Roaming South America

Finding the Quiet: Why My Shortlist for a New Home Ignores the Coast

March 5, 2026

What is it about coastal towns that makes them pretty much always "messier"? I'm talking specifically about these countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Chile, and Uruguay. The vast majority of interior towns are almost always cleaner, friendlier, prettier, etc.

I'm not imagining it. This pattern shows up everywhere I've been, and that includes 7 countries and over 300 towns/cities (in South America), and it’s not a cultural coincidence. It’s geography, economics, and human behavior piling up in the same places.

Here’s the straight, unsentimental anatomy of why coastal towns skew messier, while interior towns often feel cleaner, calmer, and more human. The comparisons below are to be taken with a very general understanding.

Roldanillo at 450: A Town That Learned How to Last

January 1, 2026

In 2026, Roldanillo turns 450 years old.

That alone earns it a pause, a chair in the shade, and maybe a second cup of coffee. Because towns don't reach 450 by accident. Roldanillo wasn't born as a tourist postcard, or an art destination, or a paragliding magnet. Like most enduring Latin American towns, it began as something far more modest and far more difficult: a survival experiment.

My South America Journey - A Brief Summary - Part 3

November 26, 2025

I’ve finally settled into Roldanillo, Colombia, where I’ll be for at least five months. Maybe longer, maybe not, residency is technically an option, but I doubt I’ll spend my days wrestling with immigration offices when I could be drinking coffee in the plaza. Besides, residency in Perú and Ecuador is easier than in Colombia. Before I get too comfortable, I want to rewind and share the trip that brought me here: a winding route through Peru, Ecuador, and into Colombia.

When “Adiós” Doesn’t Mean Goodbye

October 29, 2025

Today, as I walked down the street (here in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia), an older woman stood in her doorway as she does every day. I walk this block almost every day as it is between where I live and downtown. She smiled, raised a hand, and said, ‘¡Adiós!’, same as she does every day. I waved, said, "buenas tardes," and then kept walking. This has happened in all seven countries I have visited in South America, not just once or twice, but consistently.

Girardot, Colombia

October 18, 2025

Girardot, Colombia, lies about two hours southwest of Bogotá. It has a population of around 110,000, with the metro area reaching about 143,000. Founded in 1852 and named after General Atanasio Girardot, it began as a simple trading post. Wikipedia mentions that it’s a tourist destination for Bogotanos, mostly because of the warm climate. Frankly, I see little else to draw visitors here.
Reference: Wikipedia