A Long Weekend Trip to the Coast: Trigana, Capurgana, Sapzurro

Colombians say despite international press that tends to focus on the dangers and problems of this country, the biggest risk of all is that once you come here you’ll never want to leave ("Colombia: el riesgo es que te quieras quedar"). I must say, this risk is becoming a reality for me! Monday was a national holiday, so a group of us decided to take advantage of the 3 day weekend and accompany our friend Andrea to an isolated corner along the Atlantic coast where she was doing a training for work. Her NGO, Makaia, provides basic internet and computer classes to indigenous and Afro-communities in Chocó. So we all piled into an over night bus and rode 10 hours along a pot-hole ridden highway to the city of Turbo. From there we took a boat to Triganá where we spent the weekend hiking in the jungle, swimming, and falling asleep to crickets and ocean waves. We cooked big dinners and sat along the dock telling jokes and playing games. It was quite an adventure for such little time, but well worth it despite the bumpy drive and the back-breaking, wave-smacking boat ride. We returned to Medellín Monday night tired and sore, but with recharged batteries to face another week of work and school.

I fell deeper in love with Colombia this weekend, partly due to the natural beauty of its geography and partly due to the warmth and positivity of its people. The golf of Urabá is a region where the Caribbean ocean meats the Antioquian and Chocoano departments. If you’re looking at a map of Colombia, it’s situated on the upper left corner by the boarder to Panama. This weekend we stayed mostly in the territory belonging to Chocó, the only state in Colombia that has access to both oceans. As noted in my last entry, in September I also traveled to Chocó, but to the Pacific side, which - despite being the same department - has a whole different vibe and history from its Atlantic counterpart. Along the Pacific coast, the geography is marked by thick, wet jungle and persistent rain with less frequent glimpses of sunshine. This weekend on the Atlantic side, however, I tasted a drier, milder and less dense version of Chocó. The jungle is still there, and it kisses the coastline, but the climate is less humid and more typical of the Carribbean. Despite the negative consequences that undeniably come along with being one of Colombia's most abandoned areas (see previous post), from a naturalist perspective, Choco's isolation has allowed it to maintain its pristine beaches and rugged mountains relatively untouched by both Colombians and foreigners alike (those with most contact to this region have been migrants and outlaws).

The golf of Urabá has historically and strategically been of extreme importance to Colombia - serving the communal interests of both the government and armed terrorist groups, resulting in heightened clashes between the two. It’s rich biodiversity and natural resources are valuable for attracting foreign investment (Chiquita Banana, among other multinational corporations, has chosen to set up shop within the region), but for the same reasons the territory stretching between both coastlines and including the Darien Gap is attractive to many illicit groups, such as the FARC. It's location along the boarder to Panama means virtually all of the drug trafficking between the Americas passes through this region. This, combined with a lack of state presence, explains in large part why a potentially thriving tourist hotspot has taken long to gain momentum.



For us, however, having peace and quite away from the buzz of other travelers was absolutely perfect. A dear friend Yomaira let us all crash in this dream house on the water for free of charge. We wandered the coast and visited her neighbor, Juan Guillermo, who had designed her home and lived in his own little refuge back towards the jungle.

One afternoon we took a boat ride to the quiet town of Sapzurro. From their we climbed over a hill to the Panamanian border and continued to La Miel, the first beautiful cove on the Panamanian side.


Now, back in Medellín, I can already feel the city winding down for the holiday season. Here the Christmas fever starts way into November: most stores and houses are already adorned with flashing lights and everyone is talking about their plans for December. I just can’t believe how fast the time is going by... it seems like Christmas just happened!


My friend Astrid from Denmark is back in Colombia, preparing to work on a sustainable development project in the northern desert area of la Guajira. For the next few weeks she’ll be staying in my apartment. We met up for dinner and drank tea on my balcony while watching a rainbow form over the city. Reconnecting with good friends never gets old!