Understanding Colombian Culture and Dating: A Foreigner’s Guide

It’s hard to breakdown Colombian culture, specifically regarding dating, without a little storytelling.

Lemme know if this story of dating in Colombia sounds familiar…

Guy visits Colombia because he’s heard stories about how hot and sensual the local women are. He makes the effort to learn some Spanish before he gets on the plane. He changes his Tinder location, chats to a few Colombian girls, and gets a few numbers.

Some hot women are showing interest in him and he’s excited like a kid on Christmas eve.

He arrives in Medellin, rents a baller apartment, puts on his custom suit, and gets ready for the wild sex with supermodels that will surely follow.

But things don’t turn out as planned.

The girls on Tinder are now sending him one-word responses. The girls that were showering him with love and attention before are now evasive and busy.

He gets flaked on.

A lot.

He even gets a few women asking him for money.

His two-week stay in Colombia is filled with trying to figure out logistics for dates that never happen and chasing uninterested and girls via WhatsApp.

The only time he gets laid is when he visits a whore house.

He has a bad time and goes back home saying:

“Colombia isn’t all that. I don’t know what all the hype is about. I’m not going back.”

I’ve met that guy lots of different times. His name and face change but his experience is the same.

For a man wanting to date Colombian women, he did everything right.

Expect one thing:

He didn’t take the time to understand Colombian culture.

He didn’t get inside their heads and learn the language. And I’m not just talking about Spanish. I mean the assumptions, beliefs, values, and expectations of the country.

If you don’t learn the inner game of dating in Colombia, you’re going to spend your time shaking your head, cursing the people, and holding your dick.

I’ve lived in Colombia for nearly two years. I’ve dated dozens of Colombians from all over the country. I know lots of Colombian guys and expats who date a lot.

All our combined knowledge and experience is now yours. Right here.

Let’s get started.

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An Introduction to Colombian Culture

Two words describe modern-day Colombia:

Aspiration and up and coming.

Okay, that’s four.

Anyway, just a couple of decades ago, Colombia was as dangerous as Venezuela is today. Thankfully, Bogota, Medellin and all the other Colombian cities have turned things around.

Crime is down, the economy is growing, and tourism is booming.

But even with all these 21st-century advances in technology and commerce, somethings never change:

The women are still beautiful, the guys are still friendly…

And family + religion dominate.

Here’s what this means:

On the surface, sexuality is celebrated. The women wear high heels, tight-ass jeans, and receive boobs jobs as a graduation gift from their parents.

But Catholicism means that sex in Colombia has to be kept hidden. In secret. Discretion is advised for virgin eyes.

Colombian guys cheat. Colombian women fuck whoever they want. But it all happens behind closed doors.

Just check out how many love motels you see in Colombia. These are places you rent for a few dollars to enjoy a 2-3 hour fuck fest.

The Economy of Dating Colombian Women

In big cities such as Bogota, many girls you date will have good jobs and be economically self-sufficient.

But chivalry still exists in Colombian culture.

The girls will expect you to pay for your shared experiences with her: the ride over, meals, drinks, etc. I don’t mind doing this. The cost of living is still low enough to make it pocket change.

However…

There are some Colombian girls who make their living off of financial favors from men.

The local word is “prepagos” – and these girls exist in the grey area between a gold digger and outright whore.

Plus, the world’s oldest profession is legal in Colombia.

But it isn’t always easy to spot. Lots of girls will drink, dance, and talk with you in a “normal” club before mentioning the transnational nature of her work. Some girls will even wait until you get to the bedroom.

A few will even wait until you’re about to slide it in.

If she does that, she sucks at their job – pun intended.

Instead of getting angry that you wasted an hour talking to a prostitute, look at it this way:

You got to practice your Spanish and your dancing with a local. As long as you didn’t buy her any drinks, you’re good.

You benefited more than she did.

If you want to pay for play, you can find it in Colombia.

Warning: just make sure you go to a reputable place or you might have problems.

Speaking of which…

Scams to Look Out For

There are two common scams that Colombian girls run on foreign guys. One scam will leave you feeling embarrassed and short of a few dollars.

The other might leave you in the hospital and without half your travel gear.

First, a couple of hot Colombian girls, dressed to the nines, will enjoy a few drinks, maybe a meal, on a gullible gringo’s dime.

At some point in the night, they go to the bathroom together as girls do. The guy is sitting there thinking: “Threesome on the cards!” and has no idea that the girls are sneaking out of the club, leaving him with the bill.

Brutal.

Second, some girl will slip a drug called Scopolamine into your drink. This drug is “date rape” for men. It leaves you temporarily paralyzed, sleepy and open to suggestion.

And while you’re in a daze, the girl sneaks out of your place with as many valuable items as she can carry.

