🕊 In memory of Margarito Salas 🕊
We discovered the village of Arusi on our second trip to the Pacific coast of Colombia’s Choco region. Our project was different from our other trips; we simply wanted to spend 10 days relaxing somewhere by the ocean, and Arusi was the obvious choice.
A few years earlier, we had discovered the Bahia Solano and El Valle area and had fallen in love with it. What’s more, we had local friends in Arusi who had been nagging us for several years to come and discover their little corner of paradise!
If you want to get an overview of the region, we recommend you read our post on the various things to do around Nuqui, because in this post we’re going to focus specifically on the village of Arusi and our week spent there. Off to our beloved Choco Pacific Coast!
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
General information on Arusi
- Name: Arusi
- People: Arusiseño
- Region: Pacific
- Department: Choco
- Population: approx. 400
- Distance from Nuqui: 1h by lancha
- Size: 2 streets, 1 school, 1 health center
- Climate: hot and humid
- Average temperature : 28°C
- Dry season: December to March
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Back to the Choco Pacific coast
Arusi, a village on the Pacific coast
It was before the pandemic and it was a slightly different trip. Like every year, we had decided to come to Colombia, but this time we didn’t really want to wander all over the place, running from destination to destination, but rather to settle down in “farniente” mode. And for us, since our first trip there, the best place on earth to disconnect is the Pacific coast of Choco!
So, after a few days in Chia with Angélica’s family, we set off from Bogotá in the direction of Medellín. Arriving in the capital of Antioquia, we took a cab and 30 minutes later were at Medellín’s regional airport, waiting for our flight to Nuqui. It’s always special to travel in these inaccessible regions, as the planes are often tiny propeller planes. We climb in, bend our heads to sit down, there are about ten of us, we see the pilots, the propellers start up, the plane takes off and flies over the city before rising just above the mountains.
We remain at low altitude until arrival, just 45 minutes into the flight. Above the forest, clouds prevent us from seeing the landscape, then the ocean arrives, the clouds disappear and the magical, wild Choco landscape unfolds before our eyes. It’s great to be back in our beloved region!
Road to Arusi, village south of Nuqui
Back to the Pacific coast
As we leave the airport, the heat and humidity greet us, even though February is the “dry” season and spoiler: we won’t have a drop of rain during our 10 days there.
The lancha publica awaits us at the pier to take us to Arusi. The lancha publica is the only “public” transport system in the area. It leaves Arusi every day at 6 a.m., passing through all the villages as far as Nuqui. It then awaits the arrival of the late-morning flight from Medellín, to pick up passengers and leave again at around 2pm from Nuqui in the opposite direction, passing through all the villages until it reaches Arusi.
Cheap and practical, the lancha publica is public in name only. In fact, it’s a personal initiative of a local man, Capitan Marcos, who one day decided to offer this service to the community. We’ll tell you more about this character later.
The lancha ride to Arusi is a pure pleasure for the eyes and the soul: a 40-minute boat ride through typical Pacific landscapes, nature, nature, nature. Here, man’s footprint is reduced to a bare minimum: wooden houses and a few motorboats.
We arrive at our destination, disembarking on the black sandy beach of Arusi, opposite what will be our home for a week. Take a breath.
10 days in Arusi, Choco
Farniente on the Pacific coast
Palm trees, jungle, volcanic rock, ocean, native wooden houses, dirt roads, Afrodescendants, Embera natives… Choco in all its simplicity, Choco in all its wildness, Choco in all its beauty.
There was nothing set in stone about our program. The idea was to see it through, let it happen, and above all do as little as possible. But once you’re there, there’s always something to keep you busy in Arusi!
Day by day, as the mood took us, we let time slip by, enjoying the beach, forest walks, village visits and, above all, hammocks!
There’s a lot to do from Arusi. Firstly, because the village of Termales is within walking distance, as are the beaches of Guachalito, but also because, with a little organization and the lancha publica, you can get everywhere for very little money.
The only thing I really had planned was to take my first scuba diving diploma!
