Bahía Solano Colombia: A destination that will delight you

Why is Bahía Solano, Colombia so special?

Fifty-nine years ago, Bahía Solano was part of Nuquí, but since 1962 it became an independent municipality. Since then, this destination has become a must-visit for its cinematic landscapes, orange sunsets by the sea, waters in various shades of blue, and hikes in the humid Chocoan jungle, perfect for adventuring in nature.

This destination will offer encounters with mammals like humpback whales or yubartas and sea turtles; birds like the hummingbird, the harpy eagle, and the toucan; fish like the tuna, the agua fish, the sailfish, among many others you’ll see in this place.

In this cinematic landscape, you can go humpback whale and sea turtle watching, spot birds like the hummingbird, harpy eagle, and toucan; fish like the tuna, agua fish, sailfish, and other species that star in Bahía Solano, Colombia.

This municipality includes more destinations you can explore, such as Cupica, Huaca, Huina, El Valle, Mecana, Nabugá, Abegá, Chirichirito, Juan Tejada, Cocalito, Tebada, Playa de Potes, and the list goes on.

You may also be interested in: Three places in Colombia where you can see humpback whales.

How to get to Bahía Solano?

Going to Bahía Solano is a fascinating adventure explored by air or sea. You can take charter flights lasting 45 to 51 minutes from the Enrique Olaya Herrera airport in Medellín or about 6 to 10 minutes from Quibdó, next to El Caraño airport; both to the José Celestino Mutis airport with Satena or ADA airlines.

Likewise, by sea, from Puerto Buenaventura, located in El Valle del Cauca, you can travel by boat for about 12 hours.

What charms can you see in Bahía Solano, Colombia?

To discover the charms of this municipality one by one, the best starting point is Ciudad Mutis, its municipal seat. There, you’ll find the Airport Waterfall, a natural cold-water pool about six meters high and seven meters deep, which you can reach in a 10-minute walk from the airport.

You’ll also be fascinated by the Chocolatal Waterfall, a five-meter-high cold-water cascade, reachable in a 15-minute hike through a magnificent jungle, allowing you to discover the natural charms of the second most biodiverse country.

To keep enjoying natural pools, dare to visit the Love Waterfall, a cascade forming a clear, freshwater pool that merges with the sea when the tide rises, leaving you smitten. You can find it a 15-minute walk from the municipal seat.

The beaches of Bahía Solano are equally enchanting: Playa Potes is just a 30-minute boat ride from Ciudad Mutis. From there, you can enjoy a dreamy place with calm waters. Five minutes by boat from here, you’ll find the Morros Vidales islets, where you can dive and snorkel.

From Playa Potes, you can walk to Huina, de las Flores, Huacas, and Nabugá beaches, known for their calm waters, stunning views, and whale and dolphin sightings.

Charming fact: The Airport Waterfall was named so because it’s a 10-minute walk from the José Celestino Mutis airport.

The third moment of fascination is El Valle, located 18 km from Ciudad Mutis. The main attraction of this destination in Bahía Solano is its Almejal beach, appreciated for its hotels and bars; and Playa Larga, ideal for moments of self-connection to relax and unwind.

From El Valle, you can also visit other places with natural freshwater waterfalls named after cinematic characters, like El Tigre and Chadó. You can reach them by boat in about 40 minutes or by hiking through the jungle for six hours. It’s recommended to go with a professional guide.

Another charming place is Playa Huina, reachable in about a 25-minute boat ride from Ciudad Mutis. Here, you can contemplate the infinite beauty of the sea, as well as dolphin and whale watching, an activity you won’t see the same way anywhere else.

Similarly, Mecana is 3.6 km from the airport, where you’ll find the riverbank, the Pacific Botanical Garden, and Playa Mecana, which seduces with various shades of blue.

The fourth moment of this charming tour of Bahía Solano belongs to the Utría National Natural Park, spanning 54,380 hectares of both sea and land. You can get here from El Valle in a roughly 40-minute car ride, followed by a three-hour hike to the park’s entrance. Though long, it will let you continue marveling at the landscapes and natural surroundings this place offers.

In Utría, you’ll see some of the world’s most lush and biodiverse ecosystems, thanks to the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the Serranía del Baudó, the true charm behind Bahía Solano.

Charming fact: The famous Central Park spans 341 hectares, meaning the size of Utría National Park is roughly equivalent to 159 Central Parks. Incredible, right?

Mangrove trees of Utría National Park in Bahía Solano.

Outdoor activities in Bahía Solano, Colombia

Bahía Solano is a small but charming and beautiful territory where you can enjoy many activities: from whale and sea turtle watching to sports like kayaking, diving, and surfing.

In Utría National Park, you’ll walk through a mangrove where you can appreciate four of the seven mangrove species found in Colombia, such as the piñuelo, red, black, and white mangroves.

The mangrove is a key species for mangroves, looking like something out of a movie. It’s a tropical tree with long, extended branches whose roots descend to the ground to anchor.

As if that weren’t enough, orchids (Colombia’s national flower), bromeliads, and species of birds, corals, mammals, crustaceans, reptiles, and amphibians star in this setting.

Other activities you’ll enjoy like never before in this destination include kayaking, snorkeling, or surfing on beaches near the park, like Punta Diego, Playa Cocalito, and Playa Blanca.

A happy couple kayaking in Bahía Solano, Chocó, a biodiverse region.

This charm will let you delight in the biodiversity of the Chocoan jungle, where, with a professional guide, you can take tours from El Valle or Playa Huina and keep discovering a world you never imagined existed.

Thanks to the warm and calm waters of this place, fish like the needlefish carry out their spawning process in Utría National Park.

To cap off these moments of natural exploration, you can’t leave Bahía Solano without witnessing the arrival of humpback whales to the region, a spectacular event that occurs between June and October each year.

Plus, if you’re a sea turtle lover and want to stay connected with more animals, you can observe their entire nesting process, from laying eggs to hatching, a phenomenon that occurs between July and December.

Charming fact: Whales come to Bahía Solano’s beaches due to the water temperatures that allow them to give birth to their calves between June and October.

Whale watching, Bahía Solano.

Pacific flavor in Bahía Solano

A fascinating chapter in your Bahía Solano journey is undoubtedly the gastronomy, where fish and seafood take center stage. These delicacies are seasoned with coconut and spices from the Chocó region, like basil, onion, and wild cilantro.

In this region, you can savor typical dishes like delicious piangua rice, a type of mollusk that grows in mangroves, and piangua empanadas made with corn flour.

If you want to keep tasting new flavors, the three-meat sancocho is for you, a true gem of a soup made with tubers, vegetables, and beef, chicken, and pork. On the other hand, the Chocoan tamal, a preparation made with rice and a main protein of beef, chicken, or pork, is another dish you can’t miss.

Indulge in fish encocado, using species like corvina, swordfish, picúo, and red snapper, as well as atollao, a type of rice made with churuleja (a small mollusk), coconut milk, wild cilantro, and chili—a star of Colombian gastronomy.

Close the gastronomic chapter by enjoying fruits that delight with their flavor and aphrodisiac qualities, like lemon, papaya, pineapple, borojó, orange, and green plantain, a unique aspect of Colombian culinary charm.

The Borojó is a fruit from Bahía Solano.

You can also read: Discover Colombia’s tropical fruits and the wonderful places they come from.

What you should keep in mind during your visit:

• There are no ATMs in Bahía Solano, so you should bring cash.
• The average temperature in this municipality and its surroundings is 25 °C.
• It borders Juradó to the north, Nuquí to the south, the Serranía del Baudó to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
• For lodging, you’ll find various ecolodges (eco-friendly accommodations) for a more pleasant and sustainable stay.
• Activities in Utría National Natural Park can be done between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Closing

If asked for a synonym for charm and biodiversity, we could say it’s Bahía Solano. A place to be in direct contact with nature and Colombia’s charms. Visit it! You can also read: Discover more charms of the world’s most welcoming country