How to explore Colombia’s majestic Pacific coast

The poet Elizabeth Bishop wrote of South American waterfalls that spill over the sides of mountaintops ‘in soft slow motion’, and I was reminded of her lines on the Colombian Pacific coast where seemingly every bay has a wonderful waterfall tumbling down into it.

As there are no roads to speak of, the only way to see something of the jungle is to advance up streams from the sea until you reach one of these waterfalls – with the great advantage that there is usually a rock pool to swim in when you get there. And because of the press of vegetation on the banks, you’re walking in the water, not beside it – perfect for crocs, the only shoes I chose to bring on the basis that if Ed Stafford could get down the whole Amazon from source to sea in a pair, they were good enough for me; although pleased also that my children weren’t around to comment on what they consider a grievous fashion mistake.

We’ve come to a small beach called El Tigre – so-called because a jaguar was once seen here – in a small launch with Nativo and his son Quisque. After heading upstream for a close encounter with some spectacular coloured frogs, and a wander into a cave full of frugivorous bats, Nativo cooks up delicious tuna steamed in banana leaves over a fire, before letting us have a civilised siesta in the hammocks strung from the beach hut’s rafters.

Arriving back at our base of El Valle, the locals fishing off the rocks have attracted a late afternoon swarm of frigatebirds with their huge black wings and shock of bright red around the neck, like a cravat. Elegant white egrets, both the large and small varieties, stand more diffidently apart from the fray as the frigatebirds and gulls dive in. But this part of the coast is made most distinctive by migrating pelicans who pass by in long undulating lines, pausing occasionally to do their own fishing. The way a pelican just collapses its wings and drops like a stone into the water after its prey is always impressive, however many times you have seen it.

Over the years I have travelled up and down the Pacific seaboard from Chilean Patagonia to Costa Rica, but find it hard to remember any other place which can match the Colombian coast for rich, unspoiled lushness. That dream of golden sand with a few palm trees and sea mist spraying a distant horizon at the end of an empty beach has always been an elusive one.

There’s a reason this part of the Pacific is so much less developed than in other countries. There are no roads. Colombia’s compacted, complicated geography of cordillera and jungle make communication even now very difficult.

The only way to get there is a small – and cheap – plane from Medellin, the gateway city for the area and charming place to spend a few days in transit. It’s been completely transformed from the bad days of cocaine cartels and FARC guerrillas into perhaps Colombia’s most desirable place to live, with a spring-like climate and boho restaurants. These days there's more designer facial hair, tattoos and Apple Macs on view than in uptown LA.

When you get to the coast at Nuquí there’s a choice of where to stay. Lots of small hostels cater for travellers on communal beaches like the one at El Valle, where the charming Pelican Lodge put us up at a mere £25 a night. Or for a more upmarket solution, head to the pioneers of tourism on this part of the coast, the Morromico Lodge. This sits on its own private bay beside the Utría National Park with its trails and access to even more wildlife. It’s an immersive experience in that the Montoya family who run it welcome you and eat with you at a large communal dining table. Much amusement was caused on our arrival by a large – and harmless – boa constrictor that had decided to curl itself round the rafters while sleeping off its lunch of bat.

The Montoya family first arrived on the stretch of the coast 40 years ago when a law was still in place allowing pioneers to claim possession of empty land if they lived there long enough. They have built up the Lodge from a tiny shack to a charmingly luxurious proposition in which you never seem to be more than a few yards from a convenient hammock. The beach is also perfectly positioned to face the sunset with a chilled Aguila beer at hand. After many years of searching, I felt I had finally found the absolutely perfect Pacific retreat and one which like the rest of Colombia is opening up now after all the long years of turmoil.

Plan South America can arrange for tailored stays at the Morromico eco-lodge and elsewhere in Colombia. https://www.plansouthamerica.com/