Termales
Termales is a tiny village close to Arusi, facing the same bay. All you have to do to get there is walk along the beach. We set off for a stroll to Termales, which, as its name suggests, hides a thermal pool!
You’re going to say, “Yeah, bathing in hot water when it’s 30° outside! Well, you’d be wrong. The waters at Termales are tepid, and the place is well worth the detour.
After a leisurely hour’s walk , we reach the village. We head off in the direction of the spa, pay our entrance fee and discover a beautiful, well-kept place, with a small food court, two pools with emerald-green water straight from the thermal spring coming down from the surrounding mountains.
We spend a long time lounging in this pretty pool surrounded by forest. A truly inviting place to relax.
From Termales, it’s possible to hike through the forest to waterfalls. These are rather full-day plans, as they require several hours’ walking. On the way back, a dip in the thermal baths will be a blessing!
Once well rested, we return to the beach for a walk back to our HQ in Arusi.
Please note: it’s an hour’s walk to Termales, but beware of the tide! Find out before you set off, otherwise you’ll have to swim across the rivers at high tide.
From Arusi on foot
- Duration: 1 hour
- Please note: Termales is an hour’s leisurely walk away, but beware of the tide! Find out before you set off, otherwise you’ll have to swim across the rivers at high tide.
Thermal baths
- Admission: approx. $12.000 COP/pers.
- Massages: around $70.000 COP/pers.
- On-site catering: empanadas, arepa de huevo (there are also restaurants in the village)
4 encantos waterfall hike
- Duration: 4 hours
- Price: from $75.000 COP for 1 pers. / $90.000 COP for 2 pers. etc.
Surfing classes
Ask for “Nestor Tello”, leader of the Termales surf school project
Coqui
Coqui is a village of 150 souls located just north of the Gulf of Tribuga. It’s not accessible on foot, and you have to take a lancha to get there. For us, Coqui was THE village we absolutely wanted to visit when we came to the Nuqui region. And why was that?
Because in Coqui, over the past few years, the community has developed the Zotea project, supported by the foundation of the great Colombian chef Leo Espinosa (whose restaurant “Leo” is regularly voted one of the 50 best restaurants in the world)
Zotea is “a community dream come true”. It’s a gourmet restaurant and a space for exchanging knowledge about the gastronomy and culture of the Pacific coast of Choco. It’s also a real community tourism project that contributes to local development.
For us, Coqui is an example of what a community can achieve by uniting despite all the difficulties encountered in this region, one of the poorest in Colombia.
So we set off at 6.30 a.m. on the lancha publica, arriving in Coqui 45 minutes later. We had booked the full tour offered by the community: a morning pirogue trip through the mangroves, a visit to the “museum of ancestral knowledge” and a cooking class before enjoying a delicious meal overlooking the sea. What else?
There’s so much to say about Coqui and its community that we’ll be dedicating an post to it soon! But we have fond memories of our cooking class with Cruz, a true sweetheart 🧡
We’ll be heading back to Arusi with Don Marcos and the lancha publica, which picks us up around 2:30 p.m
Lancha publica
- Fare: $20.000 COP/pers/journey
- Duration: 45 min.
- Departure: 6:30 am / Return: 3 pm
Activities in Coqui
- Complete plan (mangrove museum cooking class 2h meal): around $165.000 COP/pers.
- Mangrove: $90.000 COP/pers.
- Cooking class 2h meal: $75.000 COP/pers. (also available in 4h at $150.000 COP/pers.)
- Museum of ancestral knowledge: $7.000 COP/pers.
Contacts Zotea
instagram.com/zoteacolombia/
Arusisito
The Arusisito River is a small river that flows into the ocean near the village of Arusi. Arusisito comes from deep in the forest, where indigenous Embera communities live along its course.
You can take a traditional pirogue upstream to enjoy the environment, observe the birds and bathe in the cool, clear water. A simple and pleasant plan, unpretentious and refreshing.
