Dating Colombian Men: What to Expect
Dating Colombian men is an appealing concept that you might be considering if you are travelling in/moving to Colombia, or you have met a Colombiano in your own country. For a lot of people, intercultural dating can feel like a big deal.
It is understandable to be curious about what dating Colombian men are like, and whether these men have similar personality traits and values to the men in your own country. Although at the base level, Colombian and Latin cultures can have a lot of differences from western cultures, we are all human at the end of the day.
The way a person acts and approaches relationships is often more to do with who they are as a person rather than a result of their nationality, race, or culture. It is impossible to provide broad generalisations as to what an entire demographic of people is like.
For instance, people often assume that Colombian and Latino men are womanisers and cannot be loyal. Or they assume that because Colombia is somewhat more patriarchal than say, the USA or the U.K., that means that the men don’t necessarily respect women as much.
The reality is that you could just as easily date an American or Canadian man that expects his partner to run around after him all day and do all the cooking. Your western partner could just as well refuse to pick up his socks and never do a load of laundry.
Meanwhile, your Latin partner could be the complete opposite. It all comes down to the individual. Colombian men don’t have a hive mind where they all behave the same way.
Dating Colombian Men
Stereotypes about Colombian men exist. Sometimes there is some extent of truth to them, and that’s why certain perceptions become so widespread. This article will discuss the most common views of Colombian men, but for the most part, it is to be taken with a pinch of salt!
Colombian women are known around the world for their beauty, particularly in the city of Medellin. But at the same time, Colombian men are also very attractive on the whole.
The majority of Colombian men boast exotic looks, dark features, olive skin, and plenty of confidence. You will also find a lot of Afro-Colombians, particularly living around Cartagena.
Colombian men are fun-loving
Part of the fun of dating people from different countries and backgrounds is found in helping each other discover new foods, places, and traditions. Being close to your family and having a good social life are considered very important in Colombia.
So, if you are fortunate enough to meet a local that you click with, you can expect to be introduced to a lot of their friends and family. There isn’t the same anxiety about meeting the family in Colombia as there is in other countries.
Even if you just date someone casually and you know that you are leaving in a few weeks, Colombians are warm and friendly and will not hesitate to take you for dinner at mum’s place or invite you out with their friendship group. The culture is more about enjoying the moment and the people around you at a certain point in time.
Cities like Medellin and Bogota are known for their excellent nightlife and both places are night owls. You can pass through El Poblado, Medellin on a random Tuesday night and still see that the bars and restaurants are bursting with life.
You can enjoy having conversations about your home country and its gastronomy and traditions while your local friend can take you to places that you may not have otherwise found. For instance, the best place to eat bandeja paisa in Medellin, a hidden bar where you can drink aguardiente, a club where you can dance the night away, etc.
Colombian men will not hesitate to approach you
Colombian men may come across as more forward compared to men in other countries, particularly if you are travelling here from a western nation. If they are out at a bar, a restaurant, or even in the park in the middle of the day and someone catches their eye, many will not hesitate to approach you.
If you are not interested in someone’s advances, obviously you can just politely decline them and they will leave you be. Of course, there are always going to be those men that approach every pretty girl that they see.
But for the most part, this confidence is not a bad thing. The difference is perhaps that men in Colombia are still a little more traditional in their approach to meeting people.
For instance, it’s more normalised to approach someone that catches your eye here. Whereas in the west, men may now be concerned that women would get angry or offended at being approached in public, and people are often more dependent on dating apps as a way to meet people.
The Latin lover stereotype
Colombian men (and perhaps Latinos in general) are known for being great lovers. In fact, it is one of the most common praises that you will hear being sung about them.
Perhaps it makes sense in such a macho culture that men would pride themselves on their lovemaking abilities. Is there any truth to this? Perhaps you will have a hot Latin fling and find out!
Are Colombian men interested in foreign women?
Straight Colombian men, like most men, are interested in good-looking women, period. If you are visiting Colombia from a different country, you will be perceived as unusual and exotic.
For people all over the world, whatever is different from the ordinary is exciting. So, even if you find yourself intimidated by how attractive Colombian women are, many local men are very very interested in extranjeras.
What is different is often exciting. Different fashion styles, blue and green eyes, and pale skin are often considered extremely beautiful in Colombia, even if to you they seem ordinary. As with dating anyone, it is important to communicate your expectations.
