La Boquilla

La Boquilla is a fishing village on the spit between the sea and the Cienaga de la Virgen, an Afro-Colombian community that has worked these waters for generations using atarraya cast nets and traps. The mangrove behind is the reason to come: local guides take canoes - paddled, not motorised - into channels cut through the red mangrove where the roots close overhead into tunnels, and the birdlife, crabs and fish nurseries are visible in the shallows. Trips are run by community associations, which matters because the village has been under sustained pressure from hotel development along the beach and the tours are a deliberate alternative income. Fish shacks on the beach cook what comes in. The lagoon has had serious pollution problems from the city.

What to look for

• Paddled canoes into mangrove tunnels - roots closing overhead.
• A working fishing village - cast nets and traps still used.
• Community-run tours - a deliberate alternative to development pressure.
• Beach fish shacks - cooking the day's catch.

When to go

December to April; mornings for birdlife. Half a day.

Before you go

Book through community associations rather than intermediaries so the money stays local. The lagoon has pollution problems from Cartagena's drainage. Beach vendors are persistent. Development along the coast is changing the village fast.

Nearby

Cartagena is south; the Cienaga de la Virgen is behind the village.

Key facts