Other petty crimes to look out for:

• Thieves watching you withdrawing money from an ATM then following you until a mugging chance presents itself
• Pickpockets taking advantage of the packed public transport during rush hour to rob your phone and wallet
• Uber drivers taking the long way round and charging it to your account

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, fellas.

You’ve gotta have some street smarts to navigate Colombia properly – especially when trying to date stunning girls here.

Fashion and Style in Colombia

Colombians take a lot of pride in their grooming. The women get their fields waxed and the men get their hands manicured.

Foreigners have a reputation in Colombia of being smelly and having bad teeth.

Get your makeover on.

Don’t come to Colombia looking like a smelly backpacker and expect the chicks to dig it.

On top of that…

Colombian style depends on the area of the country.

Like New Yorkers, Bogota people are stylish and look great.

On the coast, and some parts inland, it’s too hot to wear a lot. Soccer jerseys and short shorts are everywhere.

Online Dating in Colombia

Remember I said: “Colombian men cheat”?

That’s great news for you because tens of thousands of hot Colombian women are now looking for a foreign guy who will be faithful.

And where are these women looking for a such a guy?

Online dating.

Websites like Colombian Cupid and Latin American Cupid are full of sweet, feminine Colombian women ready to talk to you.

If you’re new to Colombia and/or over the age of 35, spending a little money on a dating site will be the best investment of your trip.

Just make sure to sign up and start messaging girls a week or two before arriving.

Speaking Spanish in Colombia

I’ve lived in Colombia on two separate occasions. The first time, I didn’t speak any Spanish. The second time, I was conversational.

This was my first experience with Colombian culture:

I didn’t meet any locals. All my friends were expats. I had no freedom. I felt helpless. Like being a child all over again.

My second visit was the total opposite:

I built a social circle. I got invited to places where there were no other foreigners. And most importantly, I was respected by the locals.

Luckily, it pretty easy to learn Spanish online these days. It’s what I did.

Click here to learn more.

Authentic Colombian Experiences

To dive a little deeper into Colombian culture, let’s look at a few unique experiences you can have while in Colombia.

Outside of a Colombiana in your bed, here’s a few great cultural experiences:

• Dancing

You know how everybody in Scandinavia knows how to ski?

As soon as they learned to walk, their parents took them on the slopes. Dancing is the same in Colombia. Girls learn to dance by watching their big sisters, aunts, cousins, etc.

Salsa and Vallenato are the two main styles. Visit Cali if you want to learn the former. Visit the Caribbean coast if you want to learn the latter.

If you go to Colombia and don’t know how to dance even a few steps – you’re going to struggle. If you go to Colombia and refuse to get on the dancefloor and try – you’re dead.

• Food

Colombians are proud of their food. I don’t know why…

It’s carb- and oil-heavy.

But tasting new foods is a part of a rich travel experience. I never turn down an invitation to try a Bandeja Paisa from Medellin or Sancocho from Cali.

• Speaking of invitations…

The ultimate insight into Colombian culture comes from being invited to a Finca by your girlfriend’s family.

A Finca is a summer home/country estate. Middle-class Colombian families escape here during the holidays.

Quick tip: if your girlfriend’s family invites you, and you refuse to go, it’s over.

• Festivals

No deep dive into Colombian culture would be completed without a carnival experience.

Around Christmas and New Year is the season to party at these three heavyweight carnivals:

• Las Ferias de Cali (December)
• Feria de Manizales (January)
• Carnaval de Barranquilla (February)

March is one hell of a hangover.

Oh, and one more thing…

Colombia has damn near more holidays than any country on earth. Be prepared for businesses to be closed an extra 25-30 days a year.

Last Thing…

Character in Latin America is determined by latitude and weather. For example, people from the Caribbean are fun-loving, outgoing and talkative.

In contrast, Andeans (Peru, Chile, etc.) are hard-working, earnest and reserved.

Colombians sit right in the middle of that scale:

Generous, smart and ambitious.

With a little understanding of Colombian culture and some Spanish speaking ability, you should have no issue meeting some cool people in Colombia…along with some hot Colombianas.

Understanding Colombian Culture and Dating

Three years ago, I stayed at a nice Airbnb apartment in Barranquilla.

Brand new high rise. The owner of the was a guy from Spain. His wife was Colombian.

On my first day in the apartment, the couple came to give me the keys and explain a few things. As the Spanish guy was showing me how to lock the front door, he turned the key counterclockwise and said:

“Like everything else in Colombia, it works the opposite way.”

His wife scowled and admonished him.

“It’s true, isn’t it?”, he said.

They then proceeded to have a huge argument right in front of their bemused Airbnb guest. After three minutes of rowing, the wife stormed out.

The apartment owner looked me in the eye, and said that Colombian women are, “worth it but you have to understand the culture or they will drive you crazy.”

He handed me the keys and left.

Understand Colombian culture and you’ll love it here.

Fail to do so…

And this wild country will drive you crazy!