Some people may be open to a serious commitment and a relationship with people from another country and culture. Others may be open to a fling but they would prefer to settle down with someone from their own culture (or they just don’t want a relationship right now). It all depends on the individual and it is important to communicate.
Infidelity and Colombian men
As far as most Colombianas and ex-pats in Colombia are concerned, the biggest issue with dating Colombian men is infidelity. You will hear countless stories from people who met handsome Colombianos that promised them the world, only for them to find out that this man was promising the world to multiple other women too.
Or, in some cases, the person had a double life that the girlfriend didn’t know about. Sometimes it is even the case that the man was even married!
Be aware of this and know that this does happen occasionally but don’t let it push you toward being completely pessimistic about dating in Colombia. If you are dating in Colombia when you know that you are only going to be in the country for a couple of weeks/months, know that many people that you meet will expect your relationship to have an expiration date.
Some people may not be open to the possibility of a long-distance relationship or of reshuffling their life/location. As always, communication is key.
Obviously, there are Colombian men that cheat and see themselves as Cassanovas otherwise this stereotype wouldn’t exist. But at the same time, there are a lot of good Colombian men too.
The idea that all Latino men are infidels is probably the most common stereotype that you will hear. But there are 57 million Colombians in the world and half of them are men.
Do you think all of those millions of Colombians act exactly the same? Do you think all of the millions of Latinos in the world behave in the exact same way?
What about American and Canadian men? Do none of them cheat? Judge people as individuals rather than as an entire demographic.
Punctuality and Latin culture
Colombians are not known for their punctuality and arriving on “tiempo colombiano” (Colombian time) can be a quirk of the culture. For instance, if you tell your Colombian friends/a Colombian guy that you are meeting at 8.30 pm, that will likely be perceived as more of a guideline.
8.30 pm might be the time that they just start to think about leaving the house, even though they know that they now have to drive across town to get to you. If you are coming from the west, this can be a culture shock. Many westerners take punctuality as a sign of respect towards someone and consider it extremely rude to keep someone waiting.
Don’t take this personally. You will find that people have the same relationship with the time in other Latin countries too.
It isn’t that the person doesn’t value your time and company. It is just that people have a more laidback approach to plans here and they are used to their fellow Colombian friends being the same.
Tinder in Colombia
Several dating apps exist in Colombia, including Tinder. There are also a couple of other popular apps that are only used nationally.
For instance, Colombian Cupid, International Cupid, Zoosk, Latin American Cupid, and Eharmony. A lot of these apps are very active and there are plenty of members on them.
Some people could be on the apps looking for hookups and casual encounters while others are looking for something more long-term. This is just the same as when dating in other countries.
You could argue that you have more chance of finding something serious with a Colombian guy (if that’s what you are looking for) on the apps that require a monthly membership fee but that isn’t always the case. You will of course also find a lot of expats and international travellers on some of these apps, particularly in Digital Nomad hotspot Medellin.
However, foreign men are often more interested in meeting Colombian women than they are in meeting women from their homeland. Approach these apps the same way as you would anywhere else. Don’t be naive, always meet people for the first time in a public place, and take precautions for your safety.
Colombia is a patriarchal country
It is important to remember that Colombia is a patriarchal country. Improvements have been made in recent years in terms of providing women with more rights and employment and educational opportunities.
But the country still has a long way to go. There is a macho culture here where men are expected to be manly and macho, and not everyone looks at women as being equal.
It is good to be aware of this from the get-go so that you know what red flags to look out for in relationships. As mentioned, not all Colombian men are the same nor do they have a hive mind.
You may find that there are some Colombian men that expect men and women to fulfill traditional gender roles in a relationship, and have some opinions that seem outdated to you. Broadly speaking, it is still generally the case that men in Colombia are the main breadwinner while women are expected to do the lion’s share of the housework and childcare, even if she works full time too.
When it comes to picking up the cheque on a date, men are expected to pay. It is taboo for a woman to pay, and some men may find it downright embarrassing if a woman covers their bill or earns more than him.
This is worth keeping in mind if you are a successful woman working remotely in Colombia. Men everywhere can be intimidated by successful women, but in a patriarchal country, arguably more.
