Taking a Trip...

[Sam Club]

.....to Riohacha, La Guajira Colombia....any insight from the vets out there?

[Gator]

... in response to Taking a Trip..., posted by Sam Club on Mar 15, 2005

I would recommend you take this trip and see a part of Colombia most never see.  Look for hot weather-high usually about 90 low about 75 not very much rain.  Graet beachs without many people.  Good place to buy pearls at a VERY good price. Road is good-take a bus with no problems or hire a car/driver.  You did not say from which city you are traveling from but Riohacha is 260 km from Barranquilla and 166 km from Santa Marta.  Not too many places to stay outside Riohacha, which is 90/100.000 people. and some of the beachs offer you a hammock.  Be careful about going east towards the Venezuelan fronter (cities like Maicao) not real safe.

Where to stay?  Not a whole lot of choices, Almirante Padilla and the Arimaca and Guimaura(I have stayed in both) are the best of the lot with last two the best in town(none are expensive say 45/50 usd a night)  Couple of restaurants are La Casa del Marisco, Tequila, Sal y Limón. El Malecon and Iguana Guanña are discos.  If you go be SURE and at least try the iguana fixed all kinds of ways and the chivo(goat).  It goes without saying the seafood is the best, especially the robolo.a

[Sam Club]

... in response to Re: Taking a Trip..., posted by Gator on Mar 16, 2005

Gator - As usual, you are a wealth of information.  Thanks so much.  I will attempt to stay at the hotels you mentioned and visit the resturants.  My friends' mother owes this resturant " la mano de Dios" y queda en el terminal de transporte de Riohacha.  Therefore, I am sure I will be there.

I am traveling via plane from BAQ to Riohacha on a Saturday.  I plan to hangout and do the disco scene that night.  Thanks again!

[MarkNJ]

... in response to Taking a Trip..., posted by Sam Club on Mar 15, 2005

It has been a few years since I was up in that area but from what I can remember Riohacha is smaller city on the coast.   There is a national park south of the city named Santuario De Fauna Y Flora (not sure of the spelling) which had some nice natural type of beaches and it is loaded with flamigos.  We mostly drove through the area and I stayed the night in a town called Barrancas.   Not much there except for coal mining.   If you go north of Riohacha there are some "white mountains" of sea salt where you will find more mining etc... I just remember traveling on a lot of dirt roads and wondering what am I doing here and hoping our car was not going to break down.
I was riding with a friend who was going to visit her father who was manager of the mine.   It was a nice place to visit but I do not plan on going to that location again.

[Sam Club]

... in response to Re: Taking a Trip..., posted by MarkNJ on Mar 16, 2005

Thanks bud!  I will take plenty of photos!