Which Colombian airport should you fly into?
Choose the airport by where you'll sleep the first night, not by the cheapest fare to "Colombia". Here's how the four main international airports, and four smaller ones, line up.
- Medellín, El Poblado, Laureles, GuatapéMDE · José María Córdova, in Rionegro
- Bogotá and the central AndesBOG · El Dorado
- Cartagena, the Rosario Islands, BarúCTG · Rafael Núñez
- Cali and the Valle del CaucaCLO · Alfonso Bonilla Aragón, in Palmira
- Santa Marta, Tayrona, Minca, PalominoSMR · Simón Bolívar, Santa Marta
- BarranquillaBAQ · Ernesto Cortissoz, in Soledad
- Salento and the Coffee RegionPEI · Matecaña, Pereira (or AXM, Armenia)
- San AndrésADZ · Gustavo Rojas Pinilla
Which airports have nonstops from where you are
Bogotá has by far the widest international network. The other three have more nonstops than most travelers expect, and a nonstop means you clear immigration where you're actually going.
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| From | BOGBogotá | MDEMedellín | CTGCartagena | CLOCali |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Widest choice of US cities | Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York (JFK), Houston, Orlando | Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York (JFK), Atlanta | Miami, Fort Lauderdale |
| Europe | Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Zurich and more | Madrid | Amsterdam, MadridPlus seasonal routes | Madrid |
| Mexico, Central America & Caribbean | Wide network | Mexico City, Cancún, Panama City, San José, San Salvador, Guatemala City, Punta Cana, Santo Domingo, San Juan, Aruba, Curaçao | Panama City, Santo Domingo, Punta Cana | Mexico City, Panama City, Punta Cana |
| South America | Wide network | Lima, Quito, Guayaquil, Santiago, Buenos Aires | LimaPlus seasonal routes | Santiago |
Nonstop routes as listed by FlightConnections in September 2026. Airlines add, drop and season routes all the time, so confirm with the airline before you plan around one. We're not a flight booking site and don't earn anything from these routes.
What we'd pick, and why
These are our suggestions, not rules. The right answer depends on where you're flying from and what the fares look like that week.
In one airport, out of another
Fly into Bogotá or Medellín and home from Cartagena (an "open-jaw" ticket) so you're not backtracking across the country to fly home. Domestic flights between the main cities are frequent.
MDE nonstop if you can
A nonstop into Rionegro means one immigration line and no re-checked bags in Bogotá, on the day you're least up for it. Tell your clinic you're landing at MDE, not Olaya Herrera.
CTG or SMR, not both
Cartagena for the walled city and the islands; Santa Marta for Tayrona, Minca and Palomino. Tayrona is a national park, so check Parques Nacionales' yellow-fever vaccination rule before you fly.
BOG, and budget for traffic
Bogotá has the widest international network. The airport is inside the city, but traffic decides how long the ride takes, not the distance.
CLO, with the valley in mind
Salsa, the Pacific coast and the Valle del Cauca start here. The airport is in Palmira, so plan the drive across the valley, especially for late arrivals.
Pereira or Armenia
Both have their own airports. If fares there don't work, fly into Bogotá or Medellín and connect, or go on by road.
Four ways people pick the wrong airport
Booking "Medellín" and landing at the wrong one
Medellín has two airports. International flights use José María Córdova (MDE) in Rionegro. Olaya Herrera (EOH), inside the city, has only handled domestic regional flights since 1991. If a clinic, host or driver is meeting you, tell them which one.
Assuming Cali's airport is in Cali
It's in Palmira, around 20 km across the valley. That's no problem by day, but worth planning for on a late arrival.
Connecting in Bogotá on separate tickets with no margin
Arriving from abroad, you clear immigration in Bogotá. On separate tickets you'll also collect your bags, clear customs and check in again, and nobody is holding your next flight. How the Bogotá connection works.
Flying into Cartagena for Tayrona
Cartagena and Santa Marta are both on the Caribbean coast, but they're different cities with different airports. If Tayrona, Minca or the Sierra Nevada is the point of the trip, Santa Marta's airport is the one you want.
Sources
Checked September 2026. If something here has changed, tell us through the contact page and we'll correct it.
- FlightConnections — flights from Bogotá (BOG) — www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-bogota-bog
- FlightConnections — flights from Medellín (MDE) — www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-medellin-mde
- FlightConnections — flights from Cartagena (CTG) — www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-cartagena-ctg
- FlightConnections — flights from Cali (CLO) — www.flightconnections.com/flights-from-cali-clo
- Wikipedia — Olaya Herrera Airport (domestic-only since 1991) — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaya_Herrera_Airport
- Parques Nacionales — yellow fever vaccination requirement for protected areas (May 2025) — www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/sala-prensa/boletines/nuevo-requisito-para-visitar-nuestros-parques/
- El Dorado Airport — Immigration and passports — eldorado.aero/en/servicios/migracion-y-pasaportes
- OurAirports — airports in Colombia (coordinates, elevation) — ourairports.com/countries/CO/