In 2013, an eternity ago, I spent the sweetest 10 days there, if it could be otherwise, in Capurgana and Sapzurro, two pearls of the Caribbean. But is Capurgana still that lost paradise?
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
For some months now, the Necocli, Capurgana and Sapzurro area has been experiencing difficulties due to the presence of numerous illegal migrants seeking to cross the border into Panama. As the region is already poor, taking care of the migrants is complicated and the humanitarian situation difficult. If you go there, be aware that you may be confronted with this unfortunate situation.
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.
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Capurgana
DISCOVER CAPURGANA & SAPZURRO
Since my visit in 2013, Capurgana has appeared in the tourist guides and is welcoming more and more tourists, but its geographical location still protects it from mass tourism.
Capurgana is a small fishing village on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, lost in the Darien forest, the South American bottleneck that prevents any crossing of the border with Panama. So much so that it’s the only place where the famous Pan-American Highway, which stretches from Alaska to Patagonia, stops. No road crosses this immense rainforest, which is why Capurgana can only be reached by sea.
During my stay in 2013, the village lived to the rhythm of the lanchas that brought people, tourists and supplies back and forth at the rate of one trip a day. At weekends, the village filled up, mostly with national tourists and a few backpackers who had come to cross the border by boat.
During the week, the village emptied of its weekend visitors, and we were the last tourist specimens to remain. Electricity was only available during the day, cutting off at 9pm in the evening. There was no internet access apart from rare exceptions, let alone wifi.
Has Capurgana changed?
Capurgana & Sapzurro
What’s changed in Capurgana
The village is much more organized and ready to welcome more tourists. Electricity is available 20 hours a day on average, internet is available in many restaurants and hotels, there are 7 tiendas, 4 bakeries and a dozen restaurants.
What hasn’t changed in Capurgana
Capurgana remains a magical place to get away from it all. There are still no ATMs or banks in Capurgana. There are still no roads, so there are still no cars. There’s still the atmosphere of the end of the world, of a lost, inaccessible corner of the world. There’s still my friend Victoria’s Bohemia Hostal to welcome you and your family. There’s always that emerald sea at 30°C, that unchanging weather of heat and humidity. There’s still the beach and coconut palms , and there’s still the dense, wild jungle.
Although Capurgana now exists on the map of Colombia and in the tourist guides, despite the growing number of visitors, despite the destination’s appeal to those wishing to have a good time or simply cross the border into Panama.
The relative difficulty of getting there means that it still retains a certain authenticity
Sapzurro
A QUIET VILLAGE
Not far from Capurgana lies an even more peaceful village, Sapzurro. For the mythical, it’s the last inhabited village in South America! I love these stories of the ends of the world, these capes that mark the end of a continent, these bits of something that represent an imaginary world more fantasized than real, which always attracts me.
In the little square near the pier, under the tree, we seek shade and chat over an artisanal ice cream made with honey and coconut milk, sold by a lady whose reputation extends as far as Capurgana… a real character, her ice creams are absolutely excellent.
As you can see, in Sapzurro, you have to take the time to take the time.
From Sapzurro, you can enjoy the same activities as in Capurgana, although some outings will be longer, others shorter. The village is much less developed than its neighbor, with less life, restaurants, tiendas and accommodation, but more tranquility.
HOW TO GET TO SAPZURRO
Getting there on foot
A footpath leads to Sapzurro, which takes about 1 hour to walk, with a very physical climb in the heat. We advise you not to carry too much.
Getting there by lancha
- Time: 15 minutes
- Price: approx. $10.000 COP
What to do in Capurgana and Sapzurro
BEACHES, NATURE ACTIVITIES AND ECOTOURISM
So, with the difficulty of getting there, is it really worth going to Capurgana? Apart from the beach, it’s not worth staying there for 1 week, is it? Okay, it’s great if you’re coming from or want to go to Panama, but otherwise?
These are the questions I’ve already been asked, and which this post will attempt to answer. Capurgana is a little lost paradise, far from everything, with no access roads… so apart from nothing, what can you do in Capurgana?
