Going out in Colombia? Run these checks first.
A one-page checklist from a former U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel: what to check before you leave the hotel, while you're out, and the moment something feels off.
- Built for Medellín, Bogotá, Cali and Cartagena
- One page you can save to your phone
- Free, sent straight to your inbox
Three phases. One page.
Phase 1
Before you go out
- Phone, cards and cash set up so one bad moment can't empty your accounts
- Your ride home decided while you're sober
- Someone who knows where you are
Phase 2
While you're out
- Drink rules that don't kill the night
- Meeting someone from an app: where, when, and the red flags
- When to leave, before you have to
Phase 3
If something feels off
- Your first moves, in order
- The numbers to have saved before you need them
- What to lock down in the first hour
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Its advisory says many U.S. citizens there have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by criminals posing as dates.
Source: U.S. Department of State, Colombia Travel Advisory, March 31, 2026.
Peter J. Moreno Jr.
Former U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant colonel with years on the ground in Colombia. Author of Colombia Nightlife.