Paseo al rio
- Duration: 2h30
- Price: $70.000 COP/pers.
It’s with great emotion that we evoke this memory.
An unfeigned emotion as we recall sharing that day with Margarito, our guide. His smile, his passion for his territory, his desire to develop his tourist guide business, his motivation to learn birdwatching..
A few months ago, we learned of his tragic death. Margarito adds to the list of murdered community leaders in Colombia. His death, like all deaths, is a heartbreak. His death, like many deaths in Colombia, is an incomprehensible death, yet another scandal.
Margarito worked for the good of the community, it’s now been 1 year since he passed away and as always, there will be no response from the police, there will be no judgment, there will be no action from the government to protect social leaders in Colombia. When will this stop?
Surfing in Arusi
Arusi has its own surf school, a lovely project run by two Arusi residents, Mabel and Alfredo. She’s a teacher, he runs a small miscellany store in the village. One day they decided to offer the young people of Arusi some activities to occupy them in their spare time, and it wasn’t long before their desire to try their hand at surfing got the better of them.
Alfredo asked for help from the Termales surf school, which was already well organized, and in 2018 they succeeded in creating the Arusi surf school with boards salvaged and repaired with bits of string.
The school started with 7 participants and now there are 80 kids taking part! At the same time, the Arusi surf school runs workshops to raise awareness of the environment and ocean protection, and every Saturday they organize a beach clean-up.
Surf spots at Arusi
If the waves aren’t always present in Arusi, it’s possible to push on to Termales, known as the local surf spot. It’s true that as you get closer, you generally notice a little more movement in the water than on the Arusi side. The waves are a little more present, but are still mostly small and perfect for beginners.
The spots for more experienced surfers are closer to Cabo Corrientes and Punta Brava. When the swell rises, spots accessible only by boat offer waves of international quality.
Surfing in Arusi
Ask for “Alfredo et Mabel” or drop in at the surf shop/school in Arusi
Surfing in Termales
Ask for “Nestor Tello”, leader of the Termales surf school
Surfing in Punta Brava and Cabo Corrientes
Corre Ola Surf Camp
Scuba diving courses in Arusi
It had been a dream of mine for a long time, and I was able to make it come true in one of the most impressive playgrounds on the planet: the Pacific Ocean! I took the PADI Open Water course with our local partner in Arusi.
For me, it was a rich three days of sharing with passionate people, where I was able to learn more about the underwater world, scuba diving techniques and safety. The PADI Open Water course combines theoretical training with a short exam and practical exercises at depth, culminating in 4 dives to a maximum depth of 18 m.
Arusi’s dive sites are as wild as the region itself! The Choco, both on land and underwater, is one of the world’s most important biosphere reserves. The cold currents and abundance of food make it a favorite hunting ground for an impressive number of marine species. There are also specific varieties of coral , and this is far from the idea of a giant aquarium. Here, both above and below the surface, nature is stronger than man, respecting and taming each other little by little.
I can tell you that diving in Arusi has enabled me to experience conditions that will enable me to be all-terrain in the future! A powerful and valuable experience.
The Pacific coast in February?
Back to Choco
Some of you may wonder why we chose the Pacific coast in February, when it’s not whale season at all?
Well, quite simply because there’s a lot moreto this region than whale watching! It’s a unique region with an indescribable atmosphere, where nature in its untamed state grips you to the core, whatever the season.
While whales are the main attraction between June and October, March, April and May see the arrival of whale sharks and huge shoals of sardines. In January and February, the weather is particularly good and less rainy than the rest of the year.
Every month of the year is an enchantment on the Pacific coast, and it’s a region we recommend visiting at any time of year.
Casa Cielito
Visit Arusi near Nuqui
Our home for a week. A few rooms on stilts, simple comfort and at the same time supreme luxury to fall asleep with the sound of the sea and the forest. Located just a few minutes from the village, the hotel is secluded enough to feel connected to nature, yet close enough to enjoy local life.