Farniente
Capurgana or Sapzurro are little paradises nestled between lush jungle and turquoise or emerald seas – your choice, but at 28°C please.
Life is simple: you leave your room, towel slung over your shoulder, head for the beach to spread your towel and enjoy… in the morning, you’ll watch the sunrise, in the evening the colors of the horizon and then the waking moon… at night, you’ll listen to the rain and the sound of thunder..
Capurgana & Sapuzrro = farniente, farniente = Capurgana & Sapzurro
Scuba diving
It was in Capurgana that I had the chance to go scuba diving for the first time. And I can tell you it won’t be the last. The sensation, though unusual at first, proves to be exceptional once confidence is established. The Capurgana seabed is sublime, with coral and multicolored fish of all sizes. If you’re lucky, you may even come across turtles, manta rays and small sharks, depending on the season.
Bahia El Aguacate
Avocado Bay” is a great way to get out of Capurgana, which can get pretty noisy when the world settles in. Here you’ll find the calm of the Caribbean, as you encounter a small bay with emerald waters, a welcome change from the turquoise blue that was beginning to bore you a little ;-).
You can stay, sleep and eat here in a totally bucolic atmosphere. We spent a very pleasant afternoon there, walking out along the coastal path and returning by lancha.
HOW TO GET TO EL AGUACATE
Getting there on foot
It’s a good hour’s walk to El Aguacate. There’s a short climb to take into account, but otherwise it’s easy.
Getting there by lancha
- Time: 15 minutes
- Cost: approx. $7.000 COP
La Miel Beach
Here’s one possible definition of a paradise beach: white sand, coconut palms, a sea of infinite shades of blue… “La Miel”, a beach worthy of all your fantasies La Miel”, a beach worthy of every fantasy!
And to make matters worse, you can reach the coral reef from the beach in just a few fathoms. So don’t forget to bring your own mask and snorkel, or have someone lend you one, as it would be a shame to miss out on the underwater spectacle. Without being totally crazy, it’s well worth the effort. Personally, I know I could spend hours watching the multicolored fish!
How to get to La Miel
Beach access costs $2.000 COP
Getting there by lancha
- La Miel is about half an hour from Capurgana by lancha.
- The trip costs around $30.000 COP
- Combine this with a break at Sapzurro.
- The last lancha leaves at 4 p.m. from Sapzurro.
Getting there on foot
As for Sapzurro, there’s a footpath that takes you to the Miel beach, which takes a little over 1? hours to walk up, with many physical climbs. If you’ve got a lot to carry, it’s possible to have a lancha bring your big bags to the beach and pick them up once you’re there. (which we strongly recommend!)
El Cielo waterfall
A jungle hut where you can eat a patacon pisao and, above all, bathe in a cool river flowing into a number of basins and waterfalls. In this tropical heat, it’s great to recharge your batteries.
The walk to get there from Capurgana takes us deep into the jungle, with its marmosets throwing fruit at you, its myriad species of trees and plants, its smell and perhaps the chance to spot a sloth, which reminds us of the meaning of immobility. Suffice to say, we loved it!
HOW TO GET TO EL CIELO
To get to the El Cielo waterfalls, you need to take a jungle path that leaves from the village of Capurgana. It’s best to ask on the spot.
- Entrance fee to El Cielo: $2.000 COP
Playa Soledad
Playa Soledad is the lost beach par excellence, the one where you’ll feel all alone in the world, the beach of solitude… You’ll spend a moment suspended in its crystal-clear waters, white sand and surrounding mangroves, the wild beauty of the Caribbean summed up in one heavenly place.
On a lucky day, you’ll have your mask and snorkel to see the coral, the small multicolored fish and suddenly a manta ray will wave at you..
How to get to Playa Soledad
You can reach Playa Soledad on foot via a 4-hour walk that takes you past Bahia Aguacate.
