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Each of these places is linked to a dance or a great celebration. Always check dates and local guidance before you travel.
Cartagena’s walled city and Afro-Caribbean neighbourhoods are the home of champeta, while nearby Palenque — UNESCO 2008 — keeps its own language, drums and dances.
The city of the great Carnival (UNESCO 2008): congo, garabato, paloteo and mapalé dance groups rehearse all year for four days of parades.
The ‘world capital of salsa’, with hundreds of academies and shows — and also the home of the Petronio Álvarez Festival of Pacific music.
In June and July, Neiva celebrates the Festival del Bambuco with parades, contests and the sanjuanero danced by couples from all over the country.
The gateway to the eastern plains, where harp, cuatro and maracas fill the joropo contests and llanero festivals.
Home of the Carnaval de Negros y Blancos (UNESCO 2009), where giant floats, masks and community art fill the streets each January.
