Colombian Dating Culture: All You Should Know About Dating In Colombia
What is Colombian dating culture really like? Will you definitely meet a machista, are Colombian women easy, and how serious will be the influence of the family on your Colombian partner? If you’re going to date Colombian women or men, just keep reading this guide—we’ll answer these and many more questions here!
5 interesting facts about dating in Colombia
Let’s start with a few quick insights into the Colombian culture of starting and building relationships—that will help you understand how dating in this country actually works.
- The machista culture is still going strong in Colombia. This country is not the place where you need to follow dozens of etiquette rules and make tons of effort to break that ice before asking someone out. A survey conducted by the EU shows that 70% of Colombians are “moderately machista.” A Colombian woman, especially a young one, is likely to hear multiple propositions from men, who, in turn, usually are pretty direct and confident. Most Colombian women just view this confidence and even a bit of dominance as a normal thing.
- Colombian girls aren’t easy. Yes, in the Colombian relationship culture, there are no stigmas and social discouragement of signs of affection, premarital sex, or relationships as they are, but you definitely shouldn’t expect a Colombian woman to be easy. They want to make sure a man is serious about their relationship.
- Yes, family is important. Don’t be surprised when your Colombian partner starts talking a lot about her mom, dad, aunts, uncles, and nephews—family is sacred, it’s a big part of life, so no wonder a Colombian girl or a guy will want to share this part with their potential partner.
- You’ll meet your parents sooner than you expected. In Colombia, men are likely to introduce you to their mothers, while women can introduce you to both parents. It depends on the person, of course, but happens often enough to say it’s part of the dating and marriage culture in Colombia. By the way, it doesn’t necessarily mean things are getting too serious, they just want to know their parents’ opinion.
- Old-school dating is still trendy. Splitting the bill is not that common, taking her coat, and opening the door is still appreciated—that’s just part of courtship and Colombian culture overall. It doesn’t mean that women in Colombia are dependent—this country made a lot of efforts trying to balance gender inequality. There are 83.3% of legal frameworks that promote, enforce, and monitor gender equality under the SDG indicator.
As in any other country, a lot depends on the person, but if you’d like to start dating Colombian women or men, knowing the basic rules will definitely help you avoid common mistakes and make a good impression more easily.
Where to meet singles from Colombia?
What if you already know Colombian dating customs? In this case, it’s time to meet Colombian women or men, and generally speaking, you can choose between two main options.
💬 💑 Online dating in Colombia
According to statistics, the number of Colombian online dating users is expected to amount to 2.7 million users by 2027. In other words, more and more Colombians are joining dating sites, which automatically improves the chance of meeting a Colombian man or woman on the web, even if you’re thousands of miles away. Generally speaking, all the platforms where you can meet singles from this country fall under two main categories:
- Mainstream global online dating sites. Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid—you know those names. Many Colombian women are using online dating apps, and considering that messaging is usually free, the only problem with such a website is that not every Colombian girl on such an app is expecting foreign men to approach her.
- Niche Colombian dating sites. There are websites that are created exclusively for Latin ladies and Western men who’d like to meet them. Finding and dating a Colombian on such sites is much easier. First, you can easily narrow the search to ladies from Colombia or at least Latin America (most platforms are likely to accept members from Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela, etc.) Second, you’ll be able to use more advanced tools like video chat and even real gift delivery.
Not all Colombians date online, but there are still millions of singles you can meet on the web. Both mainstream and niche sites can work, but if you’re really motivated to meet a Colombian, the platforms from the second category will be more efficient. If you’d like to learn more about them, take a look at the table below—we’ve already selected the top websites for dating a Colombian for you.
| Rank | Site | Free Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | LatiDate |
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| #2 | LaDate |
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| #3 | GoChatty |
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| #4 | ColombiaLady |
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| #5 | TheLuckyDate |
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🍸💑 Offline dating in Colombia
It’s hard to say that all Colombian women love it when men approach them in public places, as well as that all men do it all the time, but as we’ve previously noted, it’s pretty common in this country. In Colombian dating culture, it’s not stigmatized and accepted, which automatically makes it much easier for local and foreign men to make the first move. There are no specific places where guys can meet local girls—these are the same places where you could meet American women or girls from Spain, for example:
- Gym
- Volunteer events
- Coffee shops
- Yoga classes
- Adult classes
- Restaurants and bars
- Art classes
- Parties
- Speed dating events, etc.