La Coquerita natural pool
It’s a short stroll along the coast, starting from the central beach of Capurgana, follow the path to marvel at the landscape and the hermit crabs, shiver as you come across the poisonous and deadly frogs, and get ready for a moment of pure relaxation and joy when you arrive at La Coquerita.
La Coquerita is a house perched with its head in the jungle and its feet in the Caribbean Sea. Here, you’ll be treated to hammocks, light meals and ponds filled with fresh spring water from the mountains, and a natural pool of warm seawater to soak up the waves and return you to childhood! As you can see, this is one of the must-do activities around Capurgana.
How to get to La Coquerita
To get there, simply take the coastal road heading north from Capurgana.
- Entrance fee to La Coquerita: $3.000 COP
See the turtles at Acandi
Somewhere on the beaches near Acandi (1h by lancha from Capurgana), the respectful visitor may be lucky enough to witness one of nature’s most magical “spectacles”: the laying of eggs by one of the world’s largest turtles, the Caná tortoise.
This protected species is one of the region’s treasures, and the fishermen of Capurgana and the surrounding area are its guardians. It’s possible to go and witness this phenomenon by scrupulously respecting the instructions of the locals and the ecological centers responsible for their protection.
Over the last few decades, Caná turtles have been hunted for their meat and eggs, so the beaches of Acandí are one of their last refuges, as are some beaches north of Necocli in the same Gulf of Uraba.
- The egg-laying season takes place between February and June, with April being the most propitious month.
- The show takes place at night, when the turtles may not be on time, so expect to be patient.
Where to stay in Capurgana and Sapzurro
Where to stay in Capurgana
Capurgana
Hostal
Dive and Green Hostal
Double room : $0 to $100.000 COP
We didn’t stay at Dive and Green, but we did try scuba diving with them, and it was great! The reviews of the accommodation suggest that this is also a good option for accommodation in Capurgana.
Capurgana
Finca
Los Robles
Double room : $150.000 to $200.000 COP
For greater comfort, head for Los Robles, which offers charming double rooms overlooking a pretty garden by the sea. Breakfast and catering available on site.
Where to stay in Sapzurro
Sapzurro
Eco Lodge
El Caney Cabin
Double room : $250.000 to $300.000 COP
And why not rent an entire super house? Situated high above Sapzurro, with an unrivalled view of the bay, the El Caney cabaña offers original features, with two floors totally open to the outside and the experience of sleeping simply under a mosquito net, listening to the sounds of nature!
Sapzurro
Hostal
Casa Mola Hotel
Double room : $0 to $100.000 COP
Perhaps the best hostal in Sapzurro, an economical price and a top-notch atmosphere right in the middle of nature, on the heights of Sapzurro.
Good places to eat in Capurgana & Sapzurro
If the idea is to go out for a good meal or a drink, there are several options in both Capurgana and Sapzurro that are well worth a visit.
Restaurants and bars in Capurgana
Capurgarepa
Small café next to the central square/football field, where you can enjoy a good breakfast with arepas and homemade fruit juices.
Josefina
Still the best restaurant in Capurgana, if you want to treat yourself to seafood, this is the place!
Le Gecko
An Italian that’s been here for a few years now, and perhaps the best pizzas you’ll eat during your stay in Colombia! The fact that you had to go all the way there for this is reason enough for you to go, isn’t it?
Tipik Tropik
Located on the village cancha (the soccer pitch that serves as the village’s central square) Tipik Tropki is Capurgana’s only vegetarian restaurant. If you want the best fruit juices in the village, Tipik Tropik is where you’ll find them. They also do veggie burgers, all to the accompaniment of old boleros and great salsa.
La Brujita
This is THE club for late-night dancing. The place gets particularly hot at weekends with the influx of Colombian tourists. In any case, this little house on stilts, literally with its feet in the water, on Capurgana’s central beach is a must for those who want to party!
Bar Macondo
This is the new hot spot in Capurgana, and it has to be said that its terrace overlooking the sea is just top-notch! The atmosphere is cool, the furniture is nice, Macondo has it all and regularly hosts live concerts.
