Capurgana

Capurgana sits at the far north-western corner of Colombia where the Darien forest meets the Caribbean, and there is no road - the Pan-American Highway breaks here, the only gap in its entire length from Alaska to Argentina, because the Darien Gap has never been bridged by road. Access is a two-hour open boat crossing from Necocli or Turbo, which is rough in wind, or a light aircraft. There are no cars in the village; horses and walking do the work. The water is clear with reef for snorkelling and diving, and jungle trails lead to waterfalls and over the ridge to Sapzurro.

History

The Guna people lived here, and the name means land of chilli in their language; in the early 20th century they moved to the San Blas islands of Panama as settlers arrived from Cartagena. In the 1970s the community leader Narcisa Navas persuaded her neighbours to give land for a small airstrip, and with the pilot Jorge Mario Uribe she flew in the first tourists; families from Antioquia built summer houses, the Palacio family opened the first hotel in 1975, and by 1990 there were more than 20 hotels and hostels in a village with no cars (Wikipedia, Capurganá).

The main sights

• No road connection at all - the Darien Gap breaks the highway here.
• A two-hour open boat crossing - or a light aircraft.
• No cars in the village - horses and walking instead.
• Reef and jungle trails - to waterfalls and over the ridge.

When to go

December to April, the calmer season. Several days.

What to expect

The boat crossing is genuinely rough and cancels in wind; luggage gets wet. There are no cash machines that can be relied on - bring money. Power and water are intermittent. Keep to the village and the marked trails.

Nearby

Sapzurro is over the ridge; the Panama border is beyond it.

Key facts