La Boquillas

We are today going to visit La Boquillas a small fishing village, located on the coast, a few miles east of Cartagena. The seafront has many seafood bars/restaurant’s along its length mainly aimed at tourists who take advantage of the beach, as it is normally not overcrowded. This is not a recommended area to visit generally, and definitely not at night, but we had no problems during our visit and everybody we met were very friendly.

We were informed by our local contact how fishing and tourism helps the local community sustain itself, and in addition to what steps are being taken to preserve this unique area of wetland.The area certinatly feels unspoilt by modern tourisum.

One of the highlights of the day will be a chance to take a glide through the mangrove swamps in a traditional wodden canoe.

La Boquilla is home to a network of beautiful mangrove forests, where the trees grow tall and thick with greenery and wildlife. But best of all, since mangroves grow in swampy water, you don’t hike these forest trails—you boat through them!  As you glide through the swamp, the mystical surrounding mangroves create natural tunnels, making for a gorgeous and mysterious experience. Suffice to say, a boat ride through the mangroves is an extremely special way to experience Colombia’s abounding biodiversity.

Watching fisherman toss the heavy net with ease is an interesting experience, as is watching them at work in this exotic location. Casting the traditional nets fishermen have been using for decades is not easy, and you can try your hand at it if you want. Looked too much like hard work to me, so i gave it a miss. (much like my working philosophy).