Restaurants in Sapzurro
Paraiso Cangrejales
This is probably the best address in Sapzurro, offering Peruvian and Colombian fusion cuisine to die for. Paraiso Cangrejales is a hostal, but you can also just drop in for lunch or dinner.
Doña Triny
On the seafront, another hotel that doubles as a restaurant. It serves quality local cuisine.
How to get to Capurgana & Sapzurro
Getting to Capurgana from Necocli
LANCHA | Necocli <> Capurgana (1h30)
- Price: one-way $95.000 COP ($190.000 COP return)
- Port tax aprox $2.000 COP at Capurgana / $2.500 COP at Necocli
- Departures: daily at 8 a.m., return from Capurgana to Necocli around 10 a.m.
- Luggage: 1 bag/suitcase of up to 10 kg allowed ($1.000 COP per additional kg)
In high season, there are sometimes two daily departures, 1 hour apart. It’s best to book in advance.
For further information and reservations
Tickets can be purchased on the day at the pier, but in high season it’s best to book in advance.
- Tel: 57 (034) 821 41 64 or 57 315 687 42 84
- Email: reservascapurganá@milena
Getting to Necocli
There are two ways to get to Necocli:
- By road, with numerous buses departing from Medellín, Monteria or Cartagena
- By air, you can fly to Monteria, then take a bus to Necocli.
BUS Monteria – Necocli (2h30)
- Price: aprox. $50.000 COP
- Companies: Sotracor (Tel: 312 616 60 04), Coointur (Tel: 311 389 87 78)
- Timetable: departures all day long. For precise information, please call the companies.
BUS Cartagena – Monteria (8h)
- Price: aprox. $85.000 COP
- Company: Expreso Brasilia, Unitransco, Rapido Ochoa, Sotracor
BUS Medellín – Necocli (8h)
- Price: aprox. $85.000 COP
- Companies: Cootrans Uroccidente (Ticket no. 34) or Sotrauraba (Ticket no. 13 – 19)
- Timetable: departures from 7.30 a.m. to midnight
Night buses
There are night buses from Medellín that will get you to Necocli by 6 a.m., fresh and ready to discover Necocli!
PLANE Bogota <> Monteria
- 1h30
- Airlines : Avianca, Latam
PLANE Cali <> Monteria
- 3h30 with stopover in Bogota
- Airlines : Avianca, Latam
Hi!
Thanks a lot for your blog and all the information!
I’ve now read on multiple blogs that the lancha from Necocli is supposed to cost 70000 COP, but I’m in contact with El Caribe SAS in Necocli and they are asking for 190000 COP. That’s an extreme difference and I just wanted to find out if I’m being tricked or if the prices have actually exploded this much. Do you know anything? A 270% increase seems extreme to me!
Hello, thank for your message that permits us to think about updating our posts 😉 The 190.000 COP is the actual price for round-trip ! (95.000 COP one way) The price we mentioned in our post before updating was 75.000 COP one-way ($150.000 COP round-trip). So no, it hasn’t increase too much as it was 150.000 COP round-trip and now it’s $190.000 COP. Hope this is clear for you and be reassured that it’s the real price. Saludos!
Yeah, perfect, thank you – the company (Caribe SAS) hadn’t mentioned that it’s the price for the round trip, so I was surprised. For a round trip it’s not that much of an increase, yes!
cheers
Hi! Regarding snorkeling, can you tell me which is the best spot? Our hotel will depend on it (we were thinking of playa aquacate, or soledad?). We’re not really into lazing around, so we’d rather explore the jungle and …. snorkeling. Thanks a lot!
Hi Olivier, for snorkeling in Capurgana, we’d tend to say that the best spots will be more accessible by lancha, so it doesn’t matter where you’re staying, but we can’t tell you too much precisely.
Hello,
Very nice article!
