Cabo de la Vela

Cabo de la Vela is a single line of Wayuu rancherias strung along a bay on the desert coast of La Guajira, where the Caribbean meets sand, cactus and red rock rather than jungle. Behind the settlement, the Pilon de Azucar hill drops to a small orange beach; further along, the Ojo del Agua cove and the lighthouse point catch the sunset. The trade winds blow hard and steadily for most of the year, which has made the bay a kitesurfing base. There is no mains grid in much of the village, so power comes on for a few hours from generators, and you sleep in a chinchorro hammock under a palm shelter.

History

The Spanish pilot Juan de la Cosa was among the first Europeans to see the cape, in 1499, and its name came from the pale curving headlands, which looked like a sail from the sea. Nikolaus Federmann founded a village here in 1535, the first settlement in La Guajira, which was moved to present-day Riohacha in 1544; the Wayuu, who still live here, call the cape Jepirra and hold it sacred as the place where the souls of the dead go to rest with their ancestors (Wikipedia, Cabo de la Vela).

What you'll find

• Pilon de Azucar - a rock hill above a small orange sand beach.
• The lighthouse point - the cape itself, where the desert ends at the sea.
• Kitesurfing - steady trade winds across a shallow, flat bay.
• Wayuu rancherias - woven chinchorro hammocks, goat and lobster cooked over wood.

When to go

December to April is dry and the wind is strongest, which suits kitesurfers and keeps the heat bearable. The rains around September and October can make the desert tracks impassable and cut the village off for days. Sunset at the lighthouse point is the fixed event of the day. Nights are warm but breezy enough to sleep outside.

Good to know

Facilities are basic and the visitor experience matches: no mains power for much of the day, trucked or brackish water, shared toilets and hammocks rather than rooms. The drive from Uribia crosses open desert with no road markings and cannot be done without a local driver. Water is scarce, so bring your own.

Nearby

Punta Gallinas is a few hours further north; Riohacha and the Manaure salt flats lie south.

Key facts