Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [231]
GETTING THERE & AWAY
There’s no port in El Valle. If you’re departing by boat be sure to do so only at high tide; boats have been known to run aground trying to leave at low tide.
For boat transport to Panama, the services of Santos ‘El Bebé’ Reyes ( 682 7977) come recommended.
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NUQUÍ
4 / pop 6500 / temp 27°C
Further south along the coast is the small town of Nuquí. It boasts a fine beach, free of flotsam and driftwood, and the secluded nearby beach of Guachalito has some of the best resorts along this coast.
Arriving or departing by boat (which most travelers will) is like something out of a Vietnam war movie, with swift boats with machine guns, sandbag bunkers with camouflage tarps and marines patrolling the beach. Despite this, it feels quite safe here; in any event, men with grenades dangling from their chest add spice to the adventure!
The town itself is paved in a mixture of concrete and gravel, unlike the mucky streets of Bahía Solano, but has no car traffic, except for the solitary moto-taxi, and the occasional policeman on bicycle.
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Information
Apuestas Unidades ( 683 6067) Receive domestic wire transfers here.
Banco Agrario ( 683 6496) No ATM.
Droguería Nuquí ( 683 6105; 24hr) Pharmacy.
Hospital San Pedro Claver ( 683 6003)
Mano Cambiada ( 314 618 8900, 311 872 7887; www.nuquipacifico.com) Tourist information center across from the airport.
Police ( 112) On the waterfront.
Satena ( 683 6031, 311 876 8957)
Telechoco ( 683 6207; per hr COP$2000; 7am-9:30pm Mon-Sat) Internet access and telephone cabinas.
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Sights
An Olympic-sized beach, Playa Olímpica (5km-long), sits just south of the mouth of the Río Nuquí, and stretches as far as the eye can see. A local named Señor Pastrana can paddle you across the river in his dugout canoe (COP$5000). To find him, walk south along the main beach road, past the church; he lives a block from the river.
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Tours
A man with a boat and an office near the hotels, Ecce Homo, offers tours to Playa Olímpica and then up the Río Nuquí into the jungle (COP$10,000 to COP$30,000 per person), also to Guachalito, including Cascada de Amor and Las Termales (COP$45,000 to COP$50,000 per person, minimum five), and into PNN Ensenada de Utría (opposite; COP$1,350,000 per boat). His prices vary depending on group size and the cost of gasoline.
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Sleeping
Hotels cluster at the northern end of town, near the beach. A big chunk of beachfront property was for sale at our visit, causing much chatter among the locals – a mega-development may be in the works.
Iraka del Mar ( 683 6016, 313 767 3780; Carrera 58 No 9-46; r per person COP$40,000) Known for many years as the Rocío del Mar, this hotel sits facing the beach, across the street from Palmas de Pacífico (another budget hotel). A rock pool water feature greets you in the lobby; a long-unused dining area perches on the 2nd floor. There are two bodyboards you can borrow.
Vientos de Yubarta ( 312 217 8080, 312 776 7849; ameli_06@hotmail.com; r per person incl 2 meals COP$80,000) This new hotel sits a kilometer north of town along the beach. The attractive bamboo-and-wood construction houses good box-spring mattresses, and some rooms have windows facing both the jungle and sea. Nuquí’s big, clean beach is 100m from the front door. Given its current lack of guests wanting its accommodation facilities, the place has turned into something of a bar for locals, who come to drink heavily and play loud music. The moto-taxi can take you here along the inner beach road.
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Eating
Unless you’re a group, hotels in Nuquí do not serve food. A number of local women cook for tourists in their home. The best is Doña Pola ( 683 6254; meals COP$8000), down a side street near the hotels. Be sure to order a few hours before you want to eat. Her meals are big enough for two people.