Though notorious for drugs and violence, Colombia has changed for the better despite many setbacks. Today, many once fought over regions are safe again, finally allowing the exploration of a natural paradise that had lain inside a restricted area for half a century. From the remote Pacific coast, where thousands of humpback whales gather in summer, we head up to Los Nevados – the snow-capped volcanoes of the Colombian Andes with their unique flora, iridescent hummingbirds and shy spectacled bears.