Pacific region

This coastal strip extends along the western side of Colombia from the border with Ecuador up to the frontier with Panama. The landscape shifts between dense rainforest on mountain slopes, wide river deltas, and long stretches of beach, while heavy rainfall continues almost throughout the year.

During colonial times, prospectors came to the rivers of this area to pan for gold in the sediments, providing much of the wealth shipped to Spain. The work in the mines led to the arrival of people from Africa, whose descendants form a significant part of the population today.

Villages host communities of African and indigenous descent who celebrate festivals with drumming and dance while maintaining traditional cooking methods. Fishermen return with their catch in the early morning, women weave baskets on their porches, and children play along the riverbanks.

Routes through this area often rely on unpaved roads and river transport, so it helps to be ready for unpredictable weather and occasional delays. Travelers should bring lightweight, quick-drying clothes and insect repellent, as the high humidity attracts mosquitoes and conditions can feel muggy.

In these forests, you can find frogs in bright yellow and red shades whose tiny bodies signal natural toxins as a warning. Some trees grow so densely that their roots and branches merge together, forming multilayered canopies where hundreds of different species live at the same time.