I was planning to go to Capurgana (next month on my first visit to Colombia), but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website says that the area near the border with Panama is very dangerous (para-military, trafficking…) – what did you think of the level of ‘security’ there? Have you had any problems while walking around (crossing the border, I imagine, to go to La Miel?) and/or on Capurgana itself? Hard to find recent info on the subject – thanks in advance for your reply! 🙂
Hi, Capurgana, Sapzurro, La Miel are tourist areas and there are no security problems there. The map from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs we talk about here if you want to have a look and the one from the British government. The information on our blog is updated regularly, we have good friends who live in Capurgana so the news is fresh here 😉
Top, thanks! Interesting article on safety, I’d never thought of comparing cards from different MAEs – but even better is your fresh info via locals 😉
I’ve already spotted a new place in the bay of Aguacate that looks great – let’s hope we can get a lancha to get there ^^
Thanks again and all the best 😉
Hi there!
Thanks for your article! I just have a question: I’m trying to plan a trip to Capurgana but for the bus trip from Monteria Necocli and Necocli Monteria it’s impossible to find a bus on my dates (outbound on March 5 and return on March 9). Is it necessary to book online in advance or can I be sure of finding a bus on the spot?
Thanks in advance for your reply 🙂
Hi Léo, on this kind of rural route you won’t find online reservations, let alone real timetable information, but we can confirm that there are buses every day and several departures a day, so all you have to do is go to the Monteria bus terminal and take the next departure 🙂
Thank you for your great blog
I’ve been in Colombia since September and it keeps accompanying me in my choice of destination and sometimes accommodation (punta caribana a Necocli for example) I just wanted to add a little advice for travelers who want to go to the reserve em cielo in Capurganá. Take waterproof shoes like Crocs or sea shoes because there are 8 rivers. I soaked my hiking shoes and they took 3 days to dry… hello the smell!
Thanks again for all your advice.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for your message 🙂 It’s true that we did the al Cielo walk in flip-flops… there are lots of little river crossings! We thought the locals would give us the info before we left, but we’ll add it to the article 🙂
Hello,
Thank you very much for this very detailed article. We will be in Colombia the first 2 weeks of February and in Medelin until the 9th. Your article makes us really want to take the plane on Monday morning from Medelin to Acandi for a few days. We’re flying back to Paris from Bogotá late on Friday evening
So I’d like to ask you a few questions. It would be great if you could give us your opinion
1) From reading some of the comments, I’ve noticed that the currents can make swimming difficult, and that there’s a lot of garbage? Do you know what the trend is this season? Have more cargo ships run aground? Are the beaches more protected at Sapzurro than at Capurgana?
Continuation of my previous comment which left too quickly….
2) Do you think 5 days on site is optimal or too long?
3) For the return trip on Friday morning, we’re hesitating to take the lancha to Necocli (another super interesting article) early in the morning to spend the day there before taking the bus to Monteira in the late afternoon to catch a plane to Bogotá. Does this seem like a dangerous/risky plan, given that our flight from Bogota to Paris is at 11.55pm? How can I get the Necocli-Monteira Airport bus timetable?
Thank you very much for your help and once again bravo for your great articles
Gabriel
5 days is a great way to make the most of it, but we always advise against taking an internal flight on the same day as the international return flight… you never know! As for the Necocli – Monteria bus timetable, you won’t find it like that, but there are regular departures. If you want details, you’ll have to call the bus companies. You’ll find the contacts here: http://www.terminaldemonteria.com/viajes?q=NECOCLÍ#list-travels
Hi, thanks for your message 🙂 As far as currents are concerned, it’s likely that they’ll calm down in February, but we’re not going to venture to say whether or not there will be currents during your passage, as nature is unpredictable! As for waste, efforts are being made, but it’s a general problem throughout Colombia. We’re in a poor country where waste management solutions in such remote locations are very complex, and where environmental education is non-existent.) As for the flip-flops, this is a Chinese cargo ship that sank 15 years ago… the flip-flops are still there, but we’re just talking about a place where nobody goes. There are enough bathing beach options in the area to keep you happy. Sapzurro is also a good option.
“electricity 20 hours a day”
Sometimes that’s enough!
