meet it halfway.
If you move through it with attention, humility, and restraint, it tends to respond in kind. If you don’t, it rarely saves you from yourself.
The Honest Question
So, is Colombia safe for foreigners?
That depends less on the country than on the person asking.
- If you keep normal routines…
- If you aren’t snorting lines and banging pros…
- If you pay attention when something feels off…
Then yes, for most people, it is.
Colombia is not always safe but it is predictable. In that way, if you play by its rules, you’ll be fine.
With all that said, Monica will put you down if you are not careful