Pacific Coast - Lonely Planet

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We felt safe, but conditions here are liable to change, and you may like to confirm things are still safe before plannin
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Pacific Coast This is where the jungle meets the sea. It’s a wild, untamed area, drenched in up to 10m of rain per year. The beaches, unlike those of the Caribbean, are fine, gray sand. There is only one road to the interior, from Buenaventura to Cali; all other transport is by light plane and boat.

The incredible marine life here also attracts deep-sea fishers and adventurous scuba divers. Bahía Solano is famous for its fishing – rated among the best the world – and catch-and-release anglers come year-round to try their luck with blue marlin and sailfish. Likewise, Isla Malpelo is famous for some of the most challenging and rewarding diving in the world. There are a full range of resorts on this coast, though none are typical beach retreats. The beaches near Bahía Solano, El Valle and outside Nuquí, in particular, all host top-notch resorts. Travelers on a budget should check out Ladrilleros, a coastal town near Buenaventura with a fine beach and good surf, and San Cipriano, a tiny hamlet hidden in the jungle accessible only by a motorcycle-driven railway trolley. The population is mostly descended from African slaves who once toiled here. There remain a few isolated pockets of indigenous peoples; there is some racial tension between the two. The isolation on this coast has allowed the people to preserve much of their culture – the traditional cuisine here is famous. But the area’s relative isolation also means there is poor infrastructure and poverty is widespread.

HIGHLIGHTS „ Scuba dive with whales off Isla Gorgona

(p284) during whale-watching season or join a whale-watching tour at El Valle (p275) or Ensenada de Utría (p276)

El Valle

Bahía Solano Ensenada de Utría

„ Surf the Pacific’s 2m-waves at Ladrilleros

Guachalito

(p281) „ Swim with hundreds of hammerhead sharks

at Colombia’s most difficult scuba dive destination, Isla Malpelo (p283

Isla Malpelo

„ Linger amid tropical gardens on the black-

Ladrilleros

sand beaches of Guachalito (p278 „ Go catch-and-release sportfishing for blue

marlin and sailfish near Bahía Solano (p272)

Isla Gorgona

PACIFIC COAST

The Pacific is famous for its whale-watching. Between July and October whales come from as far away as Antarctica to calve and nurse their young. You can see them all along this coast. In places they come so close to the shore you can spot them from the beach.

270 C H O C Ó • • B a h í a S o l a n o

Climate It rains a lot here. Don’t come planning to sunbathe. Rain is lightest from January to March, and heaviest from August to November. The average temperature is 28°C up and down the coast, but often feels much cooler because of the rain.

PACIFIC COAST

National, State & Regional Parks Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Isla Gorgona (p284) and PNN Isla Malpelo (p283) are both protected marine parks boasting excellent diving. PNN Ensenada de Utría (p276), halfway between El Valle and Nuquí, attracts whales in season, which play in a narrow bay, just a few hundred meters offshore.

Dangers & Annoyances The Pacific coast, especially the Chocó, remains on the front lines of Colombia’s civil conflict. The beaches in the Chocó were heavily patrolled by Colombian marines at our visit, with marines outnumbering tourists three-toone. We felt safe, but conditions here are liable to change, and you may like to confirm things are still safe before planning a visit.

Getting There & Away Only the Cali–Buenaventura highway links the Pacific coast to the rest of Colombia. Most travelers arrive by light plane from Cali or Medellín. See p274 for details on air travel to the Pacific Coast. It’s also possible, but difficult, to arrive from Ecuador or Panama by cargo boat. See p274 for more details.

Getting Around There are no roads along the Pacific coast. Boat travel is your only option for traveling in the region.

CHOCÓ The Chocó is one of the wettest places on earth. On average the Chocó coast averages 16m to 18m of rain per year. This fact defines the region, the people and its culture. When the sun shines, it’s too hot to move too fast, and when it rains – which is almost every day – no one wants to go out and get wet. No wonder people joke about hora chocoana (Chocó time). Life here is slow. Traveling on the Chocó coast is like wandering through a ghost town. Where did all the

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people go? Pre-2001 this was a major tourist destination. Then La Violencia (the violence to which Colombia is prone, which comes and goes at various times in various areas) came to the Chocó, substantially destabilizing the area. Consequently dozens of hotels and resorts are empty, begging for guests. Conditions have recently improved dramatically, and the area is quite safe despite the large military presence in all of the towns along the coast. In some cases the Colombian marines outnumber tourists three-to-one. They are friendly and if you are a foreigner will take particular care that nothing happens to you. All the same, if men with guns unnerve you, you may not enjoy your time here. For a complete listing of Chocó beach resorts, see www.hotelesmarselva.com.

BAHÍA SOLANO %4 / pop 8000

Bahía Solano is the largest settlement on the Chocó coast. It is famous for its deep-sea sportfishing – some of the best in the world – and as a base to go whale-watching (see p58). The town itself consists of half a dozen muddy, unpaved streets, and holds little of interest. However, there are numerous good beach resorts a short boat ride away, where you can go surfing, scuba-diving, organize whalewatching trips, or go deep-sea fishing. The town sits at the mouth of the Río Jella and faces north into the ocean. It is surrounded by hills. All the hotels in the town itself are down by the waterfront in Barrio El Carmen. There is no beach in or near town.

Information There is no tourist information office in town. Pick up a copy of the new quarterly La Guía de Bahía for a map, tourist info and tide tables. EMERGENCY

Police (%emergency 112, 682 7082, 682 7057) On the waterfront. INTERNET ACCESS

Bahia.com (%312 457 6292; per hour COP$2400; h7am-9pm) Fastest internet in town. International calls COP$500 per minute via Skype. Owns its own generator. Opposite Hotel Bahía. MEDICAL SERVICES

Beatriz Argotte (%310 372 2988) The only dentist in town. In the back room of Bahia.com.