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Darién is the largest settlement near Lago Calima. It’s a pleasant town with a couple minor attractions.
Introduction to Darién
The Darién region has been settled since the 17th century by Europeans who came in search of gold and precious metals. There were none to be found, but the area was suitable for agriculture and livestock.
The land for the town was cleared in 1907 by settlers from Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, and Caldas. It was officially founded in 1912 and was elevated to a municipality in 1939. The town was named by one of its founders, Nicolás Restrepo, who found it similar to the Darién Gap.
Getting to Darién
Trans Calima provides transportation to and from Cali (two hours) and Buga (just over an hour). The bus terminal is a couple blocks from the plaza in Darién. There are two routes, “por el lago” and “vía Jiguales”. Buses going “por el lago” can stop at the many camping zones, vacation rentals, and water sports areas around Calima Lake. “Vía Jiguales” is more direct to Darién.
To get to the lake itself, you can take a mototaxi to the lake in less than 10 minutes. On foot, it can take 20 to 30 minutes.
Where to Stay in Darién
You’ll find a few hotels and hostels in town serving as an alternative to the holiday rentals, fincas, cabins, and camping around the lake.
Hotel Mirador del Lago (Permanently Closed)
We stayed at Hotel Mirador del Lago. Our room was simple but clean and comfortable. Breakfast was included in the rate.
Where to Eat in Darién
We had two decent meals during our stay in town.
Hotel Brisas del Calima
For lunch, we ate at Hotel Brisas del Calima across the street from our hotel. We had the lunch special, which was grilled chicken breast. It was very good and reasonably priced.
Salamina Parrilla
Our dinner was at Salamina Parrilla. We both had the baby beef, which was very good. We thought it was a bit expensive but were happy with the quality. During our visit, it was located on the plaza but has since moved a few blocks away.
Parque Los Fundadores
Parque Los Fundadores is the main plaza in Darién. It has a lot going on. Locals sit under the shade of the tall trees while street vendors sell snacks and drinks. There are also a few colorful buildings surrounding it, similar to what you’d see in Antioquia or the Coffee Region.
Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
The Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro) sits on one corner of the plaza. It has a very simple interior consisting of a central nave with two aisles. There are some carvings from the Quito school inside. We got to see some of the items decorated for the Holy Week (Semana Santa) procession.
Calima Archaeological Museum
The highlight of Darién is the Calima Archaeological Museum (Museo Arqueológico Calima). It’s located about five blocks uphill from the plaza on a beautiful property. Admission is COP$9,000 for adults, COP$6,000 for kids, and COP$4,500 for seniors (as of July 2025).
The very interesting museum was founded in 1981 by Víctor Manuel Patiño Rodríguez. It displays ancient artifacts from the indigenous cultures of the region and contains over 4,000 artifacts in the collection. An audioguide (in Spanish) is piped through the loudspeakers but we preferred to read the panels (also in Spanish).
During our visit, there was a special exhibition about birds in Colombia, which is the country with the most species of birds in the world. Several birds native to Colombia were display. A guide gave us a quick explanation of each bird’s habitat, diet, and traits.
