Hold your horses! In Colombia, Valentine’s isn’t in February but in September.
They call the holiday El Dia de Amor y Amistad, which directly translates to “The Day of Love and Friendship.”
As you can expect from the name, it’s a day where everyone celebrates not just romance, but also their treasured friendships. Colombian women spend this day with their lovers and friends, while the entire country tries its best to look like an enormous garden of red roses and red balloons.
If you’re trying to get a date during Colombia’s El Dia de Amor y Amistad, then know what the local women want.
And what is it that these ladies want? What else if not a man who knows how to be romantic on the day it matters?
Here are tips on how you could make your Valentine’s date amazing!
A lot of establishments get fully booked days before Valentine’s day. If you plan on dining, having fun, and getting settled, make reservations two weeks in advance. I’m talking about hotels, inns, restaurants, and spas. You will have a lot of problems if you delay it any longer.
Since Valentine’s day in Colombia this year (2022) will be on September 17, I suggest you book your reservations as early as September 3, or maybe even earlier. That way, you won’t have to compete with other couples for date places with limited bookings. You can use the extra time to buy her a gift.
When it comes to the gift-giving part of this holiday, there are three standard items that always come together in a neat little package. The first one is flowers, specifically red roses.
It stands for love more than any other flower out there. Plus, it’s the symbol of romance itself.
Granted, you are free to choose whatever type of flowers you want to give to her. If you are flower-savvy, you would know to get red camellias too since they mean flaming love. Pink or red carnations also convey the same feelings, and if you add a tulip or two, it will complete the set.
The second item is chocolate. Chocolates are abundant during the day of love, and it just so happens that stores sell them in boxes, big and small. You can choose to purchase a basket filled with the sugary stuff, or you can get a custom-made box and tuck it in between the roses.
Women love chocolates, so you can never go wrong with this one. Unless you choose to get alcoholic ones for a girl that doesn’t even drink.
The third item is a teddy bear. Somehow, people think that giving your lover a stuffed bear is one of the purest forms of romance. As if giving a girl some kiddie version of a predator was the cutest and most romantic gesture ever. The world is wild like that.
But it is romantic and is not exclusive to romance. Adults give these to children since they are also toys. They are sold everywhere during this holiday and come in many different sizes and colors. You can take your pick on what type to give her. You can go big, one that’s enough for her to hug like a real person. Or you can go small, one that’s easy to carry.
Aside from these three items, you can also choose to buy her something more personal. It could be anything. Maybe there’s something she’s always wanted but never has the chance to buy herself? Is she a fan of a certain merchandise? Fond of fashionable clothes? Has a hobby that she partakes in?
It’s up to you.
To be honest, there are so many Valentine’s date ideas to choose from. You could hit the beach, go to themed cafes, see a concert, join an event, get a spa treatment, go biking– the list goes on. Valentine’s day is so commercialized that some establishments offer exclusive Valentine’s day date activities to interested couples.
Still, at the end of the day, it’s your choice how you’ll spend your holiday date. You could spend a lovely romantic dinner together. It could be spent at your hotel’s restaurant, or you could go to a different one that has a better view of the city lights. You could join some other couples as they also dine near a fountain or somewhere overlooking a lake, sharing glasses of red wine.
Since you’ll be booking in advance, here are restaurant recommendations that you should consider. They are known to be romantic places and are the top go-to places for couples looking for a romantic time together in Colombia.
La Fabbrica - located at Cll 93A # 13-25, Bogotá, Bogota D.C.
Restaurante T-Bone - located at Carrera 4 # 14 - 48, Bogotá, Bogota D.C.
El Caracol Azul - located calle 74#5-12, Rosales, Bogota D.C.
Carmen - Cra. 36 ##10a-27, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
Restaurante Barcal - Cl. 7D #43A - 70, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia
As for the areas to visit during the date, here are some suggestions that are known for being crowded with couples.
Zoologico de Cali
Gold Museum or “Museo del Oro”
Johnny Cay
Laguna de Guatape
Combeima Canyon
This date isn’t just your date, it’s also hers. Don’t just do all these nice things to make yourself seem cool. Do it because you want to show her a good time. A date is supposed to be enjoyed by two people, after all.
Make sure that you are the complete gentleman that you are. Don’t disrespect her, and don’t forget to show your manners. Make her laugh but stay away from offensive or cheap jokes. There are jokes that are funny, and there are jokes that you think are funny but are actually insulting.
Aside from minding your manners, just be yourself. Women like it better if a man is true to himself, so be you, stay true, and have fun.
