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I’ve been excited to write this article because I have a lot of good things to say about Bahia Solano. In fact, I think it might be my absolute favourite place in Colombia. Picture remote and seemingly endless stretches of beach backed by dense jungle and hidden waterfalls. Among the trees, you can find rare frog species and bioluminescent fungi, while at the edge of the water sea turtles come to lay their eggs. Just offshore, you can spot humpback whales that have migrated thousands of miles to arrive in these warm waters. It truly is an incredible spectacle and a nature lover’s dream.
Bahia Solano and El Valle are located on Colombia’s Pacific Coast, which is notoriously remote and hard to access. Since it takes a bit of planning and dedication to get there, a lot of tourists are deterred and the area consequently remains pretty quiet and off the beaten path. This also means that finding up to date information can be a bit of a challenge. We’ve written this guide to help give you a better understanding of the area, what there is to do there, how to get there, and where to stay. Those willing to make the journey will be rewarded with an incredibly peaceful and wild landscape that relatively few others get the chance to enjoy.
Things to Know
Get to Know the Area
When we were first researching where along Colombia’s Pacific Coast we wanted to go, we were a bit confused about all of the different areas, towns, and preserves that are commonly mentioned online. Before you can deep dive into researching a certain spot, it’s best to get a general understanding of what’s what. So, here is a little rundown of the different names you’ll probably come across.
The main areas that people stay in are Bahía Solano, Nuqui, Bahia Malaga, and Gorgona Island. Bahia Solano is the name of a small town as well as the broader area surrounding it. Most visitors that come to Bahia Solano, including us, actually stay in the nearby community of El Valle, which is where most of the accommodations are located. Nuqui is a small community that lies south of Bahia Solano, and it is another popular option where tourists often base themselves. It is easy to access Utria National Park, a preserve with a lot of natural beauty and attractions, by boat on a day trip from both Nuqui and Bahia Solano. Bahia Malaga, also called Uramba Bahia Malaga National Park, is a large park that lies even further south. Visitors to this area mostly stay at the nearby beaches of Juanchaco and Playa Ladrilleros, then take day trips into the park. Bahia Malaga is easily accessed via speed boat from the port city of Buenaventura, making it a popular option for those that don’t want to fly. Gorgona Island is, you guessed it, an island that lies just off the coast. Because it’s even more remote than the former towns the nature is supposedly even more incredible, but it is also a bit more costly. Oh, and you may also hear about El Chocó. This is actually just the name for the whole coastal area which encompasses all of these spots. Yep, I know that’s a lot of names and information. But hopefully that helps you make some sense of the area.
When to Go to Bahia Solano
Some of the best things to do and see in Bahia Solano are seasonal, so timing is definitely important. The best season for whale watching runs from around July to early October. For turtles, the egg-laying and hatchling release season stretches from around July to November, while the best months for hatching are September to January. In terms of weather, December to March is the driest time, while July and August is a bit less rainy than usual as well. This is important, because Colombia’s Pacific Coast is very rainy. Like, one of the rainiest places in the world. We went to Bahia Solano at the end of August and thought that it was the perfect time. We had beautiful warm weather, saw plenty of whales, and got to see both the turtle hatchling release and egg-laying.
Is it Dangerous?
When we’ve talked with other travellers about Bahia Solano, this seems to be a question that comes up a lot. Of course, it’s hard to answer because everything is relative and just because we had a good experience doesn’t mean others will as well. But here’s the gist of it. If you are taking a boat to Bahia Solano you’ll have to spend some time in the port city of Buenaventura. Buenaventura is widely considered not that safe. However, if you are just transferring between the bus station and the port I wouldn’t worry. We actually stayed there for a few days and had no issues. But it’s best to stick to the touristy areas, don’t go out at night, and keep your guard up. As for Bahia Solano itself, we felt very safe. It is a poorer area, but we’ve certainly heard more stories of tourists running into trouble in cities like Medellin than we did on the coast.
