Do Not Travel Zones: Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Arauca, and Norte de Santander
FARC-dissident and other armed-group activity remains concentrated in rural areas of the southwest (Cauca, Valle del Cauca) and the eastern departments of Arauca and Norte de Santander, tied to coca production and trafficking corridors. The US State Department lists these departments at Do Not Travel, excluding the cities of Cali and Popayan, and adds the area within 10km of the Venezuela border. Narino is rated one notch lower, at Reconsider Travel, with parts of its Pacific coast still flagged.
For most residents and visitors in the major cities, daily life is not affected. The practical rule: do not drive rural or intercity routes through these departments, especially after dark, and check the current advisory before any trip toward the Pacific coast or the southern and eastern borders.