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Mocoa is a small city on the fringe of the Amazon rain forest in Colombia and the capital of the department of Putumayo.
Introduction to Mocoa
The first Europeans to pass through the area were Pedro de Agreda in 1541 followed by Spanish conquistador Hernán Pérez de Quesada in 1542, in search of the legend of El Dorado. The city was founded on September 29, 1563, by Gonzalo de Avedaño. It was moved to its current location after 1630 due to frequent attacks by the indigenous Andaquí people.
In 1876, Mocoa became an important center of the rubber trade. It was elevated to a municipality in 1953, and in 1991 it became the capital of the newly-formed Putumayo department. The city suffered from a takeover by the M-19 guerrilla group on March 11, 1981.
As far as the city itself, there’s not much to see or do. It’s an unattractive and rather unfriendly place, which is understood given its difficult history with guerrilla forces. As unappealing as that may sound, a couple days in this city on the road to Ecuador is worth the trouble – not for the city, but for the natural beauty and wildlife around it.
Getting to Mocoa
Mocoa isn’t close to many places so be prepared for a long bus ride. There are buses from Bogotá (11 hours), Pereira (15 hours), Neiva (6 hours), and Pasto (~5 hours). The most common companies that operate on these routes are Coomotor and Cootranshuila. Bolivariano also heads down from Bogotá. From Pereira, we took Coomotor. The bus terminal is a short taxi ride from the town center.
Getting Around Mocoa
The heart of the city is small enough to get around on foot. To get out to the natural attractions, you’ll need to take public transportation or hire a taxi.
Where to Stay in Mocoa
There are lots of affordable hotels in Mocoa.
Hotel Royal Plaza
We stayed at Hotel Royal Plaza, which is just a block from the main plaza and near restaurants and shops. A room cost us COP$35,000. There was nothing royal about it but it was comfortable and clean with a friendly staff. The negatives were a lack of toilet seats and no WiFi signal in the room. There is no hot water but you’ll be thankful for a cold shower after a long day in the heat and humidity.
Where to Eat in Mocoa
We had a couple meals during our visit to the city.
Al Humo
Our dinner at Al Humo was excellent. At the time of our visit, it was by far the best restaurant in town. The restaurant has a good selection of meats, and we decided on the chorizo and pechuga a la plancha (grilled chicken breast). Both were delicious but the star of the show was the side of potatoes that came with the chicken. Our meals including drinks were much lower priced than in major cities in Colombia.
Cafetería Jugolandia (Permanently Closed)
We had a good breakfast at Cafetería Jugolandia around the corner from our hotel. Eggs and hot chocolate or coffee were very reasonably priced. Service was unfriendly, however.
Parque General Santander
Parque General Santander is the main plaza in Mocoa. The plaza was laid out in 1936 by Dr. Córdoba as a meeting place and market for local farmers to sell their goods. A bronze bust of Francisco de Paula Santander (1792-1840) was inaugurated on May 6, 1940. The pleasant plaza is filled with palms brought from Africa. It’s surrounded by government buildings, hotels, banks, and shops.
Co-Cathedral of Archangel Michael
The Co-Cathedral of Archangel Michael (Concatedral de San Miguel Arcángel) sits on the south side of the plaza. The parish was founded on February 11, 1919, and the church was built in the 1920s and 1930s. It was elevated to a co-cathedral with the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mocoa-Sibundoy on October 29, 1999, by Pope John Paul II.
Fin del Mundo
The main attraction in Mocoa sits just 6 kilometers from the city center. Fin del Mundo, which translates to “End of the World”, is a small nature park with a beautiful waterfall and swimming hole. To get there, you can take a camioneta (truck) bound for the town of Villagarzón. The price can change depending on the honesty of the driver.
The trail is open daily except Tuesdays and public access is only between 7am and noon. Only 300 people per day are allowed to enter the site. It’s best to go early in the day and leave in the afternoon, but there’s a hostel inside the park (Huaca Huaca) and a few more just outside if you’d like to stay longer. Also, you’ll probably deal with a smaller crowd if you go on a weekday. We went on a Sunday and the place was jam packed with locals.
Some people reported needing a guide to do the trail. It’s not necessary at all, but if you want to venture further into the jungle or do some extreme sports, you’ll need one. Ask your hotel to recommend a guide and you can hire one with a day’s notice.
Entering Fin del Mundo
Once you arrive at the entrance to the park, you walk down a path to a bridge over the Río Mocoa. Cross it, turn left, and follow the river.
Enter a small gate, keep walking uphill. You’ll pass a waterfall called Cascada Peñalisa, a small lagoon, and a hostel, and you’ll finally come to the structure where you register for the park. Admission is COP$30,000 for adults and COP$10,000 for kids under 10 (as of December 2024). At the time of our visit, we also had to pay a small refundable deposit for plastic bottles and bags carried into the park. We had to return with every item of plastic we reported to get the deposit back. Keep in mind you have to exit the park by 3pm.
The Hike at Fin del Mundo
The real hike up to Fin del Mundo starts from the registration building. It can be muddy, slippery, and sometimes dangerous. Wear good hiking boots and take snacks and lots of water. There’s a small restaurant along the way if interested. The path varies between pure mud, smooth rock, and slippery wood blocks and logs. It took us almost two hours at a decent pace to reach the end of the trail.
Near the end of the trail you’ll encounter steep steps down to the falls and swimming hole. Be VERY careful – it’s extremely slippery. Once you get down these steps and see the natural pool through the clearing, you’ll realize it was worth the effort!
A river with a small waterfall and swimming hole awaits further along the trail. The water is cold, refreshing, and crystal clear. The hike continues from there to the main attraction, another taller waterfall, but we decided to relax and enjoy a nice swim.
When it’s time to head back, if you thought hiking up the trail was difficult, hiking back down is worse. Lots of people walking down the steps and back down the muddy trail fell very hard. It took us about an hour to descend carefully.
Getting Back to Mocoa
After exiting the park, when we got back to the main road, there were tons of people trying to find a camioneta back to Mocoa. We waited almost an hour because they were passing completely full. This is why I say it’s best to go early and leave early. You’ll beat the crowds. You can also try to organize transportation with a taxi driver in town.
Paway Amazon Ecotourism Center
Another great attraction in Mocoa that we didn’t have time for is the Paway Amazon Ecotourism Center (Paway Centro Ecoturistico Amazónico). It’s an ecological reserve home to several animals that live in the Amazon rain forest, many in the process of rehabilitation. The center gives visitors a chance to get to know some of the animals and even has lodging. Paway is located down the road from the entrance to Fin del Mundo.