Thank you for this little spot. You really have a knack for finding places that are a bit lost in Colombia. Are these places you’ve found via paper guides or your family?
In any case, thanks for making us dream about this country, even after our return =)
hehe 😉 It’s already better than in 2013, yes! As for lost places, yes, that’s our specialty 😉 Joking aside, we do try to talk about less touristy places to show that it’s possible to get away from the more classic destinations. We find them through our friends, family and encounters, but we also keep an eye on the sector to find the best deals. Even if Capurgana’s reputation has now evolved, and it’s featured in many tourist guides, it’s a destination that’s a little better known than it used to be.
A very complete and well-documented article on the practical aspects. After reading it, all you want to do is go to Capurgana! Just one question: you can dive, but for the less sporty, can you simply snorkel? Taking a lancha, of course… We’re thinking of going to Colombia in January/February 2020. We were thinking of limiting ourselves to east of Cartagena for the Caribbean zone, but as Tayrona Park seems to be closed in February, and as we came across your blog, we may be heading west instead. And we’d love to snorkel in that part of the Caribbean
Thanks again for all these useful details!
Hi, and thanks for your message! 🙂 You can snorkel in Cartagena (islas del rosario), Isla Mucura (Archipelago San Bernardo), and indeed in Capurgana, more on the La Miel side.
I’ve been living in Colombia for over two years and have just returned from Capurgana, after following your glowing recommendations, thinking I’d come and recharge my batteries.
Leaving Medellin 9 hours by road, 2 hours by extremely turbulent boat, I strongly advise against this for small children, pregnant women etc…
After this 15-hour journey (waiting time for the boat, etc.), we were expecting to come across a “pearl of the Caribbean”, but we ended up in a real WASTEHOUSE, with plastic bottles everywhere, cans etc., really dirty, disgusting smells and septic tanks, construction work all over town (very noisy). Beaches not worth the effort (covered with stranded flip-flops or next to sanitary outlets), we couldn’t swim because the current was too strong and very dangerous.
In short, we didn’t recharge our batteries at all!
When you create a blog and address an audience, you have an ethical and moral responsibility to give well-founded and true recommendations and opinions. Not everyone has the same vision of things, but as far as Capurgana is concerned, I can assure you that no one would want to make such a long journey, or even travel to find themselves in such conditions.
Sincerely
Hello Chloé, thank you for your message. Here we really do accept all opinions, even contradictory ones, and a little less accept being singled out as people with no “ethics” or “morals”. So very quickly in relation to that, taking particular care to offer the reader our feelings accompanied by as much practical information as possible, our recommendations and opinions on this blog are obviously “well-founded and true”, thank you for taking note. But until proven otherwise, this is a personal blog, offering our point of view, which is in itself subjective, and we don’t oblige anyone to follow our advice.
Those who know us, and those who read the blog, give us enough positive feedback on the subject not to have to justify ourselves any further. We’re very sorry about your experience in Capurgana, but as you said at the end of your comment, “not everyone has the same vision of things”. Travel is a very personal matter, and everyone’s experience is different.
