Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [238]
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PARQUE NACIONAL NATURAL (PNN) ISLA GORGONA
Todo está prohibido, goes the joke on this island – everything is forbidden. Somehow this seems rather appropriate; it was the site of a prison from 1960 to 1984. Now it’s a national park (admission Colombians/foreigners COP$9000/25,000) with a resort on the grounds of the former prison. And everything is forbidden – park guards will search your bags for liquor, fishing gear and aerosol cans, and confiscate them; no liquor, wine or beer may be consumed on the island. Since fishing and gardening are both forbidden, meals consist mainly of defrosted beef, frozen vegetables and canned fruit.
The two main reasons to come here are scuba diving and whale-watching, preferably at the same time. Gorgona is not on any of the main shipping channels, so whales continue to come here every year to calve and raise their young. Several boats offer live-aboard diving trips to Gorgona, if you prefer not to stay on the island. There’s also good snorkeling along the adjacent coral reef, and a few short walks you can do around the island, including to the remains of the prison.
The island itself is 38km off the coast, 11km long by 2.3km wide. It is covered in young, secondary rain forest (the convicts chopped down most of the trees for cooking fuel), which harbors an abundance of poisonous snakes. It was Francisco Pizarro who named the island while visiting on the way to conquer Peru – two of his men died from snakebites.
Gorgona is also noted for a large number of endemic species, including monkeys, lizards, bats and birds. This is due to its long separation from the mainland. Two species of freshwater turtles and a colony of babillas (spectacled caimans) live at Laguna Ayatuna. Sea turtles come during breeding season and lay eggs on the beaches.
In darker times, Gorgona was one of the few safe places tourists could visit on the Pacific coast. Now that conditions have improved, you’ll find there are better beaches and wilder jungle elsewhere.
The concession to the island is owned by Aviatur ( 840 0871; www.parquegorgona.com.co; per person incl full board COP$253,000; ). No new building is permitted here; accommodation is in the remodeled former prison staff quarters. Most people visit as part of a package tour (around COP$1,000,000 per person) including flights from Guapi via Cali or Popayán. A package tour taken from Medellín or Bogotá will fly you here via Cali. Boat transport and accommodations on the island are also included, but diving and activities cost extra.
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Dangers & Annoyances
Gorgona got its Greek mythology–derived name for a reason: it’s an island full of poisonous snakes. It’s forbidden to go walking on the island without a guide or after dark. You’ll be given gumboots to protect against snakebites.
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Activities
DIVING TOURS
For divers who don’t want to stay on the island, two boats out of Buenaventura offer weekend live-aboard diving trips, departing the muelle turístico on Friday night and returning Monday morning. The Maria Patricia (owned by Asturias) and the Doña Mariela ( 681 2724, 514 4699, 311 630 5121) both charge around COP$850,000 to COP$900,000 per diver, including six or seven dives, meals, transport, and a visit to the island. They can also provide transport to the island (bunk below deck COP$120,000, 10 hours), including dinner and breakfast.
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Getting There & Away
Aviatur runs a speedboat to the island most days (COP$110,000 return, 1¼ hours), although it’s best to book in advance. From Buenaventura, Pacifico Express (Click here) runs a daily speedboat to Guapi. With a minimum of 10 passengers it can take you direct to Gorgona (COP$110,000, four to five hours).
Numerous cargo boats ply this route, including the Andrés Paula, El Clipper, El Discovery, Juan Diego and El Costa Azul, and can occasionally