Updated August 2026: I originally wrote this article in 2018, when my understanding of relationships in Colombia was still being shaped by a handful of very intense experiences. Some of my conclusions have changed. Some haven’t. Colombian dating culture can still sit somewhere between total exhilaration and a complete shitshow. The difference is that after more years of living here, I’ve become less interested in creating rules for Colombian men and women and much more interested in recognizing patterns. Most of my personal experience has been in Colombia’s Coffee Axis—Pereira, Manizales, Caldas and relationships with people whose families also had roots in Chocó. That matters. Colombia is not one dating culture. Age, city, social class, family, religion, education and individual personality can completely change the experience. So don’t treat these as commandments. They are six lessons I learned—occasionally the hard way. 1. Family Can Enter the Relationship Very Early Caerle bien a la suegra. Making a good impression on the mother can matter. One of the first things that surprised me about dating in Colombia was how quickly family could enter the picture. You may meet someone’s mother, siblings, cousins or children far sooner than you would expect in the … Continue reading Colombian Dating Culture: 6 Lessons From the Coffee Axis