In this sense, the many positive comments we have received from readers who have followed our advice to visit Capurgana reassure us: Capurgana still has a special character that makes 95% of travelers continue to fall in love with the village. Yes, in December and January the currents can be strong and make swimming impossible, yes, there’s a beach full of flip-flops washed up by the currents following the sinking of a cargo ship, yes, there are contaminated rivers, yes, there’s currently work going on to build a new muelle, yes, there are cans left on the cancha on Saturday nights after the party… but if that’s all you remember about your stay, you’ve missed the main thing:
According to the feedback we get from travelers, capurgana beach is as beautiful as ever, sapzurro beach even more so, cielo and coquerita more and more groomed, magical new jungle spots like trebol, verde darien, el paraiso… the magnificent beaches of cabo tiburon, playa amarilla, playa soledad…
At the moment, my friends in Capurgana tell me that the sea is calm as a lake again, the turtles are arriving, the diving is magnificent, there are lots of toucans eating papayas, a sloth and mico titis in their garden… Capurgana remains a magical, beautiful, wild and natural place…
Finally, regarding transport to Capurgana, our article“How to get to Capurgana” is clear and complete enough to avoid any surprises regarding journey times and the comfort of a lancha…
Once again, I’m really sorry you didn’t get the chance to discover this Capurgana, which does exist 😉
Hello to you 2! I start by telling you that your blog will be part of my line of conduct for my trip to the Colombian Caribbean starting tomorrow 🙂 It’s perfect! We would like to have the chance to see the turtles in Acandi, but where can we find a guide and organize this moment to be sure not to disturb the turtles unintentionally? Unless I’m mistaken, I didn’t find the info on your site 🙁
Hi Maud, thanks for your message, if our blog can help you we’re happy! 🙂 To go and see the turtles you have two solutions, either you go to Necocli, you meet our friend Eylin who will give you the info to go and meet the association for the protection of the turtles which does a great job on the beach of Lechugal, or you go to Capurgana, you meet our friend Victoria who will give you the info to go and see the turtles at Acandi. In both cases, it’s important to understand that there’s no certainty of being able to see the turtles, it’s totally random, especially as it’s the very beginning of the season in February 😉
hello
thank you for this blog full of useful details for this trip to Colombia,
I’d still like to shed some light on Capurgana. It’s very dirty, quite polluted on the beaches and the surrounding coastline, and unlike the rest of the country, the people aren’t super friendly (not a generalization, of course!). The locals told us quite a bit about the prevailing anti-clarity racism, but just next door, a 10-minute boat ride away, there’s Sapzurro, which is quite the opposite!
Hi, surprising, I don’t remember Capurgana’s main beach being polluted, but I do remember that the sea currents in the surrounding area bring in filth, yes, like everywhere else in Colombia, depending on the winds and tides… as for the anti-white racism, surprising too… too bad you didn’t find it to your liking anyway… but Capurgana isn’t just about the beach, the surrounding forest and beaches (Aguacate, Soledad, La Miel and Sapzurro) are worth discovering 😉 For
Hello, I’m going to Colombia with my two children in February and March. I don’t want to vaccinate them for yellow fever, so I’m looking for a seaside resort to end our 6-week trip that won’t require us to get vaccinated. Is necocli a good choice?
Thank you
Hello, this is too sensitive a subject for us to be able to advise you on anything, it’s a personal choice. We got vaccinated to be able to go anywhere in the country. For further information on risk zones, go to: https://mytriptocolombia.com/sante-colombie-infos-pratiques/
Hello. We’re about to go on a tour of Colombia, and looking at the MAE website, we see that the northwest zone is red. What do you think? At the end of 2018 is it still possible to go there without worries?
Hi Laure, I don’t know which map you’re talking about, if it’s a camera, it’s the one from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On our side, we don’t use recommendations, we use our contacts in Colombia and Colombian newspapers to find out what’s going on. As for the area you’re talking about, your question is too vague to tell you whether it’s to be avoided or not. But having been there and visited several places in the Northwest, we can tell you that many places are perfectly safe 😉
Thanks for your reply. The MAE map shows the north west in red but we wanted to go to Capurgana. Your site really made me want to discover this place. Is it still possible to get there without problems? Starting from Necocli?
No problem at all 😉
Hello! Thanks for your article! Just a question: to get to playa soledad from Capurgana, is it 4h one way or round trip, and is it possible to get there and back by lancha, or to get to Acandi by lancha and return to Capurgana on foot via Playa soledad and Bahia el Aguacate
I don’t know if the question is very clear. I’d just like to discover the place on foot, but without walking 8 hours in a day 🙂
Hi Rudy, you’ll get all this information once you’re there, by asking your hostel. That’s the easiest way, because they’ll be able to tell you that you can go there or come back by Lancha, but it will depend on the number of people, because booking a Lancha on your own costs a lot of money 😉 So don’t worry, you’ll be able to organize it without any problems once you’re there.