Colombia is the South American country with coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Its Caribbean coast faces north toward the Caribbean Sea, while its Pacific coast lies along the country’s west side. Colombia’s Pacific shoreline is separated from much of the Caribbean lowlands by the Andes and other mountain ranges, giving the country two distinct coastal regions.
This geography helps explain Colombia’s maritime diversity. Caribbean ports include Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta, while Buenaventura is the country’s principal Pacific port. Colombia also possesses islands in both maritime regions, including the San Andrés archipelago in the Caribbean.
Ecuador and Peru border the Pacific but not the Caribbean, while Venezuela borders the Caribbean but has no Pacific coastline. Colombia’s position also makes it the only country in South America with both Caribbean and Pacific mainland coasts. The Panama border connects Colombia to Central America.