Dating roles are somewhat more traditional
It is usually a Colombian guy that initiates dating in Colombia, rather than a woman. In this sense, dating in Colombia can feel a little more old-fashioned.
For instance, a Colombian guy may see a girl who catches his eye while he is out and about. After approaching her and exchanging phone numbers, he will be the first to initiate contact and make the first moves.
Here, dating is still very much about the chase. Some people do stereotype western women as being ¨easier¨ so it is a good idea to take it slow when you first meet someone so that you can find out whether they are serious about you.
Learning Spanish broadens your dating prospects
English is not widely spoken in Colombia, even in major cities. Statistics indicate that only 3% of the population (1.2 million people) can speak English.
Obviously, becoming conversational in a new language isn’t something that you can do overnight. However, learning Spanish can be very useful, particularly if you are going to spend a lot of time travelling to Latin American countries like Mexico or Colombia.
Not only does this open more doors for you in terms of your dating and friendship prospects. But from a selfish perspective, it also makes your life a lot easier.
Even simple interactions such as ordering a coffee can become stressful in Colombia if you don’t have a few basic phrases of Spanish up your sleeve. Duolingo is a great app to start learning with, and there are plenty of Spanish teachers that can give you classes in Colombia.
Download Google Translate so that you can easily speak or type into your phone and be able to translate anything into Spanish if you have difficulty communicating. You shouldn’t be put off dating a Colombian guy even if you meet someone you like but cannot easily communicate with.
Using Google Translate on dates can be cute. And as time goes on and your partnership progresses, you can help each other learn each other’s respective languages.
Colombian guys are passionate and romantic
Colombians on the whole are warm, kind-hearted people. In their relationships, they bring a lot of passion and romance.
While dating someone in the west is often likely to mean going out for dinner and drinks, Colombians will often put a lot more consideration into planning something wild, fun, and spontaneous.
If a Colombian guy likes you, he will be very direct about it and you won’t have to second guess how he feels. Public displays of affection such as kissing, hugging, and handholding are very common and your Colombian beau will not be shy about showering you with love.
Intercultural dating in Colombia
There are a lot more relationships in Colombia between Colombian women and foreign men than there are between Colombian men and foreign women. It is something that you will quickly observe if you spend any amount of time in the country and there are a few reasons for that.
Colombian women are arguably some of the most attractive women in the world and there are definitely more than a few men that travel or move to Colombia, specifically because they hope to date a Colombiana. When you join Colombia travel Facebook groups or attend Meetup events, you will find that the attendees are predominantly western men.
More international men than women seem to travel to Colombia and this isn’t just for the food, nature, and scenery. Unfortunately, a lot of them do fetishize Latin women and believe that their economic situation means they can get any woman that they want.
Many intercultural relationships absolutely are genuine, but others appear economic in nature. A lot of Colombian women undergo plastic surgery – particularly breast augmentation and BBLs.
For Colombian women, dating western men may be liberating because, not only have they met someone exotic from another country, but western culture doesn’t usually have the same gender expectations as Latin culture. For instance, Latin men may be accustomed to their Latina partners preparing their meals for them.
Western men generally don’t have the same experiences in relationships with western women. So when a Latina prepares his meals, he is wowed and shows more appreciation.
Often the dynamics are not the same between western women and Colombian men. Still, again, it all comes down to the individual.
FAQs about Dating Colombian Men
Do you still have any burning questions about dating Colombian men? Hopefully, you will find the answers you are looking for below.
Are Colombians good boyfriends?
Colombians can be good boyfriends as Colombian men are known for being passionate, affectionate, and fun-loving.
Colombianos are often known for being players and cheaters but you absolutely cannot lump everyone together as being the same. Some Colombians make good boyfriends and some don’t. It’s as simple as that.
What are the characteristics of a Colombian?
Every Colombian is different as an individual. However, most Colombians are family-oriented, fun-loving, social, open-minded, and passionate.
Are Colombians sensitive?
Colombians are individuals and not every person is the same. People here are usually friendly, polite, and good listeners. They can be sensitive and easily offended by criticism about their country.
Final thoughts on dating Colombian men
Do you have any experience with meeting or dating Colombian men? Have you ever dated outside of your culture? What was it like? In many ways, dating Colombian men is not dissimilar to dating Mexican men, Greek men, or Italian men.
Wishing you safe travels, always! Melissa xo