Before You Go…
It’s important to note that there’s no ATM in El Valle. There is apparently one in the town of Bahia Solano but from what we’ve heard it’s not that reliable. It’s best to withdraw enough cash before you leave and bring it with you. Make sure to bring plenty, because a lot of places in El Valle, including some of the accommodations, don’t take card.
When we arrived by boat, we were charged a tourist tax of 47,500 pesos per person. This came as a surprise to us but thankfully we had brought enough cash to cover this. Make sure you factor it into your budget! From what I understand, a similar fee is charged at the airport if you arrive by plane.
How to Get to Bahia Solano
The reason why Colombia’s Pacific Coast is an underrated tourist destination is definitely partially due to how damn hard it is to get there. Essentially, you have two options.
The first option is to fly. Luckily, there is a small airport right in Bahia Solano. This is by far the more convenient and popular, yet more expensive option. Flights depart from Medellin regularly. Some sources online say that there are flights from Cali and Bogotá, but be aware that these all include a stop in Medellin anyways. At the time of writing, flights start at about $130 USD round trip, but be aware that many of these have strict baggage allowances and extra baggage fees since they are small planes.
The second option is to take a boat. This is best for adventurous travellers with a tight budget and more time. I won’t get too far into details here, because we have a whole article coming up detailing our experience of taking a cargo boat from Buenaventura to Bahia Solano. Information about the cargo boat is sparse and hard to find, so we’ll try our best to answer all your questions about it in the upcoming article. We’ve also seen some information online about there being speedboats that will take you from Buenaventura to Bahia Solano. When we were in Buenaventura we were not able to find any such thing, and to be honest after our slightly terrifying experience on a speedboat during the whale watching tour, I simply cannot imagine taking one all the way from Buenaventura. You have been warned.
However you get there, you will arrive in the town of Bahia Solano. From here, you will probably have to make your way to your accommodation in El Valle. There will be plenty of tuk tuks waiting around to take you. We got a car (though these are harder to come by) to take us to our hostel in El Valle from the port for 25 000 pesos, while from the airport it’s a bit cheaper at 20 000. It’s about a 40 minute ride down a windy, scenic road.
Where to Stay in El Valle
There are a lot of different accommodation options in and around El Valle. The main two hostels that cater to the backpacker crowd are the Humpback Turtle Hostel and the Pelican House Hostel. Both are located side by side on the beautiful Playa El Amejal, and both offer similar tours, activities, and amenities. We stayed at the Pelican House and after visiting the Humpback Turtle to organize a tour (more on this below), we were happy with our choice because we thought that Pelican House had an overall nicer vibe. The staff were also very friendly and helpful. For higher budget travellers, there are a lot of cool options that offer private rooms and a bit more of a luxurious feel, like Ecolodge El Almejal. Whatever you end up choosing, I would recommend prioritizing ocean views and easy beach access, since that’s really what Bahia Solano is all about. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot whales without even needing to leave your accommodation.
Our Favourite Activities
Chasing Waterfalls
One of our favourite and most adventurous days in Bahia Solano was spent trekking to Playa Larga and enjoying the remote waterfalls that are hidden in the jungle just offshore. From Playa Almejal, you can follow a 6,45 km round trip trail that winds through stretches of jungle, rocky shoreline, and beaches where you are unlikely to encounter many other people. We did not follow the map exactly as you can pop in and out of the woods onto the beach.
The route starts right from Playa Almejal and follows the shoreline north. At some points, the trail ascends high above the water and you get great views of the coastline that stretches for miles. You also pass through natural pools carved into the rock, where you can spot a bunch of unique sea life if you look closely enough. Once you reach the aptly named Playa Larga, you will be greeted by two different waterfalls. The first of these falls has a natural pool that makes for a very refreshing swim. If you’re planning to skinny dip here, just make sure that an entire tour group doesn’t sneak up behind you (oops).
