In Colombia, there are still many off-the-beaten-path places. These are the most interesting for real travelers, from my point of view. One of such places is Choco department, which has access to two oceans – the Pacific and the Atlantic (Caribbean Sea). While the Pacific coast is famous for its long beaches with dark sand, the sand on the Caribbean coast is lighter, and the water amazes with its various shades of green – from clear turquoise to deep sapphire.
Why go to Capurgana?
Come to Capurgana for the embracing tranquility, calm waters, jungle hiking and observing wild animals in their natural habitat. There is no point in coming here for just chilling on the beach: even within Colombia, there are better and more accessible beaches, not to mention other parts of the world. Don’t expect comfortable accommodation either: hotels are basic, and air conditioning is rather an exception than a rule here (they have it only in few hotels in Capurgana, but I don’t recommend staying there). But if you are an adventurous soul who likes wild nature, you’ll love it here.
What I like to do in Capurgana: walk naked along the deserted beach, read about poisonous frogs and snakes, explore the surroundings on foot and by boat, watching wildlife, swim a lot, swing in a hammock and just relax.
If this sounds like a plan to you, then read on for more details.
Hike Capurgana-La Miel
The most famous local hike involves crossing the border with Panama right in the tropical forest. It’s an easy 2-hour walk from Capurgana at a slow pace with stops for photo.
Why go to La Miel?
- To see the two main towns, Sapzurro and Capurganá, from a viewpoint.
- To spot wild animals: monkeys, sloths, toucans, snakes (some luck required).
- To get to Panama on foot.
- To swim at different beaches with clear turquoise water (some of the best are in Sapzurro, as well as Playa Nudista and Playa Tiburón).
- To visit La Miel beach in Panama (the final destination of the hike).
- To have a boat trip returning on the way back to Capurgana.
There is a fee of 10,000 Colombian pesos for the Capurgana-Sapzurro section. Before entering La Miel beach, you’ll have to pay 3,000 Colombian pesos. Although La Miel is the final destination, the beach there isn’t the most impressive one – there is a lot of trash in the water. However, if you swim further out, the water is a striking turquoise color. There are a few restaurants on the beach, but they are very basic, offering mostly fried fish and white rice (instead of arroz de coco, coconut rice with cane sugar).
You can return to Capurgana on foot, or by boat for about 60,000 pesos per person (from La Miel to Bahía Aguacate, which is a 10-minute boat ride from Capurgana). It is a price we paid for a private boat for 2 passengers, the more people – the cheaper. This price includes some stops at the beautiful Nudista and Tiburón beaches. It is quite likely that you will be alone on Nudista beach (so it doesn’t matter whether it is actually a nudist beach or not; for me, it has become one).
My journey started from Bahía Aguacate (I recommend choosing a hotel there). The trip took 4 hours with stops and at a slow pace: about 2 hours from Aguacate to Capurgana, 1.5 hours from Capurganá to Sapzurro, and 30 minutes from Sapzurro to Panama. The road from Bahía Aguacate to Capurgana runs along the beach and is one of the most beautiful parts of the hike.
The hike is easy, if you are OK with walking in heat and humidity. I recommend starting the hike as early as possible, not later than 7 a.m.
El Cielo Waterfall
This is a short hike, only 2 km long (about 45 minutes) through the tropical forest. The starting point is in Capurgana. The waterfall itself is not impressive, but it’s a good opportunity to cool off and take a break from the heat. The route is available on maps.me.
Playa Soledad
It’s a short boat ride to a beach with white sand, turquoise waters and mangroves. The trip costs 90,000 pesos per person, with lunch included. Boat departs from the pier in Capurgana. On the way back, you visit Bahía Aguacate beach with its calm emerald waters.
There are also some natural pools near Capurgana, but I don’t think they worth visiting.
Overall, the best thing you can do in Capurgana and its surroundings is simply enjoy the tranquility and slow down in this beautiful, wild corner of the world.
How To Get To Capurgana?
The simplest and quickest way is to fly with Pacifica Airlines directly from Medellin to Capurgana. This way, you can avoid the unpleasant boat journey from Turbo or Necoclí. I have never heard any positive feedback about these boats: firstly, there are often big waves, and it can be genuinely scary that the boat might capsize; secondly, the boat trip may cause motion sickness. But if you want to save money, get ready for a boat adventure!
Via Necocli
Take a bus from Medellin to Necocli (find tickets here), from there take a public boat to Capurgana. I recommend an evening departure from Medellin (around 8 pm), as the boats from Necocli depart in the morning. The bus journey time is about 10 hours. Later it will take you about 1 hour 30 minutes to reach Capurgana by boat from Necocli. During the high season, December-January, tickets may be limited, so it’s better to buy them at the office a day before (opposite the pier). If you’re traveling during the peak season, book your return ticket upon arrival in Necocli.
Via Turbo
Turbo is closer to Medellin (8.30 hours by bus), but farther from Capurgana than Necocli (2 hours, and, remember, that a boat ride is a Challenge). The cost of the boat trip is about 95,000 pesos per person.
Via Acandí
There are flights from Medellin to Acandí with the Pacifica airlines. Later you can reach Capurgana by 30-minute boat ride.
Where To Stay In Capurgana?
The best place to stay near Capurgana, from my point of view, is Bahia Aguacate. I can recommend this hotel. The wooden bungalows have no air conditioning, but there is a perfect tranquility, a sea view, and cool hotel staff who have changed big city life for the beauty of this place. If you go there, say hello from Irina from Russia. The guys offer fusion cuisine, with international dishes made from local ingredients. Keep in mind that there are no shops in Bahia Aguacate, if you decide to stay there. If you want at least a couple of shops, then choose Sapzurro. Capurgana itself, in my opinion, is hardly suitable for a peaceful vacation: the locals are too noisy, they love loud music and drinking.
What To Keep In Mind?
There are no ATMs in Capurgana. All hotels are very basic, so don’t expect upscale service…OK, good service 🙈. There might be flight delays. There are no restaurants, only simple cafés with a very limited selection of dishes. You will need to pay a 15,000-peso tax at the airport. By the way, this is what Capurgana airport looks like.
And this is how an airplane of Pacifica airlines may look like (on the way back, we’ve got a larger one though). On a tiny plane there is no toilet on board, so don’t be like me, go to the restroom before the flight 🙈.
Despite some things being said above, I highly recommend you to visit surroundings of Capurgana. It is a perfect wild escape for long vacations, where you can both swim on different beaches and stay active thanks to some hikes.
If you have any questions regarding planning your trip to Capurgana or any other place in Colombia, you can ask me questions here.
