"Guapí" Guapí by MalenaN

Guapí Travel Guide: 6 reviews and 64 photos

No roads are leading to Guapí

Doing laundry by the river

Guapí is a town and municipality in the Department of Cauca. The town is situated near the Pacific coast by Rio Guapí. The town was founded in 1772 and today the municipality has got about 30 000 inhabitants. The main economical activities in the area are agriculture, fishing and mining. Being on the pacific coast Guapí has got a hot and humid climate year round. No roads are leading to Guapí, but the town can be reached by daily flights from Cali (there are also flights from Popayan, but I don’t think they leave daily). And there is a boat going between Buenaventura and Guapí.

I visited Guapí on my way to, and from, Isla Gorgona. Before going to Isla Gorgona we had to wait for the boat to leave, and meanwhile we took a walk through the small town with a local guy who was also going to Isla Gorgona. Coming back from Isla Gorgona I stayed a day and a night in Guapí. When I booked my Isla Gorgona tour I had been told that there were no flights back to Cali the day I wanted to leave. I thought it was too expensive to stay on Isla Gorgona for another day and thought it could be interesting to stay in Guapí, which is very different from other parts of Colombia that I have visited.

It was nice to hang around here for a day, walk around or sit at a café. The town feels colourful and lively, but with a relaxed atmosphere. There is the main street with shops and panadeías, a main square and then there is the street near the river where the market is. On the steps down to the river women are doing the laundry and on the river the traffic is busier than on the streets. There are no cars in the town, well at least only a few and some motorbikes.

I enjoyed my stay and think it is absolutely worth staying the night here on your way back from Isla Gorgona.

Last visit to Guapí: Jul 2008
Intro Updated Apr 17, 2009
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Reviews (6)

Shopping in Guapí Shopping (1)

On the main street, opposite Hotel Rio Guapi, there is a souvenir shop selling things made of straw. I bought some nice... more travel advice

Boat to Isla Gorgona and back Transportation (2)

I had booked everything regarding the Isla Gorgona trip at Aviatur in Bogotá. So, together with two persons from Bogotá... more travel advice

Cafés - panaderias Restaurants (2)

There are several cafés/panaderias in Guapí and I visited two of them, both on the main street. The first one was... more travel advice

Riverside restaurant Restaurants (2)

When I was on Isla Gorgona I was recommended a restaurant in Guapi, situated by the river. The good thing with this... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
Hotel Rio Guapí

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Comments (6)

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jumpingnorman Jun 13, 2009 at 8:48 PM

It really must be nice to fly over Guapi --- that inro pic of Guapi is so nice and reminds me of the horses in Philippines...nice stories on this page...A 4000 peso donut sounds a lot but I already forgot the exchange rate in Colombia...Norman :)
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richiecdisc Jun 5, 2009 at 3:54 PM

This the kind of town I love most and what makes South American travel unique. Thanks for great food and transport tips, Melana.
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SLLiew May 18, 2009 at 3:47 PM

Revisiting. Great additional tips of Guapi.
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Bwana_Brown Apr 29, 2009 at 5:02 PM

Malena, this is a great little page! I'd love to experience an OTBP place like Guapi. Enjoyed your tips on flying and boating while in this isolated little town! Very nice Travelogue photos too!
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yumyum Feb 16, 2009 at 9:41 AM

Shame that you got mozzies. Your boat trip sounds quite adventurous when the sea is choppy.
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globetrott Feb 1, 2009 at 10:21 AM

an interesting off-the-beaten path-place, thanks for sharing, Malena !