Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [232]
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Shopping
Artesanías Margot ( 683 6058) Next to the airport, this small artesanías shop has a great selection of wooden carvings and other local arts and crafts. It even sells authentic blow-dart guns.
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Getting There & Away
AIR
Aeropuerto Reyes Murillo ( 683 6001) is serviced by Satena, with flights to Medellín and Quibdó. Aexpa offers charter flights.
At the airport local women sell mecocadas (COP$1000), a tasty confection of coconut and guava paste.
BOAT
To/From El Valle
Transporte Maritimo ( 683 6145) offers Tuesday and Saturday services to El Valle (COP$40,000, 1½ hours). Boats leave Nuquí around dawn and depart El Valle around 4pm.
To/From Buenaventura
Three cargo boats service Nuquí from Buenaventura. The Nuquí Mar comes recommended. She departs Nuquí every eight days or so. Go down to the port in Nuquí and look for the sign that says ‘Peligro Prohibido Fumar.’ Ask for Gigo ( 312 747 8374), the owner. It’s a 20-hour trip (bunk below deck COP$80,000) and the price includes food.
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GUACHALITO
A half-hour boat ride west of Nuquí is Guachalito. It’s a long beach, clear of flotsam and debris. This is the most idyllic beach on the entire Chocó coast – there are orchids and heliconias everywhere, the jungle encroaches on the beach, platter-sized mushrooms grow on the beach-side trees and coconut palms sway over the gray-sand beach.
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Orientation
The Gonzalez family inhabits the east end of the beach. Several hotels scatter along 8km of the beach to Las Termales. On the way you’ll pass El Terquito and El Terco, two almost-islands that serve as landmarks. You can walk the length of the beach (1½ hours).
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Sights & Activities
CASCADA DE AMOR
A 1km (20 minutes) walk from the Gonzalez settlement, 200m inland from the beach, is a natural, 2m-deep swimming hole; a pretty waterfalls empties into a natural rock pool. Another 15-minute walk uphill takes you to an even bigger and more beautiful waterfall.
LAS TERMALES
A gravel path leads 500m inland from the caserío of Las Termales to the thermals themselves (admission COP$4000). The concrete pool has tepid water and spills into a cool adjacent river. A small path leads 30 minutes to another river and undeveloped hot springs.
Restaurant Salomon ( 683 6474, 683 6029) on the beach serves meals (COP$10,000) and beer. Be sure to call a day in advance if you want to eat.
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Sleeping
Originally Guachalito referred only to the Gonzalez family settlement at the eastern end of the beach. Four generations live here, and their five posadas – run by competing siblings – all offer a similar level of comfort at a price of COP$100,000 to COP$150,000 per person, all-inclusive with no transport. Discounts for stays of three to four nights are offered. Price varies depending on the size of your group.
At Mar y Rio ( 314 656 9688, 313 695 1599), you’ll stay with the family and eat at their kitchen table. La Joviseña ( 314 683 8847) offers four detached cabins spread throughout a large garden. Peñas de Guachalito (Estadero Las Palmas, Restaurante el Cangrejo, 310 469 7785, 314 786 0458) has one of the most spectacular beach bars you’ll ever visit – sit facing the waves, a tropical garden sprawling about you, coconut palms swaying above. A seafood lunch or dinner (COP$10,000 to COP$12,000) can be prepared with advance notice. Luna a Miel and No Te Olvides are older and less attractive but also rent rooms. You can book by calling any of the other posadas.
La Cabaña de Beto y Marta ( 311 775 9912; r per person all-inclusive COP$180,000) A 10-minute walk west of the Guachalito settlement is this delightful hotel owned by two paísas (Antioquians). Their four secluded cabins have hammocks and chairs on the deck to sit on at dusk and watch the sunset. The whole thing is set amid a spectacular garden, including lots of fruits and vegetables you’ll find on your plate come dinnertime. It’s located just past