Colombia, San Cipriano is truly a hidden paradise but for the more adventurous type. Located half an hour from Colombia’s southern port city Buenaventura and two hours from Cali this recently popularised Afro Colombian village in el Choco region is a surprise at every turn. Sitting two hundred feet above sea level and boasting one of the worlds clearest rivers San Cipriano is a humid jungle township. But the best part of San Cipriano isn’t even the beautiful rivers and waterfalls. It’s how you get there! As they say; ‘it’s not the destination it’s the journey!’.
Arriving from Cali you jump off the bus at Cordoba and walk down the steep road to the very small village, normally followed or assisted a group of local children who are eager to earn a few extra pesos to buy a soda. It’s there that you buy your tickets to ride the infamous ‘brujita’. Literally the most genius method of transportation I have ever come across. The ‘brujita’ is made of a motorbike and a few planks of wood, the bike sits on the unused rail tracks, the only way into the village. One wheel is lifted off the track and with the power of the back wheel the planks of wood fashioned into an open air seat. We all climbed on not knowing what to expect, and as we wait for the tracks to be cleared for what seems like an eternity. Eventually we are propelled into the jungle at high speed along a rail track with nothing but us and some planks of wood and a motorbike. The twenty minute journey is spectacular, through the heart of the jungle, the smell of rain and plants and steamy train tracks. This is what I call ‘arriving in style’.
After the exhilarating ride we arrived at the natural reserve itself. It’s a short work to the entrance where a park maintenance fee is paid and your details are taken. From here the next adventure begins, finding and bargaining for the best out of a bad bunch of very mediocre accommodation on offer. This is a poor Afro Colombian village in the middle of the jungle where no cars can enter, you cannot expect much. But there are lots of guest houses on offer, modest, rooms with often a shared bathroom, but they do the trick.
We dumped our bags and the first thing to do is the infamous tubing down the river. Our guest house also offered the inner tube tyres for a small price and off we went. You can tube from anywhere on the river, but obviously the farther you walk the farther you get to float down the river. We walked for a long while up river and eventually we jumped in. The river is crystalline, you can see every pebble on the river bed until it gets too deep. One key thing I have learnt from trial and error is attach your sandals, flip flops or thongs onto your bikini or board shorts, you will lose them in the rapids if not, as discovered my friend who refused to listen to me! It really is a spectacular trip, floating down the river, listening to the sounds of the jungle, with the occasional small rapid just to keep you alert and have a good giggle with your friends as you are jetted down stream the current. An entire afternoon can be spent tubing, stopping off whenever you like to swim and jump from the rocks into the water. Just be careful not to get caught in the rain as we did! Luckily we were near our guest house as the downpour started, the tropical rain is no joke and the river rapidly rises and can be very dangerous. However, we made it make to our guest house and the owners wife whipped up some tasty sancocho (fish soup) and a place of rice fish and plantain. It often rains during the night in the jungle and we got stuck into some beers and some card games, and even tried the local board games.
The second day we split as a group, some opted to relax the river but me and a friend decided to take the trek through the jungle to check out a waterfall. Although there have now been some developments and it is fairly easy to find the way, I recommend paying the fee and going with a guide who will make sure you are looked after, it can be slippery after the rain, do not try this is sandals! I ended up walking in bare foot one time I went due to lack of appropriate foot ware, and it wasn’t fun! But this time we were equipped and although steep to begin with it is a short hike through the jungle of about an hour, sweating with the exertion and humidity combined we made it to this beautiful fresh water lagoon nestled into the jungle backdrop. Well worth the effort. Cool and refreshing water in the jungle, nothing beats it. We returned to our friends, had a chance for one last swim together before making our way back to the ‘brujitas’ ( which then we had learned means ‘witch’, aptly named as you definitely feel like you are on the back of a broomstick flying back through the jungle.
Truly a magical jungle experience not to be missed.
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