Nuqui Colombia: Quickly Sinking in the Middle of the Pacific

Yoni Yoni Yoni , yo copio

Yoni Yoni Yoni , yo copio

It was at this moment I knew we were in trouble and nowhere near our end destination of Nuqui Colombia. Positioned somewhere 50 miles off the pacific coast, aimlessly floating, our stress call was made.

11:30 on a Friday afternoon the conditions couldn’t have been better but the situation couldn’t have been worse.

After drifting for an hour or so and a nonstop barrage of Colombian explicits, our situation was looking worse than a pimple on photo day.

Then ……..

The Colombian armada arrived. Armed with iPhones recording our sinking ship like a group of Chinese tourists at the Golden Gate Bridge, these guys obviously hadn’t had much activity in their territory lately. Joke after joke they couldn’t have been more ready to save us from our misery and add some light to their day.

One after one we rapidly evacuated onto their ship with all of our belongings. We were then quickly escorted to the nearest city close to 45 minutes away. The problem was we were still 4 hours away from our end destination, Nuqui.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the rest of the armada & documented for our safety & onward travel. This strict documentation also consisted of countless photos with the armada that probably will end up as their new myspace profile picture.

nuqui colombia
 

Stranded and Drifting in the Pacific Ocean

After a 15 minute walk through the ghost like streets nowhere near Nuqui Colombia, we took respite in a strangers front porch that someone somehow knew. (Colombians seem to always know someone, somewhere) Our group of 12 had scattered but one after one made their way to the house as if magnets had been passed out before leaving

Where is everyone going to stay was my first thought while we sat in this area awaiting news of possible evening departures but hate to spoil it for you; that never came. A few hours passed, nothing. Finally around 6 we got positive news,

Ok! Entonces! Manana a las 6:30!

Confirmation for our next boat to Nuqui was made loud and clear by our self acclaimed group leader. This was a relief and blessing knowing we could venture the city to become the main attraction of the night.

Yes the main attraction.

Luis, a 12 year old Colombian approached Mario & I armed with questions about our presence:

  • Why are you here ?
  • Where are you from?
  • How long will you be here?
  • Wait why are you here?

Minutes later we were quickly swarmed by 50 + young Colombians with a keen interest to hear our English accents and favorite futbol teams. This conversation lasted for about 20 minutes until the Puebla experienced a blackout sending us home to pack for our 6 am wake up.

The morning was early for Mario & I but for the Colombians, no. All of them were full of energy. After about an hour our boat was finally ready & we were off to wade through the water to continue on with the journey.

3 hours later & a morning of 6 whales, 10 dolphins & cloud reflected glassy water, we had arrived!

Finally Arrived To Nuqui

Nuqui Colombia Boat Arrival
Nuqui Colombia Boat Arrival

This initial slow boat was intended to take 24 hours from Buenaventura to Nuqui direct. However, the minor inconvenience really made the destination more memorable.

Throughout the moments of doing nothing, language breakdowns, anger & hopelessness, I would recommend this boat trip to someone who has a flexible schedule and has at least some conversational Spanish.

Nuqui Colombia Overview

  • Have you ever been on this overnight boat journey?
  • Have you ever been to Colombia’s Choco region?

Prana Pacifico is one of the most reputable providers along the coast and you should check out the options they offer. There is more information regarding the boat ride and as mentioned before, having a decent level of Spanish is a huge advantage.

Comment & let me know If you’ve had a similar or completely different experience. Also, drop a line if you need an updated look at boats to and from Nuqui as information is few and far between.

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