BAHÍA MÁLAGA

Bahía Málaga is indisputably a magical place acknowledged for its exuberant biodiversity. Located in the department of Valle del Cauca, this bay has marvelous beaches to relax and disconnect from the world. It is also possible to witness the migration of humpback whales arriving in this bay between July and October. Because of this, throughout this post we will share any information you may know to make the most of this place.

👉 Discover the available tours. Click here for more information! 🐋

IN THIS POST, YOU ARE GOING TO FIND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

• Interesting facts about Bahía Málaga
• Where is located Bahía Málaga?
• How to get to Bahía Málaga?
• What are you going to find in Bahía Málaga?
• Tours to Bahía Málaga.
• Lodgings near to Bahía Málaga.
• Hiking routes in these beaches.

Having said this, ¡Let’s begin with the adventure ⛰!

[ See this post in English version 🇨🇴]

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BAHÍA MÁLAGA:

Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, is a haven for diverse wildlife. Notably, it's a favored seasonal spot for humpback whale migration due to its warm, calm waters, ideal for reproduction 🐳.

This biodiverse treasure was designated a Natural National Park on August 4, 2010, "Uramba" meaning "union" in African. The bay's morphology features expansive sandy beaches like Juanchaco and Ladrilleros, formed by continental sand carried by rivers.

¿DÓNDE QUEDA BAHÍA MÁLAGA?

Bahía Málaga is located in Valle del Cauca department, about 1 hour by boat from the port of Buenaventura, and 3 hours from Cali city. The bay is enveloped by a dense tropical jungle, resulting in warm weather with consistent rainfall throughout most of the year. It's renowned as a migratory destination for humpback whales, which arrive from July to early September.

Inside Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park you can find around 6 communities, each of them has a community council who works alongside Natural Parks to the conservation of their habitats.

HOW TO GET TO BAHÍA MÁLAGA 🚍 ?

You're likely curious about reaching Bahía Málaga. To access this incredible Colombian Pacific destination, the simplest route is from Cali. Before detailing the path to Bahía Málaga, let's outline the routes to Cali from key cities in Colombia.

FROM BOGOTÁ TO CALÍ

The distance between Bogotá and Cali via land is around 322.4 miles. To cover this distance, it takes approximately 11 hours. The bus companies which provide this service are:

• Empresa Bolivariana: The ticket fee is $105,000 COP per person. The departure times from Monday to Sunday are: from 5:00, then, the remaining times are 6:00, 9:00, 11:00, 14:00, 15:00, 197:00, 20:00, 21:00, and 23:00.

• Empresa Expreso Palmira: The ticket fee is $100.000 COP per person. The departure times of this bus company from Monday to Sunday are: 9:00, 10:30, 11:45 ,13:15, 15:00, 16:30, 18:00, 19:45, 22:00 and 23:00.

FROM MEDELLÍN TO CALI

On average, the trip from Medellin to Cali takes about eight hours. This is the time to cover 204.4 miles. The bus companies that provide the service are:

• Empresa Arauca: The ticket fee is $90.000 COP per person. The departure times of this bus company are: 5:30, 8:00, 10:30, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 20:00, 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00.

• Empresa Flota Magdalena: The ticket fee is $95.000 COP per person. The departure times of this bus company are: 5:30, 8:00, 10:30, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00, 19:00, 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00.

FROM PEREIRA TO CALI

On average, the trip from Pereira to Cali takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes. This is the time to cover 110.6 miles. The bus companies which provide the service are:

• Expreso Palmira: The ticket fee is $47000 COP per person. Take into account that the bus departure times from Pereira to Cali are: 5:00, 5:20, 5:45, 6:30, 7:15, 8:00. It means that all the buses depart every 45 minutes approximately, and the last one departs at 20:30.

• Empresa Tax Central: The ticket fee is $48.000 COP per person. Remember that this bus company provides the services every hour and the first bus departs from Pereira to Cali at 6:00, and the last one departs at 19:00.

RECOMMENDATION: Some cities such as Pereira, you might find non-stop trips to Buenaventura, which saves you money and time. We therefore simply recommend that you check directly with the Terminal de Transporte de Pereira before purchasing your tickets.

FROM CALI TO BUENAVENTURA

Once you arrive in Cali, more precisely at the Buenaventura Terminal, you need to take a bus to get to El Puerto de Buenaventura. The trip lasts approximately 3 hours, and the ticket costs $40,000 COP per person.

When you arrive at the Buenaventura Bus Terminal, you may walk for 15 to 20 minutes to reach the tourist pier. This platform is located a few squares from the Terminal where we met with the local guide of the agency we had previously booked.

Important information: Unless you go to a tour agency, you may first check what tours the boat does since some of those boats get to certain areas. And, there have been cases that travelers have booked their lodgings in wrong places, and they are charged more than they bring for the tour 🥲.

¿WHAT TO FIND IN BAHÍA MÁLAGA?

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TOURS TO BAHÍA MÁLAGA 🧳

As you may know,National Parks of Colombia have become an amazing tourist attraction for colombians as well as foreigners who come to those places daily. Places like Uramba Bahía Málaga Natural Park definitely should be included in your travel list.