The number of options is literally endless—you can meet Colombian people everywhere, and you can start a conversation with someone attractive everywhere. The key is confidence, politeness, and friendliness, no more than that.
Differences in dating customs between Colombia and the US
What distinguishes Colombian women from Western girls and Colombian men from Western men? Here are the most common differences between dating customs in the two countries:
- Splitting the bill, flowers, and gifts. In Colombian dating culture, it’s completely normal for a man to invest some money on dates. It doesn’t mean that local girls are materialistic—it is just part of etiquette based on traditional gender roles, and obviously, it’s not always the case in the United States.
- No game playing in Colombia. Even good girls in Colombia, as well as men, of course, won’t make you guess how they feel about you. They’ll be as direct as possible, so they’ll be no game-playing like in the US.
- Most Colombian couples wait for a pretty long time to take their relationship to a new level. Premarital sex isn’t a taboo, but it’s not that easy to find that one-night stand in this country. The thing is, local girls may be passionate, but they usually also want to be sure they’re going to do it with the right person, so don’t expect sex to happen on your first date and sometimes, even on your third date.
- Many adult Colombians are living with their parents. They never feel lonely, but if you’re going to date a Colombian, ensure you have a place to meet when it’s just the two of you.
- Two Valentine’s Days are better than one. Colombians have their Day of Love in September, and yes, they also celebrate Valentine’s Day, so get ready to get and give two gifts if you’re going to start a relationship with someone from Colombia.
Yes, there are certain differences, but as you can see, there’s nothing that makes Colombian women dating culture an entirely new world for Americans.
How to succeed in the Colombian dating scene as a newcomer?
Dating a Colombian isn’t that hard, but if you’re going to start dating Colombian women or men, you can easily overcome all the difficulties just by following a few simple tips for foreigners.
- Learn some Colombian Spanish and a bit of history. That’s just a sign of respect—a foreigner who knows something about the country is more likely to make a good impression on a local man or woman.
- Don’t try to act like Colombian men—focus on your own strengths. Don’t expect Colombian men to be like Western men if you’re going to date them either. Local guys are passionate and confident, sometimes even dominant, but while confidence is appreciated, the rest is absolutely optional. In any case, just relax and be yourself—you won’t be able to pretend to be someone else for a long time.
- Don’t talk too much about your female friends if you are dating a Colombian girl and your male friend if you’re dating a Colombian man. Colombians get jealous easily, so don’t provoke your partner, especially if you don’t think that conflicts can spice up your relationship.
- Focus on your relationship with your partner’s whole family, too. Both women and men in Colombia rely on their family’s opinions about their partners. They naturally don’t blindly follow all the instructions, but if you want to enjoy a happy relationship with a Colombian, you should try to make a good impression on the family.
These are the basic rules—if you follow them, you’ll succeed much more easily even despite being raised in another country and culture.
Our editor’s conclusion
Oliver Duncan
Latin Countries Expert
“Colombians are positive people, and most importantly, they are friendly and open-minded enough to date foreigners and intermarry. Yes, their dating culture has some peculiarities, and you should ask yourself whether they seem acceptable to you, and if they do, choose your way to meet a local partner and follow some basic rules that we’ve explained in this guide. “
Our Editorial Team
Written byPhilippe Berry, Contributing Editor and Travel Expert
I've been to 33 countries, and I'm going to expand this list; I was pleased to date more than 100 ladies from other countries while traveling (not bragging; maybe just a little), and I'm pretty experienced in both building relationships and understanding cultures different from my own. I love having fun, exploring new places and cultures, and helping people who are as interested in international relationships as I am.
Edited byOliver Duncan, Author
Oliver Duncan (36 years old) is a dating and relationship expert from New York. Oliver has a Master's degree in Psychology - he graduated from the New York University in 2009. He knows everything about online dating and dating apps - his experience in this field is around 10 years. Oliver met his wife, Marianna, on one of these apps (she is from Colombia). His senior thesis was concerned with the psychology of long-distance/international relationships - he knows how to date Latin women, how to solve relationship problems, and what issues/barriers to expect when dating a woman from South America.
