Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 555

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Tierradentro is 113km from Popayán along a rough
mountain road that's currently undergoing improvement.
There is one direct bus at 10.30am daily (5hr 30min) from
Popayán (COP$18,000) and three daily (5am, 8am &1pm) that
pass El Cruce de San Andrés - a road junction. From here it's
a 2km walk to the museums and 4km uphill to San Andrés de
Pisimbalá. There's a direct bus to Popayán daily from San
Andrés at 6am, and from El Cruce de San Andrés at 9am, 11am
& 1pm. Buses and pick-ups run from San Andrés to La Plata
(6.30am, 8.30am, 1pm; 2hr) where you can pick up connec-
tions to San Agustín and Bogotá via Neiva (and Tatacoa).

the region, so you will end up
overnighting here. The boats to various
coastal destinations run from the muelle
turístico (tourist wharf ); the area around
it is reasonably safe (which is more than
can be said for much of the rest of town),
and you'll find a number of guesthouses
and eateries nearby.
Buenaventura doesn't lend itself to
sightseeing, though if you're a surfer it's
well worth visiting Ladrilleros , an hour's
boat ride north, where enormous 2-3m
waves lash the shore during the August to
November rainy season and where you
can stay in a number of basic digs. To
reach Ladrilleros, take a boat to
Juanchaco, from where you can either
walk the 2.5km or get a ride on the back
of someone's motorbike.

5

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
There are several basic guesthouses of comparable
standards right near the two museums; meals available on
request in most places.
Ì La Portada T 311 601 7884. Located along the main
road in the village, La Portada has attractive, clean rooms
with reliably hot showers. The excellent, home-cooked
food on offer in the pretty restaurant (breakfast COP$4500,
lunch and dinner COP$6000) is the best in town and the
gregario us owner is a treasure trove of local knowledge.
Doubles COP$35,000
Hotel El Refugio T 312 811 2395. A 2min walk from the
museums, this hotel with a pool and somewhat musty
rooms is the swishest option besides La Portada . Doubles
COP$40,000
Residencias Ricabet T 312 795 4636. A short walk up
from the museums, with small, basic rooms with shared
or privat e bath, set a round a pretty cobbled courtyard.
Doubles COP$25,000

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Numerous buses run between Buenaventura and
Cali (3-4hr) and you can stop in San Cipriano (see p.551)
on the way.
By boat Speedboats for various coastal destinations leave
from the muelle turístico .

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
In Buenaventura, as the cheapest digs in town are
downright unsavoury, it's worth paying a little more for
comfort. Cheap eats are to be had at la galería (market)
in Pueblo Nuevo; the stalls on the second floor serve the
likes of fish stewed in coconut milk and other coastal
specialities. A taxi here costs around COP$3500.
Hotel Titanic C 1A No. 2A-55 T 2 241 2046. Conveniently
located just a block from the muelle turístico . Comfortable
rooms come with a/c, cable TV and internet, though many
lack windows, and the r ooftop restau rant is good for
people-watching. Doubles COP$60,000

The Pacific coast
One of the least-visited parts of the
country, and a ruggedly beautiful one at
that, the Pacific coast is where the jungle
and ocean meet alongside grey-sand
beaches, where you can go whale- and
dolphin-spotting, or stay in small villages,
the majority of whose residents are of
African descent. You will need plenty of
time and patience to explore this region,
as the majority of the settlements, such as
laidback El Valle , are reachable only by
boat from the main port of Buenaventura .

EL VALLE AND AROUND
Way north up the coast, and near Bahía
Solano , a town famous for sports-fishing
and whale-watching, compact EL VALLE is
a good spot for surfing, as well as visiting
Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría ,
where it's possible to see whales close to the
shore during calving season. Entry to the
park costs COP$15,000 and you can stay
overnight in one of the cabins in the park
(COP$120,000 per person); group trips
can be arranged from El Valle, with boats
costing around COP$300,000.

BUENAVENTURA
A busy, gritty and charmless port city,
BUENAVENTURA is the only gateway to