If you're considering the tour to Bahía Málaga, with stunning landscapes, mangroves, and rainforests, we'll provide details and budget-friendly options.

👉 Explore further details about the tour by clicking here.

Keep in mind that if you want to do Humpback Whale-watching, you should take the tour between July and September

LODGINGS IN BAHÍA MÁLAGA 🛌

Once you arrive at Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, you could lodge in towns or villages near to Natural Parks; that is why, we are going to share some available lodgings in this area.

LODGINGS AT LA LOMA DE CHUCHEROS YANEISY

This lodging is located in a location known as La Loma de Chucheros. This place has an exceptional view by being on a little cliff 🌊, on the entire front of it, you could see Juanchaco and Ladrilleros.

This location is mostly hosted by a family member and local residents who will make you feel at home.

Here you could find the following services:

• 🛏 Comfortable rooms
• ⛺️ Camping
• 🥟 Breakfast
• 🍛 Lunch
• 🍛 Dinner

LODGINGS IN JUAN DE DIOS BEACH

This Juan de Dios Beach hotel is situated within an 80-hectare natural reservoir. Its facilities are in front of the beach which has the same name ‘’Juan de Dios beach’’. This beach is known for its cleaning, as the inhabitants constantly carry out cleaning campaigns with volunteers.

In the background, you can appreciate a cave that gives off from the top a stream of fresh water. As you walk through this cave, you will find another slightly larger cave where you can enjoy a beautiful sunset overlooking the crystal clear waters of the sea.

Here you could find the following services:

• 🛏 Bed in shared-rooms 2 nights 3 days
• ⛺️ Camping
• 🏠 Private room for 2 persons
• 🏠 This lodging does not share the kitchen nearby to do cooking, as a result, you will have to eat outside.

OTHER AVAILABLE LODGINGS IN BAHÍA MÁLAGA

You can also find other accommodation options within Bahia Malaga: Juanchaco, Ladrilleros, La Barra, La Plata, Miramar and La Serpie. We could not mention the names of the hotels in each of these places because the blog would be long enough to read. These can be found on Google.

HIKING ROUTES ACROSS NEAR BEACHES 🚶‍♂️🏖

After lodging, it's time to start the adventure in this lovely bay. The first thing you do is unload the luggage onto our rooms for a short rest . After taking a rest, we can enjoy the stunning views over the beach and jungle that this location offers us.

There is a 2.4 mile hiking route that links with Playa de Chucheros through Juan de Dios until reaching Playa Dorada. See map

MAP OF THE BAHÍA MÁLAGA ROUTE

LOMA DE CHUCHEROS

This location located on a small cliff offers stunning sea views 🌊. And, on the entire front, you can enjoy Juanchaco, Ladrilleros, and the naval base of Bahía Malaga.

If you go along the beach line, you can go to Chucheros, where there is a waterfall with the same name. It is highly recommended to make this visit with a local guide who knows this place fairly well since the tide has gone up, it will be dangerous to return to the beach.

JUAN DE DIOS BAY

In the background, you can enjoy a cave that frees up a waterfall. While you walk through this cave, you will find another slightly bigger cave where you can enjoy a beautiful sunset overlooking the crystalline waters of the sea.

DORADA BAY

This bay is popular for having golden sand, but unfortunately in some parts of the bay you could find large piles of trash 😢.

On the map already displayed, there was a waterfall named «Cascada de Chucheros». To get to this waterfall of Loma de Chucheros, you must walk about 2.4 miles to the border of the bay. We couldn't make it that far, because the tide was rising more and more 😢 so we came back.

After a day of adventure, it was time to get some sleep.

RECOMMENDATION: For this road, don't forget to bring a windproof jacket because in this place even though it is hot, the area is very humid and there is a lot of rain. We also recommend using a long-sleeve diver to protect you from the sun and mosquitoes, all those products you can find in our online shop.

The next day it became evident the emotion of all of us, because that day we went out to see the waterfall of the Sierpe and the Tres Marías.

DAY #2

We met our guide who gave us a few tips before starting this adventure at 8:00 in the morning.

La Sierpe waterfall in Bahía Málaga: It is a 196.8-inch high waterfall that is surrounded by stunning vegetation within Uramba Bahia Málaga National Natural Park.

Foto por: @kevindavides

Tres Marías waterfall in Bahía Málaga: There are three consecutive waterfalls and it ends in a hole that if you jump, you will go into the sea. Keep in mind that you can only do this if you are supervised by a guide.

⚠️ Remember to bring insects repellent or even some insects repellent soaps are sold which work very well.

¿CÓMO REGRESAR DE BAHÍA MÁLAGA?

DÍA #3

It is recommended to depart in the morning while in the afternoon it is more likely that the sea itches 🌊 (this means that the sea becomes turbulent). That's why all boat departures are on hold.

You should keep in mind that all the buses departing from the Buenaventura Terminal to some destinations of the country will only depart until 14:00.

This is the end of the trip to Bahía Málaga, do not to forget to follow us on our social channels to know more places like this 👉 Instagram and Youtube.

Los precios mencionados anteriormente son aproximado y estos podrían variar.