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San Cipriano is a small village not too far from Buenaventura off the Pacific coast of Colombia. It’s surrounded by a beautiful nature reserve.
Introduction to San Cipriano
San Cipriano consists of a small Afro-Colombian community living in a tropical rain forest on the banks of the Danubio River. It’s a simple, laid-back place with hospitable people. The San Cipriano Natural Reserve (Reserva Natural San Cipriano) surrounds the entire village, allowing for plenty of recreational activities including hiking, swimming, and tubing. A trip to the village is a unique experience anyone can enjoy.
Getting to San Cipriano
The only way in and out of San Cipriano is to ride a brujita, which is a motorcycle connected to a set of planks with a bench on top. These unique contraptions are mounted on the abandoned rail lines that once ran between Cali and Buenaventura. They serve as the main mode of transportation and moving goods, and are a fine example of the ingenuity of the locals. Half the fun of visiting San Cipriano is getting there and back on a brujita!
To ride a brujita, you must first go to one of the two entrances to San Cipriano at Córdoba or Zaragoza. We chose to enter at Córdoba. One there, you purchase tickets from the ticket office near the tracks. A round-trip ticket costs COP$18,000 (as of April 2024).
Our ride took about 20 minutes, with the rail lines passing over bridges and rivers, through thick vegetation, and past a few simple houses.
On the way back to Córdoba the next day, we encountered a number of brujitas that were coming the other way. Those brujitas had to dismount and wait for traffic to pass through before being able to reattach to the tracks and continue to San Cipriano.
Arrival in San Cipriano
Once you arrive at the brujita stop at San Cipriano, you walk down the hill to the main road running through the village. Children with wheelbarrows wait to help take your bags to one of the hotels or cabañas in the town.
When you reach the large security gate at the entrance to the village, you have to register with your ID and pay COP$5,000 to enter (as of April 2024). This fee allows access to all the trails, swimming holes, and waterfalls in and around the village.
Where to Stay in San Cipriano
There are several places to stay in San Cipriano. All accommodation is simple and some with shared bathrooms. You can try your luck and find a cabaña or hotel when you arrive, or you can call ahead to one of the places that take reservations.
Hotel Relief
We decided to make reservations at Hotel Relief. It was probably the nicest hotel in town at the time of our visit although it’s far from luxurious. It has simple rooms for anywhere from two to eight people. Some have fans and others have TVs. The price is quite expensive in relation to the quality, but the staff is friendly and it’s comfortable.
Where to Eat in San Cipriano
For food, most hotels also have their own restaurants. There’s also street food and simple restaurants throughout the village.
Hotel Relief
Our first lunch was at Hotel Relief, where I had chicken and Marisol had fried fish. The food wasn’t that great and was overpriced.
Restaurante Jasin
Our following meals (dinner, breakfast, and lunch) were at Restaurante Jasin, which is off the main road on the way to Charco La Balastrera. The owner is a friendly woman who cooks a great meal and charges reasonable prices. Try the piangua for lunch if it’s available.
Street Food
It’s also possible to get a good variety of street food along the main road. You’ll find roasted corn, chorizo, arepas, fresh fruits, burgers, and more.
Activities in San Cipriano
Hiking, swimming, and tubing are the recreational activities in San Cipriano. You can ask your accommodation for more information on each activity.
As far as hiking, many tourists hire a guide to take them to the beautiful natural places around the village. For the most part it’s not necessary. You do need a guide, however, to reach the largest waterfall. Guides charge reasonable rates, but make sure to negotiate.
If you’re interested in tubing, you can rent a tube from one of the outlets in town. Shop around because some shops charge much more than others. However, if it has been raining heavily, it might not be possible to go. I was very much looking forward to tubing during my trip, but because of the high water level and dangerous currents, we weren’t able to do it.
Village of San Cipriano
There’s nothing much to the village itself, but you’ll pass through on your way to and from the nature reserve and swimming holes. You’ll see lots of simple structures with accommodation, restaurants, and small shops inside. Walking down the main road through town can be a muddy experience if it’s been raining.
Charco La Balastrera
The easiest swimming area you can reach is Charco La Balastrera, which is right in town just past the football field. It’s a small rocky beach along the river featuring crystal clear waters. The water can reach depths of up to three meters. We spent our first afternoon there.
Hiking Trail
At the end of the village, there’s a hiking trail through the reserve that leads to a few swimming holes, waterfalls, and natural wonders. It’s very easy to follow and the swimming holes are well-marked. We did the hike on our second morning.
Charco Oscuro
The first swimming hole we reached was Charco Oscuro, which is along the river. It was extremely crowded and the water level was too high due to heavy rains throughout the previous night.
The locals were in the process of building a bridge over the river at Charco Oscuro for easier access to the biggest waterfall. The only way to get to the waterfall is to cross the river, which was too dangerous because of the heavy rains the night before. I hope to see it on my next trip.
Charco La Tortuga
Next is Charco La Tortuga. A 400 meter trail takes you to a few quieter swimming areas along the river. It wasn’t my favorite spot.
Cascades of Love
We continued along the trail past a couple other swimming holes before taking a spur trail to the left. It led us to the Cascades of Love (Cascadas del Amor), which are a series of three small cascades.
We were able to swim at all of them, although the first one was our favorite because the deep plunge pool allowed us to dive in from the rocks. The next two cascades had shallower plunge pools but were also a great place to relax.
