Colombia is now ready to welcome tourists for the U-20 Soccer World Cup

The eight cities hosting the FIFA U-20 Soccer World Cup Colombia 2011 are ready to welcome almost 250 thousand international visitors who are expected to come to the country to enjoy the show, while on Tuesday, April 27th, teams’ luck will be sorted out when the matches are unveiled at the draw in Cartagena.

Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Manizales, Armenia, Pereira, Barranquilla, and Bogota, will be the cities hosting the delegations of players, coaches, journalists and fans from July 29th through August 20th.

As part of the promotional activities undertaken by PROCOLOMBIA hand in hand with the Colombian Soccer Federation, journalists from México, Argentina, Spain, Brazil and France will be arriving in Colombia next week.

Reporters from popular international networks, invited by PROCOLOMBIA, will take a pre-tour of the host cities to report back to their audiences on the main tourist attractions the country has to offer, which they can enjoy at the same time as the thrills of the sports spectacle.

The eight cities are already prepared to welcome tourists and have a roster of products to offer such as History and Culture, Nature Tourism, Sun and Beach, and Adventure, entre otros.

Discover Colombia through Soccer

Cartagena de Indias is a fantastic city that keeps history's secrets within its walls and balconies, its constructions and stoned pathways.

The city is over flooded with romanticism and tells fascinating anecdotes in its street corners, squares and its bordering walls that safeguard the sunset to evoke the battles of the past..

Bogotá, capital of Colombia, is a city under transformation. New office buildings, hotels, shopping malls and housing, as well as other developments and enhanced parks and libraries, were the reasons why the New York Times called it one of 31 destinations to visit in 2010.

In Bogota, visitors can find ongoing art exhibitions from all times, historical objects, as well as religious, natural science and technology museums and interactive venues.

Barranquilla, the main city and capital of the Caribbean Coast, has consolidated its position as the gate for enjoyment, colorful and with open arms. Incredible architectural beauty, surrounded by gorgeous natural landscapes, its golden-sunlit streets and its sands, the spontaneity and happiness of its Caribbean people, all give way to Colombia's largest festival, the Barranquilla Carnival, which takes place every single year between the months of February and March.

Cali, the third largest city in Colombia, has wide-open spaces for tourism and recreation. It is the capital city of the provincial department of Valle del Cauca, and is clad with beautiful women, historical sites and venues for daytime and nighttime fun, making it one of the Meccas of tourism.

Medellín is the second largest city in the country, attractive not only because of its commercial and industrial activity, but also thanks to its flurried cultural and nightlife. It is also a destination for fashion, not only because of its countless shopping malls, but also because of the excellence of its fabric and the ingenuity of its garments by Colombian designers, always on display.

El Triángulo del Café (Manizales, Armenia and Pereira) is a prosperous and generous region that seduces travelers with the aroma of its coffee fields and the charm of its countryside.

Majestic trails, devoted workers and an infinite green horizon are the benefits of this land, which evokes the magic of nature, blending it with the hospitality of its people.