This hike can be done guided or unguided. We opted for unguided, but we must say that the trail is by no means easy. There are steep muddy sections that would be a bit of a nightmare after rain, sections where the trail splits between beach and forest and can be hard to navigate, places where it’s overgrown, and places where you have to cross steep and slippery rocks. We brought some sturdy sandals (our trusty chacos) since you’re bound to get your feet wet, dry bags for our valuables, and good sunscreen and hats. If you go alone you’ll definitely want a map. There is one very important thing to note: this hike is not safe during high tide, so you must consult the local tide charts before you go. If you’re feeling a bit unsure about all of this then a guided tour is a great option, and you will probably get to spot more wildlife and get way more information about the area than you would if you went alone. Tours can be easily booked through your accommodation or with a tour provider in town. There is actually one more option as well, which is to get a speedboat from El Valle to drop you off right at Playa Larga. This is definitely the easiest option, but you would be missing out on a really fun hike if you opt for this.
Even further north of Playa Larga lies the impressive El Tigre falls. Reaching these requires a more demanding hike (with time constraints due to the tides), so these are probably best visited either on a guided hike or via speedboat. We didn’t make it here since we were satisfied with the other falls, but we’ve heard that El Tigre is quite a special place.
Surfing
If you are staying on Playa El Amejal, it’s possible to go surfing pretty much right in front of your hostel. With plenty of board rentals and surf lessons available along the beach and in the town of El Valle, it’s easy to grab a board and go enjoy the beginner friendly waves here. If Playa El Amejal is not enough, there are other nearby breaks for surfers of all levels that can be accessed by boat. One of the highlights of surfing in this area is definitely how little people there are in the water, no crowded lineups here. Plus, you might even get to see some whales while you’re out there.
Turtle Spotting and Release
There are two main kinds of turtle tours you can do in Bahia Solano. First, there’s the releasing of hatchlings which mainly runs from September to January. We sort of stumbled upon this tour by accident when a volunteer approached us while we were relaxing on the beach and asked if we wanted to take part in a release that was happening in just a few minutes. We said of course we did, and got a ride on the back of his motorcycle to a little house that serves as a base for the turtle conservation program, which is run by local volunteers.
We were greeted by another volunteer running that night’s release and a little box full of the absolute cutest little baby turtles. After a short info session (in Spanish) we took to the beach where the babies were let loose. We weren’t allowed to handle them, which is good as this is in the best interest of the safety of the hatchlings. We just sat back and cheered them on as they tried their best to make it to the water. I must say I was surprised by how rough this whole process is. If the turtles don’t have their timing right, their little bodies get absolutely flung around by the waves and they end up almost further than where they started. They all made it in the end though. The experience cost us 70 000 pesos per person. The liberation doesn’t really start at a set time or day since it depends on eggs hatching, but if you let your hostel or accommodation know you’re interested they’ll help make sure you don’t miss it.
Right as the last couple straggler turtles made it to the water, the volunteer got a call. Someone had spotted an adult turtle laying her eggs just down the beach. This brings us to the other kind of turtle tour you can join in Bahia Solano, which is witnessing the laying and recovery of the eggs. The volunteer jumped into action and led us all to the mama turtle, who was digging herself a hole in the sand as we arrived. We watched as she laboured, then just scooted right back into the ocean as if she hadn’t just laid a whopping 70 eggs. The volunteer was right there behind her to gather all the eggs into a bag before the watchful stray dogs could get close. Because we got this tour as a bit of a lucky freebie, we don’t have info about the current cost but we can say it’s probably worth it for such a cool experience. Just make sure to keep a reasonable distance, don’t use flash photography, and use red light rather than normal flashlights in the dark.
