Buenaventura .

Riding my bike around Central and Southern Colombia. Was considering a side trip to Buenaventura for a day as it{s the only town accessible by road in that part of the country. Anything interesting in the area _

Buenaventura has a bad reputation. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to ride around.

You can stop at San Cipriano on the way. But you will have to let your bike to get to the village.

Near Buenaventura, there is also a nice beach called Juanchaco and Bahia Malaga. But you have to take the boat.

I visited Buenaventura earlier this year and on a security note (whilst walking around day or night) it felt no different to being in Manizales, Medellin or Cali.
The one thing Buenaventura does offer is countless hotels / hostals to suit all budgets, so you'll have no problems finding a place to stay with secure off road parking for your bike.

At the time I was there the Malecon (waterfront) was all closed off and was undergoing a full facelift, so I guess this will be complete now. Buenaventura also has a bustling market quarter around Carrera 9 y Calle 5 - and the surrounding streets, which is known as Pueblo Nuevo; worth checking out if you like the market scene.

As with the previous post, you do have a couple of beach resorts within a one hour (expensive) boat ride of Buenaventura. They depart all day long to Juanchaco - 60.000p return and Bahia Malaga - 70.000p return.

Cosmos Pacifico Hotel - www.hotelcosmospacifico.com is a relatively new and large high-end hotel (rates from 330.000p) which dominates the plaza in the centre of Buenaventura. Even if you're are not staying here, it's worth dropping by to enjoy the fine 360% views from its open deck rooftop with swimming pool.

Another option - En-route from Buga to Buenaventura is the pleasantly shaped Laguna Calima, which the main road skirts above and beyond. As you approach the eastern tip of the lake another road drops down and continues round the other side before joining the Buga to Buenaventura road again at the western tip. The main community on this side of the lake is Darien which offers accommodation and watersport activities. A couple of minutes out of town is Centro Campestre Agua Dulce which offers relaxing lakeside accommodation with restaurant and bar, and is set in pleasant spacious grounds. There are also a handful of sandy / beach spots around here which would be ideal if you happen to be carrying any camping equipment.

thanks for all the info ! it's much appreciated.

You can visit some of the fishing villages further up the coast. A few years ago, I took a lancha (boat) from Buenaventura to Juanchaco. It's about a 45min trip, and there are other villages you can access from Juanchaco as well. Lardrilleros is about 5 min from Juanchaco via motorbike and the village of La Barra is about a 30min walk from Lardrilleros.

That part of the Pacific is wonderful. We hired some guys to take us through the Mangroves, and it was fantastic. There are some beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes in the Mangroves. It's pretty cool to be swimming in saltwater, while a waterfall dumps clean, fresh water on you from the mountains. Also, there are some Emebra/Wounan indigenous communities in the area. You can take tours to their villages, and they also sell their wares in town.

Buenaventura is a total dump, but the remote parts of the Pacific Coast are nothing short of awesome! If you find yourself in Buenaventura, then my advice would be to hop on a lancha, and get out of town.

Safe Travels!

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