Colombia's calling: beaches to rival those of the Caribbean and some of the most attractive cities in the world – no wonder this alluring country is South America's newest hotspot

Deep in the Tayrona National Park, on Colombia's Caribbean coast, a 3-meter-long caiman extends its knobby snout from the river, sending ripples to the fishermen who stand waist-deep in water, casting nets by hand .

“Isn't that rather dangerous?” I ask Diva, our guide. “Ah, the caiman prefers to eat fish,” she replies. “Although I recently saw someone snatch a dog from the riverbank.”

I glance at my sons, but even these two thrill seekers draw the line at taking a dip in the alligator-infested waters.

The 60 square kilometers that make up Tayrona National Park are home to a menagerie of creatures, such as anteater, sloth, ocelot and the rarely sighted jaguar. There is also an abundance of birdlife, including the Santa-Marta parakeet, the sapphire-bellied hummingbird, the red nightjar and the snowy egrets with bright yellow 'Big Bird' legs.

Colombia, almost five times larger than Britain, is located on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It has white sandy beaches to rival any Caribbean island, pristine national parks and its biggest asset is Cartagena – perhaps the most beautiful city in all of South America.

And seven years after the peace deal between the government and paramilitary forces – and twenty years after the first military crackdown on drug cartels – there has never been a safer time to visit the country.

Most flights from Europe arrive in the afternoon, and a day or two in the capital Bogota is a good way to beat jet lag. We stay at Hotel BOG, in the trendy La Cabrera district, bordered by the Zona Rosa restaurant center, where we dine on citrus-marinated ceviche at Central Cevicheria.

We tick off a visit to the Museo del Oro, which houses more than 55,000 gold objects, take a street art tour of La Candelaria (the oldest and most bohemian neighborhood) and be charmed by the Colombian artist's 'chubby' figures Fernando Botero at Museo Botero.

From the capital it is a two-hour flight north to Santa Marta and another 48 kilometers by road to our accommodation near Tayrona National Park.

Kate says Cartagena (pictured) is 'arguably the most beautiful city in all of South America'

Boardwalks and forest paths lead to beaches where edible sea grapes grow and tamarins peer from the palm tops, writes Kate. Above, a fruit seller in Cartagena

Colombia, almost five times larger than Britain, is located on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean

Finca Barlovento is an eco-friendly lodge set in gardens with bamboo, palms and birds of paradise. Our suite has a shared terrace and swimming pool – the perfect spot for spying flying kingfishers and blue crabs scurrying across the riverbanks, dodging the prowling iguana.

Marijuana cultivation was once the region's biggest earner, but now that that's gone, tourism is crucial. The official guardians of the park are the indigenous Kogi people, who are highly respected and can govern the park as they see fit.

At the start of a fifteen kilometer walk we buy coconut juice from young Kogi men, who cut open the nuts with a reckless machete. “If they think it's too busy in the park, they just close it,” Diva says as she snaps her fingers. 'The Kogi keep a close eye on this ecosystem and decide when it needs rest.'

Boardwalks and forest paths lead to beaches where edible sea grapes grow and tamarins peer from the palm tops.

At Cabo San Juan del Guia, a double-horseshoe bay sheltered by a boulder breakwater, we swim before feasting on red snapper, bought for a fiver from a grill on the sand.

For tubing (the gentle endeavor of floating in a rubber ring) we head to the Don Diego River. We float past cashew trees dotted with howler monkeys and spot the caiman's smaller cousins, Cuvier's dwarf caiman, blinking lazily at us from the riverbank.

Barranquilla is Colombia's fourth largest city, famous for its carnival and its associations with writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez (fans should also visit his birthplace Aracataca). We stop here on the way to Cartagena for a drive past the university where Marquez studied, the street where he once lived, and for lunch at his favorite watering hole, Restaurante Bar La Cueva, where we spy the first editions of Love In The. Time of cholera locked in bookshelves.

Founded in 1533, Cartagena's walled city is filled with pastel-colored 16th-century casas with huge wooden doors. These are decorated with shiny knockers of curly fish, pretty mermaids and full-mouthed pelicans, all harkening to Cartagena's seafaring past, when Spanish conquistadors traded in ill-gotten gold. We stay in one such casa, now the boutique hotel Ananda, whose rooms fan out along a central courtyard. By moonlight we wander under geranium-filled balconies to tucked-away squares, where old men in straw hats play dominoes, and past Cartagena's imposing Palacio de la Inquisicion (once home to those whose brutal job it was to root out heresy), to Plaza de San Pedro, where bars spill out onto the cobblestones and buskers strum guitars.

Getsemani, just outside the city walls, is a bit rougher around the edges. Mojitos costing just a few pounds are served at makeshift bars in people's living rooms, where Grandpa sits in his rocking chair watching the television.

Kate says a day or two in the capital Bogota (pictured) is a good way to start a trip to Colombia

While in Bogota, Kate visits the Museo del Oro, which contains more than 55,000 gold objects, including the frog pictured above

Live music blares from the mural-painted streets, strung with flags and streamers.

We see the young rappers at work at Plaza Trinidad. “Sister, you're bolder than Cameron Diaz,” that suits me.

We end our trip with some rest on the beach, heading by speedboat to the Islas del Rosario, 30 miles from Cartagena and named for their resemblance to a series of rosary beads, where moonlight fishermen lead snorkeling excursions amid schools of blue tangs and butterflyfish. .

'Lobster for lunch? No problem!' our guide promises as soon as we are back on powder-soft sand. “Hang in there. I will come back.'

And within ten minutes he is busy with four large lobsters, which he cooks in his makeshift café.

'Delicious! Delicious!' as the locals say. Because if it's really good, say it twice.

…AND IT PROVIDES FANTASTIC FOOD

Pictured is ajiaco, a traditional chicken soup

Colombia's Creole cuisine may not yet have achieved international fame, but with food-focused travel on the rise, that may be about to change.

The best news is that if you want to eat at Colombia's best restaurants, the price of the meals is a bargain compared to other Latin American countries.

In Cartagena, head to Celele for a contemporary twist on traditional dishes – the local chicken confit with pickled guava and roasted bananas is a highlight. The restaurant is currently ranked number 19 in the 'Top 50 Latin American Restaurants' (celele.com).

In Bogota, at number five on the same list is El Chato, which offers both a la carte and tasting menu options. Classics include the suckling pig with coffee, barley figs and grape leaves (elchato.co). In more traditional places, you can dine cheaply on local favorites bandeja paisa – a sausage of sausage, beans, rice, eggs and arepas (corn cakes), or ajiaco, a chicken soup with added corn on the cob, sour cream, potatoes and capers.

And on the Caribbean coast, try posta negra (black beef) – a casserole made with molasses and seasoned with bay leaves, thyme and cloves.