Whale Watching
We loved this activity so much that we actually ended up doing it twice. From first hand experience, we can tell you that not all whale watching tours are one and the same. For our first tour, we got the phone number of a local fisherman from a friend. The tour ended up being a great, chill experience since Jeremie and I were the only ones on the boat other than our two captains, and they were even doing a bit of fishing off the side of the boat as we went. For our second tour, we booked through the Humpback Turtle Hostel. However, when their contact brought us to the beach, there was no boat in sight. After waiting for it to show up for about an hour, the guy eventually said we’d have to just go back to the hostel and get our money back. Undeterred, we asked him if he could set us up with another of his contacts. He introduced us to someone, which led us to our second tour. The boat that came to pick us up was another small fishing boat. As soon as the boat left the shore we knew we were in for an adventure. The water was choppy and our captain was going absolutely full send over the waves. We were holding on for dear life as the boat was getting some serious airtime. During our time in Bahia Solano, it seemed like the ocean was way more chill early in the morning. Each of these tours cost us 150 mil per person for about 2 hours on the water.
We wish that we had done a bit more research beforehand, because now we know that sometimes boats follow too closely to the whales or chase them for too long, which can cause the animals unnecessary stress. We’ve heard good things about the Madre Agua tour from the town of Bahia Solano, which is run by biologists that have a lot of great information, but it is on the pricier side. If you are unsure of who to book with, you can ask your accommodation for some help and recommendations.
We were lucky enough to see plenty of whales during both of our tours. Sometimes we saw small groups with babies peacefully swimming along the surface, while other times we got to see them breach and forcefully slap the water with their massive tails. Jeremie was so determined to get a photo of a whale breaching but we could never tell when and where it was going to happen, and it seemed to be over in an instant. Luckily, I feel like this is a memory that will stick in my mind for a long time. It was amazing just to be so close to such powerful animals. Everyone else that we spoke with that went on similar tours got to see plenty of whales as well. With nature of course nothing is ever guaranteed, but if you go on a tour during high season it’s quite unlikely you’ll be disappointed. The sheer number of them that gather in Bahia Solano is incredible, and if you are going to do a whale watching tour anywhere in the world this seems like a great place.
Enjoying the Beach!
Though Colombia’s Pacific Coast is notorious for its rainy weather, there is plenty of warm sun to be found as well and the water temperature is really quite warm, at least for us Canadians. The majority of our days in Bahia Solano were actually spent sunbathing and playing in the ocean waves. Another thing that’s definitely worth mentioning are the sunsets. Almost every night, we were greeted with spectacular sunsets and we often grabbed a beer, walked out of the hostel onto the beach, and enjoyed the show. It seems like many locals and tourists alike do this same thing, and the beach in front of Humpback Turtle and Pelican House comes alive in the evenings with people surfing, playing volleyball, starting fires, and watching the sunset.
The beaches of Bahia Solano are really something special. Because of their remoteness, they feel very wild and full of life. There are crabs running about everywhere, seabirds flying overhead, and plenty of life to be seen in the water as well. You don’t have to go on a whale tour to spot the humpbacks either, they are often visible right from the shore. The beaches are immense and seemingly endless, and you can walk right out of your hostel and wander up the beaches for pretty much as long as you’d like (just mind the tide). The rocky shoreline of Playa El Almejal constantly shifts with the tides, revealing different tidepools and outcrops to explore. During the right time, the tide creates shallow pools that are perfect for a swim.
To be honest, this article just scratches the surface of what Bahia Solano and the rest of Colombia’s Pacific Coast has to offer because it only focuses on the things that we’ve done ourselves and can recommend firsthand. Other popular options include exploring the boardwalk of the nearby Utria National Park, night walks in the jungle to explore unique flora and fauna (like glass frogs!), snorkelling, kayak tours, boat tours to nearby beaches, hotsprings, and more. Though some people say that a few days is enough, we spent about six days in El Valle and there was still plenty more we would have liked to have seen (we were also happy to have some recovery time before hopping back on the long return boat). Whether you are coming for a laidback beach vacation or a more adventurous experience, you’ll find something to love.
Bahia Solano is rarely visited compared to Colombia’s Northern Coast, which includes beautiful yet more crowded destinations like Tayrona National Park. For us, this is part of the magic and certainly doesn’t mean that the Pacific Coast doesn’t deserve a spot on your itinerary if you have the time and the patience to get there. We hope that this article answered some of your questions and inspired you to make the journey out to Bahia Solano to enjoy these beautiful sights for yourself.
