Welcome to the Bahia Solano and Nuqui region of Colombia — a relatively undiscovered outdoor-activity utopia on the country’s Pacific Coast. And while you’re here, check out these three must-do adventures:
In This Colombia Article You Will Discover:
- How to Hear Humpbacks
- Therapeutic Hot Springs
- Turtle Conservation & Stewardship Efforts
I was fortunate to spend a week on Colombia’s Pacific Coast. Located within Choco Department, the Bahia Solano and Nuqui region are off-the-beaten-path adventure destinations that have yet to be fully discovered by the world. It’s a land of jungle treks, bird watching, calving humpbacks, sea turtles, watersports, cilantro-scented foods and welcoming locals. If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are three amazing adventures on Colombia’s Pacific Coast:
Caguama (The Turtle Sanctuary)
Caguama, a turtle sanctuary in Utria National Park, is a must-visit in Bahia Solano.
After a three-kilometre hike through muddy, muggy jungle, I was tired, thirsty and sweat-soaked. The promise of fresh coconut water kept me going for the final push, but when I arrived at Caguama, located in Utria National Park, I forgot all about my lethargy. A tub of newly hatched olive ridley turtles awaited; my group and I had the honour of releasing these hatchlings to the open Pacific, where they will go on to live for decades. Such wonders are all in a day’s work at Caguama, a locally run turtle sanctuary that aims to conserve and protect the region’s endangered sea turtles.
Whale Watching in Utria National Park
Ever heard a whale sing? I have…
Born and raised on British Columbia’s Pacific Coast, to me, humpback whales are somewhat old-hat. I’ve seen them close-up from a small fishing boat in the Haida Gwaii. I’ve seen them from the ferry ride to and from Vancouver Island. Once, a whale swam into downtown Vancouver’s False Creek. But I’d never heard a humpback before. On my final full day in Bahia Solano, we drifted offshore of Utria National Park in an 18-foot boat while listening to whale-song, loud and omnipresent, emanate from below the water. Goosebumps. And that was following a half-dozen whale sightings, which, despite the blasé way I started this paragraph, are always spectacular. Old-hat or not. (Bonus: listen for yourself HERE.)
Thermales (Nuqui)
Soak away your worries in Thermales…
Longtime readers of this blog already know this: hot springs are my favourite natural phenomenon. I can soak in them for hours. I seek them out the world-round — they revitalize me in mind and body. Thermales, located an hour’s beach-hike south of El Cantil eco-lodge, wasn’t the hottest spring I’ve ever soaked in, but surrounded by milpesos palms and cohiba trees — both of which harboured Choco toucans and endemic baudo oropendola birds — it had a magical quality that so typified the region. We soaked in the bubbling spring, occasionally diving for soft pumice rocks, for more than two hours as a gentle jungle mist fell from the sky.
Watch the Video Here:
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtl_n5rTxzE