Fun and entertainment Colombia

Timetable

Colombia is a musical and festive country, where the bars and clubs are always full. The beginning of the week is quieter, of course, but there's plenty of fun to be had every night in the big cities. The rumba really kicks off on Thursday, right through to Saturday night. Café terraces and tiendas (local grocery stores selling alcohol) are very popular after work or university. There are no set hours, but bars generally close late, until around midnight or even 2am. Discotheques open from 9pm and close at 3 or even 5am. Shows (theater, dance, etc.) take place around 8 or 9 pm.

Budget & Tips

Nightlife is often the main expense for young mochileros (backpackers)! But if you keep it reasonable, you can have a good night out for the equivalent of 20-30 euros maximum, between club tickets and drinks. Cover (paid admission) in dance bars and clubs is around $20,000 (5 euros), a little more in trendy places. A local beer in a bar costs between $5-10,000, a little more if it's craft. A cocktail from $12,000 in a cheap beach bar, up to $30-50,000 in a bar specializing in cocktails (watch out for happy hours!).

To be booked

Reservations are not essential, except for certain festive weekend venues (Andrés D.C. in Bogotá, for example), or to attend performances by international artists at music, dance, theater and other festivals.

Night transport

After dark, especially when leaving a bar or discotheque late, it's best to take a cab for safety reasons. To avoid the notorious "millionaire's walk", avoid hailing a cab on the street, and above all, don't get in if there's already a passenger on board. Book the service by phone, or call a VTC such as Uber. Exits from bars and nightclubs are high-risk areas for this kind of express abduction to empty your bank account.

Age restrictions

Alcohol consumption is permitted from the age of 18. People with a youthful appearance should bring an identity document (a photocopy will suffice) to prove their age when entering bars and clubs. Since 2017, the consumption of alcohol in public spaces (parks, village squares, etc.) has been prohibited. In Bogotá, the sale of alcohol is prohibited every day of the year in supermarkets and grocery stores before 10 a.m., a measure to combat alcoholism.

Ley Seca ("Dry Law"). The sale and consumption of alcohol is also prohibited on certain special dates. These usually begin at 6pm on the eve of an election, a religious festival, the day of a major soccer match, a political demonstration, etc. In some cities, the Ley Seca is instituted on Mother's Day(Día de la Madre) to prevent family gatherings from turning tragic due to alcohol abuse...

What's very local

Colombians always make an effort to dress for going out. If you don't have your usual wardrobe, at least avoid going out in shorts and flip-flops (except for bars in seaside villages and in places where there are virtually only tourists).

Chiva rumbera. This night out is very popular in the big cities, such as Bogotá and Cartagena. These are the old buses you see in the countryside, but here they have been converted into mobile discotheques. The chiva rumbera roams the city, music blaring, while alcoholic beverages are served. There's dancing on board, but there are also stops to spend a few minutes in partner bars, before ending up in front of a discotheque where passengers can continue the fiesta. Expect to pay around $50,000 per person, alcohol included. Ask at your hostel if you're tempted.

Smokers

You can buy single cigarettes from street vendors who set up outside bars and nightclubs. However, smoking is strictly forbidden inside these establishments.

Tourist traps

Don't buy drugs, for your health, because drugs finance armed conflict and mafias, because prison sentences are heavy, but also because dealers are often in cahoots with the police, who will then come and take the drugs away from you and ask you for money to forget the matter and not take you to the station...

Beware, too, of scopolamine (burundanga), quite common in the clubs of Bogotá's Zona Rosa, or at the Poblado in Medellín. Known locally as "the kiss of sleep", "zombie powder" or "devil's breath", it is also known in France as the "rapist's drug". Based on plants from the Solanaceae family, such as datura, scopolamine contains a powerful alkaloid that makes you lose all willpower, become passive and have no memory of what happened. It's imperative to consult a doctor if you fall victim to it. Criminals usually mix it with a drink, or a solid substance (gum, candy, cigarettes, etc.), or place the powder on a piece of paper and blow it onto the victim, who inhales it without realizing it. It's a fast-acting drug: 2 minutes after swallowing or inhaling it, the victim begins to suffer from mental disorders. It has no particular odour, color or taste. It's impossible to detect, and the tricks are many and varied. So what can you do? Be aware that these gangs work in groups, usually in nightclubs, with pretty women acting as bait. So don't accept drinks, cigarettes or gum from strangers. It's best to go out in a group, and never leave your drink unattended. Be careful in cabs, too, if the driver pulls out a handkerchief in your direction. A tip recommended by Colombians if you feel you're a victim of burundanga: feign a fainting spell or convulsions so that the thief panics and flees, and call for help immediately.