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- Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría (Utría National Park) — Mangroves, rainforest trails, tide pools and small, sheltered beaches where humpback whales pass every year. The mix of sea and jungle is pure Chocó: guided mangrove walks at low tide, untouched snorkeling pockets, and very few people. Personal favorite — nothing beats a morning paddle watching whales and frigatebirds around the same bay.
- Nuquí — hot springs, waterfalls and jungle surf — A rainforest-on-the-beach town that’s more about experiences than infrastructure: rustic eco-lodges, hot springs up the river, jungle hikes to waterfalls, and surfable breaks like Guachalito. Whale season from July-October is a bonus; get a local guide and expect basic comfort, brilliant jungle noise, and real local food.
- Bahía Solano: El
- Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría (Utría National Park) — Mangroves, rainforest trails, tide pools and small, sheltered beaches where humpback whales pass every year. The mix of sea and jungle is pure Chocó: guided mangrove walks at low tide, untouched snorkeling pockets, and very few people. Personal favorite — nothing beats a morning paddle watching whales and frigatebirds around the same bay.
- Nuquí — hot springs, waterfalls and jungle surf — A rainforest-on-the-beach town that’s more about experiences than infrastructure: rustic eco-lodges, hot springs up the river, jungle hikes to waterfalls, and surfable breaks like Guachalito. Whale season from July-October is a bonus; get a local guide and expect basic comfort, brilliant jungle noise, and real local food.
- Bahía Solano: El Valle & El Almejal — Turtle nesting beaches, easy whale-watching, and surf in a small-town Pacific setting. El Valle is low-key but lively during whale season; El Almejal is quieter, great for beach walks and nocturnal turtle patrols run by locals. Easy day trips from the town let you combine beach, jungle and community visits without long hikes.
- Quibdó malecon, markets and the currulao scene — The capital’s riverfront life is Afro-Chocoano culture on display: bustling markets, riverboats on the Atrato, and nights where currulao (traditional drumming and dance) breaks out. Walk the malecón at dusk, eat encocado at a market stall, and if you can time it, catch a live music night — nothing touristy about it.
- Atrato River community trips & Emberá encounters — Longboat trips up the Atrato take you to riverside Afro-Colombian and Emberá villages for cooking, basket weaving and canoeing through side channels. These are real community stays (hire a local guide, bring an offering, and be respectful) — you’ll learn how river life shapes everything here.
- Capurganá & Sapzurro (Acandí) — Caribbean beaches with jungle hinterland — On Chocó’s Caribbean fringe you get warm, clear water, snorkeling, jungle hikes to La Miel and a laid-back border-town vibe near Panama. No roads in—access is by boat via Necoclí—so it feels remote but is easy to reach and very different from the Pacific coast.
- Los Katíos National Park (Darién foothills) — A biodiverse, lowland rainforest and UNESCO site tucked on the northern edge of Chocó. Birdwatchers and nature lovers come for the mix of Caribbean/Darién species, big trees and rare fauna. It’s remote and regulated, so visits feel like being one of the few people to see a slice of intact jungle.
- Lloró cloud forest and waterfalls (hidden gem) — One of the wettest spots on Earth with dense cloud forest, orchids, hummingbirds and countless waterfalls. Few tourists bother getting here, so trails and local lodges feel authentic; if you’re into birding or dramatic scenery without crowds, this is pure gold.
- Juradó (hidden gem) — A tiny Pacific fishing village near the Panama border with empty beaches, mangrove channels and slow, local life. Reachable by boat, Juradó is for travelers who want to disappear for a few days, watch fishermen bring in the catch, and walk endless sand with almost no one around.
- Bojayá and the Bellavista riverfront (hidden gem, historically significant) — A riverside town with a tragic modern history and resilient Afro-Colombian communities; visiting is a sober, important way to learn about the region’s conflicts and social fabric. River travel from Quibdó and respectful time in town with local guides gives perspective you won’t get from beaches or parks.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.