On the western tip of Colombia's Carribean coastline, accessible by a flight from Medellin (with Searca or Ada Airlines), lies Capurgana in Choco department. An alternative route (not particularly safe) is 8 hours travel overland from Medellin to the ugly town of Turbo, where one can catch a 2 hour boat ride (50,000 pesos - early morning departure) to Capurgana. Capurgana is pretty off the beaten track - it's the type of place you visit on your second trip to Colombia (because almost everyone comes back for a second visit to Colombia). Alternatively, you might be travelling on to Panama - Capurgana is right next to the border with Panama, so it's possible to cross over to Puerto Olbadia from where you can catch a flight to Panama City.
Around Capurgana, you'll find some of Colombia's most beautiful, and undeveloped, beaches. Neighbouring Sapzurro is a real highlight - Sapzurro is a village found in a lovely bay, and is an even more tranquil and peaceful destination than Capurgana, which is more developed. Sapzurro is just a five minutes by boat round the coast from Capurgana.
The area has good scuba diving plus there are various tours and excursions that can be arranged by your hotel in Capurgana. Most hotels can arrange a boat tour to Sapzurro, the beautiful small coastal village next to the border with Panama. The area of Sapzurro has fine beaches and some pretty walks, along with some excellent seafood restaurants.
Also of interest near Capurgana are the waterfalls of Cascada El Cielo. To visit it's either a lovely forest walk or horseback ride crossing Rio Capurgana on numerous occasions. Alternatively there are blowholes at El Aguacate, 20 minutes boat trip from Capurgana. Such a tour will continue onwards to Isla de los Pajaros, with it's abundant birdlife. There's also some lovely beaches in this area - la Miel (just over the border in Panama) and Playa Soledad being the most beautiful.
Capurgana is also a staging point for a visit to the San Blas Islands of Panama, which are two hours away by boat. These idyllic islands are an autonmous region of Panama governed by the Kuna Indians - a highly recommended travel highlight. Hotels in Capurgana can arrange a days tour for you.
There are no banks in Capurgana, so take plenty of cash with you.
From Capurgana it is relatively easy to travel by boat to Panama. See the section on Colombia to Panama routes for more information.
Hotels in Capurgana & Sapzurro
Capurgana is a small coastal town whose roads are so small there are no vehicles. There are good restaurants and local handicrafts for sale in the town. There are various hotels in Capurgana - consider:
Tacarcuna Lodge - a total of 35 cabanas with air conditioning, this is one of the more upmarket hotel options in Capurgana.
Hotel Almar - another upmarket, quite expensive option - probably the most upscale hotel in Capurgana.
Other hotels (which seem to have no website) include Hotel Calypso (a Decameron owned resort), Hotel Alcazar, Las Mananitas, Hotel Centro Nautico, Los Almendros (which offers cabanas and camping), Hotel Ecodecameron (a timeshare resort), Puerto Ventura and Hotel Las Cabanas.
Hotels and acommodation options in Sapzurro include Eco- Alojamiento Paraíso Cangrejales and Eco- Hotel Punta Arrecife, in addition to a few others. Campers and backpackers could try Camping El Chileno, which offers hammocks on the beach at Sapzurro.
