Winter Break Adventures: Part 2 -- Juanchaco, Colombia

Colombia in the raw---this might be the best way to describe the Pacific coast.  Unlike the Caribbean, the Pacific coast is underdeveloped and strewn with rocky cliffs, sea caves, and expansive dark sand beaches.

We began our journey by taking a 2.5 hour bus ride from Cali to Buenaventura.  It's a gorgeous road that meanders through the lush, green mountains that disappear into the Pacific.  We took a short taxi ride from the bus station to the docks and grabbed a boat for our 45 minute ride to Juanchacho.

Entrance to Yubarta's Hospedaje

One of our friends suggested to stay at Yubarta's Hospedaje Rural.  It's in Juanchaco and run by Cesar, an enthusiastic and gracious guide.  With a beaming smile, he greeted us at the boat in Juanchaco and led us to his place, about a 15 minute walk from the dock.  We stayed in quaint cabins with a nice bed, fans, full bathroom, and even screens on the windows (something you never see in Colombia!).  The place has a nice common area with hammocks and places to sit and enjoy the breeze.  It's also very close to a beautiful view of the Pacific.  After a fantastic lunch of fresh fish, veggies, and juice, we were off on our first adventure.

Cesar speaks very little English and we speak some Spanish so communication wasn't perfect, but enough to get to know how much he loves this place.  He led us about an hour down the coast, through residential areas and down through the jungle, to La Barra.  This was one of the largest beaches I've ever seen!  We spent quite some time swimming, exploring the cliff's rock layers, and watching the tiny camouflaged crabs scurry around.  It was unlike any beach I had ever been to.  Eventually we came across a little indigenous fishing village on the beach.  Here, Cesar surprised us with beers and we sat back and enjoyed the view.

La Barra Beach

Can you spot the crab?

Kids will be kids.

The local fishing village on La Barra.

Beers with a view.

Local kids playing "captain of the boat" in the village.

Amable, our guide, paddling away.

Soon, as the tide began rising, Cesar hurried us along to our next activity.  A local fisherman took us in his canoe for a ride through the mangroves.  Now, as you know, Aaron, Kaylyn, and I have done quite a bit of canoeing in our lives and have never really been scared of being in a canoe.  This trip changed that---very quickly.  We all piled into the canoe and as we pushed off Amable, our local guide, continued to stand in the back while Cesar awkwardly stood in the front to paddle.  STOOD!  Yes, the first rule of being in a canoe is to NEVER STAND!  Our boat was rocking more than a salsa dancer's hips!  Thankfully, as we got going, all of us figured out how to balance a bit more and deal with the sudden jerks (and the possibility that we very well might go in the water).  I was channeling my inner zen and trying to meditate on the sounds of the parrots and toucans.  After a rocky start (literally), it turned out to be a pretty neat experience. We stopped at a freshwater pool in the middle of the jungle which had a natural water slide feeding into it.  Our trip didn't end until dark, so we got to see the forest come alive at dusk! A true cacophony of sound!

Little did I know...

Aaron had to get a picture of the paddle shape--it will be his next paddle project.

Refreshing freshwater pool and water slide.

This area of Colombia is considered one of the rainiest places in the world.  Thankfully, we had perfect weather on our first day.  But, when we were supposed to get up at 5:00am to go sea kayaking on day 2, the rain and wind screamed "buenas dias".  Cesar wasn't worried and encouraged us to keep our plans.  Hesitantly, we walked in our drenched raincoats to the beach.  Along the way, Cesar disappeared a few times and it wasn't until later that we discovered he was waking up our guides.  :/  Long story short, it didn't stop raining and we were kayaking in some crazy waves, but the water was warm and Cesar's optimism was contagious.

To kayak or not to kayak...

We spent the rest of the day napping and checking out Ladrilleros beach.  Surrounded by cliffs and a sea cave, it's a clean, beautiful beach that was perfect for swimming.  We ended the day with a Afro-Colombian music (my favorite!), a fantastic fresh seafood meal (Maria is a fantastic cook!), and cards. 

Aaron's favorite place during our time in Juanchaco.

Typcial house in Juanchaco.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the trip was experiencing first hand what I had just taught my students weeks before.  We talked about plastic in the ocean and how our oceans are just becoming a cesspool with 46, 000 pieces of plastic per square mile of ocean.  Juanchaco's beach was littered with plastic bottles and garbage that washed ashore.  La Barra and Ladrilleros were cleaner, but there was still some evidence of this harsh reality.  Our plastic addiction is disgusting and this realization has really motivated Aaron and I to be more conscious of our plastic consumption.

Just a small glimpse of our plastic addiction.

Sea cave yoga on Juanchaco beach.

As we were leaving, locals were playing soccer at low tide on Juanchaco beach.

All in all, I would definitely recommend going to Juanchaco if you want to see a different side of Colombia.  The people were beautiful---incredibly kind, friendly, and ecstatic to share their piece of the world with us.  We definitely want to go back when the whales come in August.