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    Nuquí
    Reduvida3 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Colombia

    Nuquí

    City

    Nuquí is a small coastal town on the Gulf of Tribugá on the Pacific coast of Chocó, with no road access and only reachable by plane or boat.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Colombia
    7. Pacific Coast (Chocó)
    9. Nuquí
    Nuquí is a small coastal town on the Gulf of Tribugá on the Pacific coast of Chocó, with no road access and only reachable by plane or boat. You come here to observe humpback whales from July to October, bathe in hot springs, and surf at beaches like Guachalito. The town has around 1,200 inhabitants, and accommodations are mostly found in the villages along the coast.

    Sights in Nuquí

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Utría Natural National Park
    National Park

    1Utría Natural National Park

    The National Park north of Nuquí protects the Ensenada de Utría bay with mangroves, coral, and rainforest. It is open to visitors; day visits are possible and are registered by park staff. Check entry fees and opening hours beforehand with Parques Nacionales.
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    Termales Chocó
    Attraction

    2Termales Chocó

    The village south of Nuquí is named after its warm sulfur springs. Good waves break on the beach, especially in the afternoons; guided forest and mangrove tours also leave from here.
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    Arusi

    3Arusi

    The village lies about an hour by boat south of Nuquí, north of Cabo Corrientes. Off the coast is the La Parguera dive site.
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    4Coquí

    Beach and village community on the coast of Nuquí, one of the settlements mostly accessed by boat.
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    Restaurants in Nuquí

    1

    Zotea

    Community restaurant in the village of Coquí, accessible by boat from Nuquí. The local cooks were trained by top chef Leonor Espinosa; herbs and vegetables come from their own greenhouse. Book ahead.
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    Food & Drink in Nuquí

    Nuquí offers Chocó cuisine: fish from the sea and rivers, coconut, plantains, and rainforest fruits. Its roots are in the Afro-Colombian communities of the coast.

    Shredded red snapper

    Pargo is smoked for about two hours, hand-shredded, and cooked in fresh coconut milk with bell pepper, onion, garlic, and wild coriander. The dish is also called Encocado de pargo.

    Widower of Fish

    River fish stew, such as Bocachico or catfish, with yuca, corn, plantain, arracacha, and potatoes. Topped with a hogao of tomatoes, cumin, and achiote.

    Fish in a Borojó Fruit Sauce

    Fried fish fillets in a sauce made from Borojó, a fruit from the Chocó rainforest. This dish is among the region's typical recipes.

    Viche

    Handcrafted distilled sugarcane spirit from the Pacific Coast, also used medicinally and ceremonially by Afro-Colombian communities. Since 2021, it is legally protected as collective heritage.

    Life on the Gulf of Tribugá

    Nuquí became an independent municipality in 1917. Its people live from ecotourism, small-scale farming with plantains, cocoa, and coconuts, as well as artisanal fishing.Boats operate between the villages of Jurubirá, Tribugá, Panguí, Coquí, Joví, Termales, and Arusí; you can also walk along the beach, depending on the tides.

    Arrival and Getting Around

    Flight: Clic and Satena fly from Olaya Herrera City Airport in Medellín to Reyes Murillo Airport, flight time approx. 45 to 55 minutes. Satena also connects Nuquí with Quibdó.No Road Access: Rivers, dense forest, and swampy terrain prevent land travel.Boat: Approx. 2 hours from Bahía Solano, approx. 8 hours from Buenaventura by speedboat.Local Transport: To Termales it's approx. 40 minutes, to Arusí approx. 50 to 60 minutes by boat.Check the current UK FCDO travel advice before your trip.

    Accommodations in Nuquí

    Find perfect stay in Nuquí

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    Plan your trip to Nuquí

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    1. 1
      Sunrise over alpine peaks and a sea of clouds
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      12 days · 4 stops

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      Trip to Nuquí

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      • 1Utría Natural National Park3 days
      • 2Termales Chocó4 days
      • 3Arusi5 days
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      Nuquí
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    Nearby

    Pacific Coast (Chocó)

    Pacific Coast (Chocó)

    The Pacific coast of Chocó is a narrow strip between rainforest and sea in northwestern Colombia, without a road connection to the interior. You come here to see humpback whales from July to October, surf on dark sand beaches, and visit Utría National Park. The towns of Nuquí and Bahía Solano are reached by small plane from Medellín.
    Bahía Solano

    Bahía Solano

    Bahía Solano is a coastal town on the northern Pacific coast of Chocó, surrounded by mountainous rainforest and only accessible by plane or boat. People come here for whale watching, beaches like Playa Huina, and the surf village of El Valle on the edge of Utría National Park. The main town of the municipality is Ciudad Mutis; El Valle is about 18 km south at the end of the only road.
    Jardín

    Jardín

    Jardín is a coffee village with around 15,000 inhabitants in southwestern Antioquia, a good three hours south of Medellín. You go there for the main square with the Neo-Gothic basilica and for the mountain landscape with waterfalls, cable cars, and birdwatching. The village is located at 1,750 m and was founded in 1863.
    Medellín

    Medellín

    With around 2.5 million inhabitants, Medellín is Colombia's second-largest city, located at almost 1,500 m in the Valle de Aburrá. You visit for its cable cars connecting hillside neighborhoods to the Metro, the Botero sculptures in the center, and the street art in Comuna 13. Popular nightlife districts are El Poblado with Provenza, and Laureles.
    Coffee Zone (Eje Cafetero)

    Coffee Zone (Eje Cafetero)

    The Coffee Zone encompasses the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío in the Central Cordillera, between Medellín and Cali. You visit for the coffee fincas, the wax palms in the Valle de Cocora, and colonial-style villages like Salento and Filandia.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI