In the waters of Chocó, dives are typically between five and thirty meters deep. Some sites are suitable for beginners, such as Cotudo and La Piedra del Norte in the Pacific, and Capurganá in the Caribbean. Others require greater expertise, including the wreck of the Colombian Navy ship ARC Sebastián de Belalcázar in Bahía Solano, which participated in the Battle of Pearl Harbor.

This Department boasts lush nature and a wide variety of animal and plant species, positioning it as one of the most biodiverse territories in the world. This planetary lung has high endemism of natural species due to the diverse, connected or unconnected ecosystems that inhabit it. One of these rich ecosystems, also abundant in specimens per species, is the marine one.

This jungle territory also has the unique feature of having two coasts, one on the Pacific Ocean and another on the Caribbean Sea, making it an ideal destination for adventurous beginners in diving or experienced divers seeking new and original aquatic landscapes filled with a variety of living beings.

Where to Dive in Chocó

Below, we provide a diving guide to the places where you will find true paradises of marine life.

Caribbean Coast

Capurganá

This village in the municipality of Acandí, which translates in the Kuna language to “land of chili,” is located in the Gulf of Urabá, near the border with Panama. This destination of renowned beauty offers a unique spectacle in the world: the emerald green humid jungle that abruptly ends its path at the feet of the blue and crystalline sea in a sparsely populated area.

To Capurganá, you can only arrive by air from Medellín (1 hour) or by sea from Necoclí or Turbo (tourist municipalities in Antioquia located 7 and 8.5 hours from Medellín by land).

Capurganá offers travelers a variety of land activities to explore the flora, fauna, and other natural treasures surrounding it. Likewise, it has several diving spots with beautiful coral reefs where species such as rays, nurse sharks, groupers, crabs, lobsters, snappers, butterflyfish, pufferfish, turtles, and various reef fish can be observed, among many others.

The months between April and November are the best for this activity, as the waves almost disappear, allowing complete visibility.

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From Capurganá, you can visit places by sea such as Cabo Tiburón (on the border with Panama), La Grieta de Narza, Bahía Aguacate, and La Cueva del Mero, sites that do not exceed thirty meters in depth and are true marine paradises.

You will find gentle and moderate currents, offering a serene and peaceful experience. This destination has ideal conditions for learning to dive or getting certified as a diver.

Pacific Coast

The Chocó coast on the Pacific Ocean, being significantly more extensive than the Caribbean coast, offers more possibilities for diving sites with more advanced difficulty levels.

Diving in these sites presents characteristics that require skill and boldness due to strong currents and waves, making it recommended for experienced divers.

A great diversity of coral and rocky formations makes it possible to experience close encounters with unique fauna species. Hammerhead sharks, silky sharks, whitetip sharks, large turtles, dolphins, rays, and humpback whales (visible from July to November) abound in the area. Visibility ranges from fifteen to thirty meters, depending on the diving site, and the sea temperature fluctuates between 27 and 20 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

The most popular starting point for various diving spots is Bahía Solano, a municipality located on the northern coast of Chocó, in one of the wettest areas in the world. It is a fishing territory and a place where different varieties of turtles and monumental humpback whales can be easily spotted.

It is possible to arrive from Medellín or Quibdó by air, by boat from Buenaventura, or by speedboat from Nuquí. The seabed is rocky and features cliffs inhabited by large animals. The depth varies from 9 to 42 meters, with several easily accessible diving spots.

Among the most notable is the Sebastián de Belalcázar site, located 400 meters from Playa Huina. This ship, a literary inspiration (El Karina, a novel by Germán Castro Caicedo), which sank in 2004, is now home to large fish such as groupers, snappers, and bonitos, among many others. It lies between 24 and 40 meters deep. Exploring the ship from starboard to bow becomes a true underwater adventure.

Vidales Hundidos is another diving spot, a natural sanctuary, located 800 meters from Juan Tejada. These sunken mountains have some visible peaks above the water. La Piedra del Flaco in Morros Vidales is 45 minutes from Bahía Solano. La Piedra Becerra in Cotudo is a rock that rises like a mountain and is located 300 meters from the beach.

Other sites like La Piedra de la Esperanza and San Telmo in Juna, located near the beaches close to Bahía Solano, stand out for being home to numerous schools of large fish and regional fishing spots.

It is common to observe huge fish such as groupers, jacks, trevallies, red snappers, pompano, amberjacks, tunas; various types of moray eels, beautiful corals like gorgonians, and different reef fish.

Nuquí

Located in the center of the Gulf of Tribugá, this municipality is an authentic ecological and megadiverse paradise. Surrounded by the dense Darién jungle and bathed by multiple rivers that flow into the Pacific, Nuquí is a highly sought-after destination for divers and nature lovers.

It can be reached by air from Quibdó or Medellín, and by sea from Buenaventura (8 hours) and Bahía Solano (2 hours). At diving spots near Nuquí, you will find large fish such as groupers, jacks, and various shark species like tiger, lemon, blacktip, bull, and nurse sharks; it is also the habitat of turtles, sawfish, tunas, rays, octopuses, and lobsters, among many other marine species. The highlighted diving spots are located south of Nuquí.

La Roñosa is a large rocky formation with a depth of fifteen meters, where, in addition to corals, fish like groupers, tarpon, and snappers can be observed. Piedra Bonita, located no more than twelve meters from the coast, consists of a submerged mountain range with a sandy bottom and crevices inhabited by moray eels and octopuses.

The guitarfish also inhabits this area. Large schools of various species and turtles can be easily spotted. The well-known Piedra de Fidel has a depth of forty meters and is a highly prominent rock rising from the seabed.

Schools of jacks and rocks full of gorgonians delight the eyes of divers. It is one of the most demanding spots and requires an expert guide. It features beautiful tubular corals in vibrant yellow.

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La Parguera and El Amargal are very popular sites requiring an advanced diving level. There, you find cliffs located near a deep drop-off. Teeming with black coral, these sites are full of life with abundant fish. Blacktail jacks, whale sharks, and manta rays roam this environment adorned with millions of colorful fish.

Other sites to visit for diving include Cabo Corrientes, Ensenada de Utría, Bahía Cupica, Tebada, Cabo Marzo, and Arusí.

When diving, it is vital to follow all safety measures, as there are strong currents that are best avoided.

Discover this charming department in western Colombia and fall in love with the natural wealth and biodiversity that offer the possibility of diving in two different seas.

Colombia’s maritime treasures are a spectacle of indescribable dimensions, making it an unparalleled destination.