Beaches near the Panama border
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(lonelyplanet.com) Capurgana & Zapzurro - lovely , beautiful beaches ...
To Capurgana you get flights from Medellin -
Zapzurro is located direct at the boarder to Panama - 10 minutes by boat from Capurgana -
By land :
1. Go to Turbo, from Cartagena via Montería - from Medellin by direct bus
2. Launches to Capurganá leave Turbo ( one block from the street where all the hotels are ) around 09:00 hours. The price is 20.00 US$. The trip takes 2 hours. Be there at about 7:30 to put your name on the passenger´s list.
3. In Capurganá you will be greeted by the DAS man who checks your passport. If you carry on to Panama without stopping over you have your passport stamped by the DAS man and hop into the boat to Puerto Obaldía ( 10.00 US$ ) that is probably waiting at the dock as you arrive from Turbo.
You can stay in Capurganá or carry on to Sapzurro ( 2.50 US$ - 10 minutes ), the last village ( about 200 people ) in Colombia - There are plenty of cabañas (e.g doña Chila, El "Chileno", doña Pandale), while Capurganá has everything from cheap hotels ( Uvito at the dock ) to cabañas to up-scale beachfront hotels. Your pick.
You can even walk to Sapzurro through beautiful jungle ( 1.5 hours, yes, it is safe, but ask the locals to make doublesure ).
From Sapzurro you can walk 20 minutes up the ridge, over the border ( the officials simply take your name and passport number, no need to carry your passport ) and down the ridge to the ugly concrete Panamanian border village of La Miel, which has a strikingly beautiful beach. ( It would be even better if anyone had the sense to grab a plastic bag and collect some of the rubbish the sea brings in ). Buy a cocoloco from the locals and relax before walking back. Good beaches at Capurganá and Sapzurro too.
if you want to go further on to Panama :
your exit stamp you have to get in Capurgana , you organise a boat to Puerto Obaldía ( usually 40 minutes, 10.00 US$ ).
WARNING: South American citizens will be asked to show an onward ticket from Panama, otherwise they are refused the entry stamp. As Europeans we had no troubles, not sure about people from other parts of the world.
Everyone is asked to show adequate funds for their stay, so try to bring dollars in cash to Panama, as well as at least one credit card.
It is possible to change your leftover Pesos to Dollars in Obaldía at a good rate. Ask doña Cande of the ( only ) hotel, she will set you up with the guy.
5. Now you will have to fly or, if you are lucky find a trade boat that goes via San Blas. Kuna Indian boats call regularly, but nobody seems to know exactly when. So this cannot be planned.
If you fly: the ticket is 60.00 US$ to Panama City, 45 minute flight, every Wednesday and Sunday, sometimes on Fridays as well. The trouble is, ever so often there is no availibility. We got the last 2 seats, some other people who got there after us just had to stay in Obaldía. The lady in Obaldía does not accept phone reservations, but since the company ( Aeroperlas ) accepts credit cards, it may be possible to buy the ticket in advance from their Panama city headquarters. http://www.aeroperlas.com/
phone up and make on time your reservacion -
