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Juanchaco is a small Afro-Colombian community on the Pacific coast of Colombia. It’s a transit point between Buenaventura and Ladrilleros.
Introduction to Juanchaco
The village is encompassed by Uramba Bahía Málaga National Park. There’s not much reason to stick around, but it’s a good place to shop around for whale watching tours. Booking through your hotel will almost always cost more than directly with the guides.
Pier
Everyone heading between Buenaventura and Ladrilleros has to pass through Juanchaco. The long pier is where all the boats to and from Buenaventura dock, and it’ll be the first thing you see as you arrive in the village.
Beach
On either side of the pier is the town’s beach. It’s not clean at all. I recommend going to the beach at Ladrilleros or further away if you want a better experience.
The Village
There’s one main road through the village. It’s not paved and can get very messy after one of the frequent rainstorms that pass through the region.
What’s most interesting about the village is the way of life. All of the buildings are simple colorful structures made of wood or concrete with corrugated metal roofs. Many are elevated on stilts to avoid flooding when the tides bring the ocean a little too far inland.
Among the buildings are shops, restaurants, services, and more. The people are very friendly and approachable. If you have a chance, try some of the unique street food, such as piangua.
From the photos, the village looks run-down and poverty-stricken, but when you’re there in person you get a different feeling. The locals are very polite and formal and are almost always smiling. It was easy to see that they genuinely cared about the outsiders visiting their town. It’s a far cry from other places I’ve visited in Colombia with extreme poverty and social problems, such as La Guajira.
