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El Choco trip.

Here is some information regarding a trip that I just finished to El Choco and Uraba. I hope that this will provide some useful information regarding travel in the region.

Arrived in Medellin 24 May. Bought ticket Medellin to Quibdo for $57.000 at Terminal del Sur; company was Rapido Ochoa.

Left at about 8:00 a.m. from Medellin 25 May and arrived in Quibdo the following day at about 1:30 a.m. (duration of trip was 17.5 hours).

The trip was supposed to be only 12 - 13 hours, but additional time due mainly to a disabled truck blocking the road.

Two requisas once inside El Choco department; no security issues, but trip was rather arduous.

Bought ticket Quibdo to Turbo by launch for $149.000. Frequency of service is approximately every other day, I think. Best to go down to the foot of Calle 24 on the river and buy ticket directly from sellers there (you can also enquire about the security situation on the river at this point with the fluvial police; DAS is not too useful for this information in Quibdo). Good place to eat in Quibdo is El Buen Gusto at Cra 5 con Calle 25.

28 May left Quibdo at about 8:00 a.m. Trip took about 8 hours 50 minutes by fast launch. No security issues but several stops along the Atrato at posts of the Infanteria de Marina (the Colombian Navy handles security along the river).

Spent a week in Capurgana (2.5 hours from Turbo by launch). Recommend Hostal los Delfines ($25.000 per day but includes breakfast and dinner, so good value, since breakfast and dinner worth $15.000). Took 5-day PADI open water diving course (Eduardo and Marcela instructors).

Can hike to Sapzurro and La Miel (Panama) but watch your electrolyte balance en route. One hour 10 minutes walking to Sapzurro and and additional 30 minutes to La Miel, Panama. Recommend taking Gatorade as you may lose sodium due to perspiration and start suffering early stages of heat exhaustion. Guide not required as path is easy to follow.

7 June took bus Turbo to Medellin ($53.000) leaving Turbo 3 p.m. and arriving Medellin at 6:15 a.m. the following day. Duration of trip was over 15 hours. Expected time was 9 hours but emergency bridge work just after Chigorodo was the cause of the delay. No security issues; only one requisa.

General comments:

- rainy season, which is when I travelled, not the best time as duration of bus trips may be extended due to landslides, road work, etc.
- Turbo a very friendy and safe place, for some reason has a bad reputation.
- Quibdo also a very friendly place.
- no apparent security issues at this time for the circuit that I took (Medellin -> Quibdo; Quibdo -> Turbo; Turbo -> Medellin).
- at requisas in El Choco department, your passport may not be understood by lower-ranking soldiers, and a cedula will be expected. Best to carefully explain that you are not a Colombian citizen (if you are not), and that you have a passport in lieu of a cedula. Be aware that your passport will be essentially indicipherable and you may need to provide a verbal account of your date of entry into Colombia and your motive for travel. A good answer is "estoy paseando."

By elchocoano on Jun 10, 2008, 21:07 in Travel tips.

bickerss says on Jun 10, 2008, 22:26:

Thanks for the report. I am keen to do this trip.

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el flaco says on Jun 11, 2008, 01:02:

That's most impresive, it just goes to show how safe Colombia is becoming. Some quality up to date information. I'm surprised that you didn't break your journey at Riosucio.

What's a requisa?

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gorgonabob says on Jun 11, 2008, 05:22:

how odd. good to see some travelling info here about out of the way places. however having taken this bus trip twice i would still hesitate to recommend it to foreigners. dont be surprised if you get stopped by the FARC on the road to Quibdo. They killed a police officer or two in the town of Tutenendo on the road to Quibdo just a month or so ago. I'll go just about anywhere but probably not on the bus to Quibdo at this time. I am sure 95% of the time is fine but well there are still problems there.

As for the boat thats something id like to do. but the price seems a bit of a ripoff, almost a $100 US.. oh well good stuff. surprising to see someone getting around, youre colombian?

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Monpirri says on Jun 11, 2008, 05:30:

It's ok sooner or later we must learn to travel and travel safety.We got to move forward with the new flow and disregard the fear to discover.

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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SiV says on Jun 11, 2008, 05:46:

Satena fly Quibdo-Nuqui or Medellin-Nuqui:

www.satena.com/

Stultórum númere infinitum est.

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SiV says on Jun 11, 2008, 05:46:

How much was the PADI course, by the way? Does the dive school have a website?

Stultórum númere infinitum est.

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jun 11, 2008, 06:02:

Thanks, great info!

Poor but snappy

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elchocoano says on Jun 11, 2008, 06:20:

El flaco: Yes, you could break the trip in Riosucio. If I remember correctly, Riosucio is about 2.5 hours from Turbo. I did see a residencia near the dock. My total trip duration was only 16 days, so I couldn't visit everywhere that I might have liked to, unfortunately.
A requisa is an inspection in which you are generally required to get off the bus with your carry-on bag. Upon exiting the bus, men turn right and move to rear of bus; women turn left and move to front of bus. I've found requisas to be conducted in a very polite manner by the soldiers, so not a problem.

gorgonabob: I agree with you in that I cannot come to any general conclusion regarding the safety of Medellin -> Quibdo after having taken only one trip. I am not really recommending this trip but only giving information for possible use by others. However, I did talk to one person on the bus who takes the trip regularly, and the feedback that I got was that the security situation had improved a lot since the days in which the ELN had control of this area. My general view on trips like this is that there are always risks. The bus can skid off the road and over a cliff; a falling rock can hit the bus, etc.
I'm Canadian/American, living in New York now. My first trip to Colombia was in 1991.

SiV: The PADI course at Capurgana is not competitive in price with those at Taganga. Capurgana is an isolated place in which everything is a bit expensive. However, the price is very competitive relative to the price that I might pay in New York, and the coral formations off Capurgana are very good. The web site is diveandgreen.com.
General comment on Capurgana: plan ahead and take enough cash for everything. There are no ATMs or banks. The ATMs in Turbo (e.g. Banco de Colombia on Calle101) are reliable and safe.

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Monpirri says on Jun 11, 2008, 06:43:

Bravo Elchocoano, when I grow up I want to be like you. :>)

Annette Taddeo for US Congress 2008

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Sam Salmon says on Jun 11, 2008, 22:56:

Thanks for the info well written and thorough.

First time I've ever heard anything good about Turbo I must say well things do change.

' a la orden!'

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