Short answer: Colombia’s Pacific coast is one of the wildest places in the Americas: rainforest that grows right down to black-sand beaches, Afro-Colombian and Emberá villages with no road connection, and some of the best big-animal diving in the world. Between July and October, humpback whales come here to give birth. Around Nuquí and Bahía Solano in the Chocó you stay in small ecolodges and dive, hike and watch whales; far offshore, the national parks of Gorgona and Malpelo are a dream for experienced divers, with hammerhead sharks, whale sharks and huge schools of fish. This guide explains each place, the seasons and how to get there.
The Chocó: rainforest, ocean and remote villages
The Chocó is one of the rainiest and most biodiverse regions on Earth. There are no roads to the coast – you arrive by small plane and move around by boat or on foot. In return you find empty beaches, waterfalls in the jungle, hot springs, mangroves, birds and frogs everywhere, and a slow rhythm of life shaped by the tides. Most people here are Afro-Colombian; inland live Emberá indigenous communities. Expect simple but comfortable lodges, rain at any time of the year and very little mobile signal – that is part of the magic.
Nuquí
Around Nuquí, the lodges are spread along the coast and can only be reached by boat. We work with Casa Balae and Kuka Ecolodge, two small lodges with excellent local guides. From there you can visit hot springs and waterfalls in the forest, take a boat to the bays of the Utría National Park, kayak through mangroves, meet local communities, dive and – in season – watch humpback whales right in front of the beach.
Bahía Solano
Further north, Bahía Solano is a quiet fishing town in a wide bay surrounded by jungle-covered hills. Our partner here is Playa Dubai Lodge, which offers many excursions – to beaches and waterfalls, into the rainforest and to the Utría National Park, a long bay lined with mangroves where whales often come close. Bahía Solano is also a great place to dive, with rocky reefs, moray eels, turtles and schools of fish. See our 6-day Bahía Solano diving trip.
Whale watching: July to October
Every year, humpback whales travel thousands of kilometres from the cold waters of the southern Pacific to the warm, calm bays of the Colombian Pacific to give birth and raise their calves. From July to October you can see them from the boat – mothers with calves, males singing and, with luck, whales jumping out of the water. We offer whale watching in both Nuquí and Bahía Solano during the season, always with local captains who keep a respectful distance.
Gorgona: a former prison island turned national park
Gorgona lies about 35 km off the coast of Cauca. Until 1984 it was a high-security prison; today it is a national park covered in rainforest and surrounded by coral reefs. Under water you can see whitetip reef sharks, giant groupers, sea turtles, large schools of jacks and barracudas, sometimes whale sharks and hammerheads, and – from July to October – humpback whales, whose song you can often hear while diving. The best season for diving is May to October; water temperature ranges from about 20 to 28 °C depending on the season.
How to dive Gorgona today: the island’s hotel and diving centre are currently closed, so for now Gorgona can only be dived from a liveaboard departing from Buenaventura. These are usually weekend trips with two or three diving days. We hope the accommodation on the island will reopen in the future. See our Gorgona diving trips.
Malpelo: hammerheads in the open ocean
Malpelo is a lonely rock about 500 km west of Buenaventura – a volcanic island of steep cliffs, home only to seabirds and a small military post. Around it, walls drop to a depth of about 4,000 metres. Together with its surrounding waters, Malpelo is one of the largest no-fishing zones in the eastern Pacific and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is famous for its schools of hammerhead sharks, present all year, as well as Galápagos sharks, eagle rays, dolphins and huge schools of jacks and snappers. Some species are seasonal:
- Whale sharks: mainly May to September, sometimes until November.
- Silky sharks: large numbers mainly from May to July.
- Smalltooth sand tiger sharks: mainly in the cold season, January to April.
Diving Malpelo: what you need to know
- Liveaboard only: Malpelo can only be reached by liveaboard from Buenaventura, a crossing of about 30 hours each way. We work with the liveaboards Ferox and Vivax.
- Experience: an Advanced Open Water certification and at least 50 logged dives are mandatory. From our many years of diving at Malpelo we know how challenging it can be, so we personally recommend 100 dives and experience with strong currents and drift diving.
- Equipment: a surface marker buoy, dive computer and whistle are mandatory. Malpelo is a challenging place, so we recommend bringing your own gear – the equipment you know and trust.
- Wetsuit: from January to March a 7 mm wetsuit or semi-dry suit with hood and gloves; the rest of the year a 5 mm suit. Gloves are useful all year because of the sharp rocks.
- Conditions: from late December to April the water is cooler (surface about 23–26 °C, thermoclines much colder) and the sea can be rough; from May to December it is warmer, around 28 °C, and usually calmer. Dive insurance is mandatory.
See our Ferox liveaboard expeditions to Malpelo.
Best time to visit
- Whale watching (Nuquí, Bahía Solano, Gorgona): July to October.
- Diving Gorgona: best from May to October.
- Diving Malpelo: all year for hammerheads; May to September for whale sharks and silky sharks; January to April for sand tigers, with colder water and rougher seas.
- Rain: the Chocó is green because it rains a lot all year – often heavy showers at night or in the afternoon, followed by sunshine.
More in our guide to the best time to visit Colombia.
Getting there
- Nuquí and Bahía Solano: flights in small planes from Medellín’s city airport, Olaya Herrera (not the international airport in Rionegro). Baggage limits are strict – pack light. From the airstrip you continue by boat or car to your lodge.
- Gorgona and Malpelo: liveaboards depart from Buenaventura, which is about 3–4 hours by road from Cali.
More in our guide to getting around Colombia.
Tips for the Pacific coast
- Bring a good rain jacket, quick-dry clothes, rubber boots or sandals for muddy trails, insect repellent and a dry bag – see our packing list.
- Bring enough cash: there are few ATMs and many places do not accept cards. More in money in Colombia.
- Expect little or no mobile signal and limited Wi-Fi – enjoy the break.
- Respect the local communities and ask before taking photos – see our guide to culture and etiquette.
Plan your Pacific trip with us
Diving is our passion: we have been organising dive trips to the Colombian Pacific for many years and know the lodges, dive centres, captains and liveaboards personally. We combine the Pacific with Medellín, the coffee region or the Caribbean to suit you. Ask for your itinerary or write to us on WhatsApp.
Last updated: November 2026. Liveaboard schedules and lodge availability change – we check the current situation before every trip.
