How to Meet Locals While Traveling Solo in Colombia

Posted on October 22, 2026 by Luciana Murillo

Practical ways to meet locals as a solo traveler in Colombia: language exchanges, classes, markets, hostels, how to start conversations and how to stay safe.

Luciana Murillo

I’m Luciana, a travel writer from Bogotá, Colombia, and yes, I know exactly what it’s like to be a solo female traveler in a country the world still misunderstands.

I’ve been travelling independently for 10 years, completing 50+ solo trips across Colombia, Mexico, Central America, Argentina, Peru and the United States. I write in both English and Spanish, and I also contribute to allaboutcolombia.com where I cover my home country in depth — from the coffee region to the Caribbean coast to the Andes.

My speciality is Latin America: the neighbourhoods the guidebooks skip, the buses that are actually fine to take, the hostels that feel like home, and the restaurants where locals actually eat. I’ve hitchhiked across Patagonia, navigated Medellín’s metro system at rush hour, and camped solo in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. I know this region the way you only can when it’s yours.

I also cover the US for solo travelers, having spent time road-tripping through the Southwest, the Pacific Coast and the Deep South.

allaboutcolombia.com/