Recognised as a major destination to watch the annual migration south of the humpback whales, the environs of Bahia Solano is paradise for those wishing to visit a still relatively unknown ecotourism destination.

From late May to October humpback whales and their young make this one of Colombia’s favourite destinations for whale watching with the visitor unlikely to be disappointed. On occasion one can spot whales breaching out in the vast calm waters of the bay from the shoreline.

High season brings many tourists from Medellin to see this natural phenomenon and prices of accommodation rise dramatically. There are quite a few options for the visitor ranging from the gaudy and misplaced opulence of the late Pablo Escobar’s Balboa Plaza to the family run Las Rocas de Cabo Marzo and the cheaper options of the Hotel Bahia and Hotel Los Delfines. All are located within two blocks of one another at the southern end of the town, use the Balboa Plaza as a reference point and go from there.

While Bahia Solano itself is little more than a functional pacific town, it is the adventures on offer that make this an unforgettable destination. Crystalline waters tumble from heavy rainfalls far from their origins in jungle springs creating fast flowing rivers and waterfalls easily visited in short hikes from Bahia.

Hire a boat or wait until the tide is out to walk out across the bay around the promontories to the north to reach the largely uninhabited and pristine beach of Mecana. Blessed with favourable currents and tides the mud discharges that affect the beach in front of Bahia Solano is not a problem here, so swimming in the calm pacific waters is possible.

A short boat ride south to Huina will take you to a more built up tourist destination but all the same a good beach.

Scuba Diving is offered by Rodrigo at the Hostal del Mar and he offers an excellent dive spot at the scuttled former Navy boat Sebastian de Belalcazar. At 110 feet massive groupers make this wreck, a survivor of Pearl Harbour, a fascinating dive.