Alfonso decided some time ago to stop offering meals in the hotel, in order to let the village and the community benefit from the arrival of travelers. Arusi has developed and several restaurants have opened in the village, which we think is a very good initiative! It’s also possible to shop for food in the hotel’s open kitchen.
Alfonso will be happy to help you organize your stay and give you ideas and plans for things to do locally.
- Double room: $105.000 COP/person (low season) or $140.000 COP/person (high season) breakfast included with kitchen access
- Dorm room: $80.000 COP/person (low season) or $105.000 COP/person (high season) without breakfast and without kitchen access
Favorite place to stay
Casa Cielito
Punta Brava
Where to stay in Arusi
Punta Brava is not a “plan” per se. It’s a geographical location, at the southern tip of the Gulf of Tribuga, very close to Arusi. Above all, it’s about a magnificent hotel, perched on a rocky outcrop above the Pacific Ocean, where we spent 3 magical days. A hotel committed to a 100% eco-responsible approach.
In Punta Brava, you can enjoy the wild beach (probably the most beautiful in the area), go deep into the jungle to look for poisonous frogs, isolate yourself from the rest of the world and totally disconnect.
One day, we’ll put our hand back in our wallet without a second’s hesitation to relive this enchanted interlude.
- Starting from $500.000 COP for 2 people, full board (3 meals included)
Favorite place to stay
Punta Brava
Bonus: portrait of Don Marcos
Portrait Arusiseño
On our way back to Nuqui, after 10 truly unforgettable days in Arusi, our return flight to Medellín was delayed. We went to breakfast at a nearby restaurant, where we bumped into Don Marcos, captain of the lancha publica, who was also having coffee at a nearby table.
After so many days of hanging around this enigmatic character, with his serious and closed airs, we tried to break the ice, and well done! We discovered a nice, funny man with a singular life story..
Don Marcos is a seasoned sailor. Originally from the village of El Vaudo in the department of Choco, he joined the merchant navy at an early age. He sailed the world’s seas at the helm of gigantic cargo ships. He could tell you all about the world’s greatest ports of call, but we were determined to find out how he came to be at the helm of the lancha publica.
Tired of the merchant navy and traveling the world, he landed in Arusi one day with the idea of setting up a shrimp business with a partner. Unfortunately, a cholera epidemic devastated the region’s population and his business declined.
When he traveled to Nuqui for his shrimp business, Don Marcos would always let the villagers know if anyone needed to go too. As word of mouth spread, when his shrimp business stopped, he decided to devote himself to this lancha service.
The “lancha publica” was created, an affordable means of transport now indispensable to the community.
Don Marcos doesn’t like technology, so if you need the lancha publica to pick you up, call him on his old cell phone. And if he doesn’t answer, just call someone in Arusi who’ll come and tell him in person… simple!
Don Marcos hand-builds his own lanchas in his workshop in Arusi, and is the only one to build his boats from A to Z.
With a final laugh, we’re off to catch our plane, with a completely different image and a great memory of Capitan Marcos, a long-distance sailor who knows a thing or two about life beneath his grumpy exterior.
Where to stay in Arusi
Arusi
Eco Lodge
Punta Brava Eco Hotel
Punta Brava is an ecological luxury bubble in the middle of the jungle, with its feet in the Pacific Ocean. A unique, exclusive place, totally cut off from the world, which is well worth the effort if you have the means to indulge yourself.
Arusi
Hotel
Casa Cielito
Casa Cielito was our home for 1 week in Arusi, the place is magical and the food is simply the best we’ve tasted in Colombia!
How to get to Nuqui and Arusi
Flight Medellín – Nuqui
- Duration: 45 min
- Airline: San German Express, Satena
- Fare: from $600.000 COP return (depending on dates and company)
- Airport: Enrique Olaya Herrera
Lancha public Nuqui – Arusi
- Departure from Nuqui: between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (after the arrival of the plane from Medellín)
- Fare: $32.000 COP
- Duration: approx. 1 hour
- Departure from Arusi: between 6 and 7 a.m
