If all you know about Colombia is the distressing news you hear on TV or read in the newspapers, you're missing the charm, history and culture of this fascinating country.

These few paragraphs about early Colombian History skip over the lust for gold that brought Spaniards searching for El Dorado or the fantasy golden treasures and the mythical city of emeralds.

Though it is true that some of the native tribes had amassed substantial treasures of gold and sacrificed some to their gods and chiefs were bathed in golden dust the myth of El Dorado was just that.

An absolute must see of the treasures the Conquistadores missed is in the Museo del Oro which stores more than 33,000 items in gold all from pre-Hispanic times. The Bank of the Republic also houses the Colección del Banco de la República of Columbian art from colonial times forward. Make sure you browse through the Salas. You'll need to schedule a lot of time for these two impressive collections!

It appears the lure of get rich quick schemes is ageless. From the Spaniards crazed for riches to modern drug lords, Colombia's seen them all. Nevertheless, despite a brutal and ruthless history of the drug cartels the people of Colombia are one of the friendliest in South America. Visitors never fail to be impressed.

Colombia is a land of varied geographical extremes. With coastlines on both the Pacific and Atlantic (or Caribbean Sea) oceans the desert of La Guajira in the northeastern portion of the country which extends into the Caribbean three Andean mountain ranges disecting the country amazon savannah and rainforest plus assorted mountains and islands Colombia offers an environment to suit many tastes.

The eastern lowlands and the Sierra de la Macarena are less populated than the central Andean portion where the cities of Santa Fe de Bogota the capital, Medellin and Cali hold sway. On the Pacific side rainforests with huge amounts of annual rainfall force the population along the seacoast. The port of Buenaventura is the largest but not as well known as Cartagena on the Caribbean side. Known as the fortress city, Cartagena is a living museum with Spanish colonial buildings side by side with modern architecture.

The major islands are San Andres Island and Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands off the coast of Nicaragua, the Islas del Rosario and San Bernardo along the Caribbean coast, and Gorgona and Malpelo in the Pacific Ocean.

There's much to do and see in Colombia. The Los Katíos National Park Natural Park offer mountaineering, climbing, fishing, backpacking and trekking.

For water lovers there is scuba, sailing and other water sports along Colombia's long coastline. If you've overdone it a soak in the thermal hot springs at the Ecotermales San Vicente should be just the thing.

No matter where you go in Colombia, you'll hear proud references to Gabo or Gabriel García Márquez, Colombia's gift to literature. Macondo is a tribute to him. You'll also enjoy Colombian food and this site from Virtual Voyager will suggest where to go where to stay and where to eat in Bogota Cali and Cartagena while you listen to Colombian music.

Read more about warnings against travel on the next page. Consult also the resources in the Country Profifle.