Stormrider Guide to surfing Caribbean Colombia

Colombia, SOUTH AMERICA

Los Naranjos, Stephane Robin

Summary

+ Very consistent	- Poor quality, messy waves
+ Uncrowded	- Frequent onshores
+ Dry surf season	- Some difficult access
+ Mountain scenery	- Street crime and drug trade

The more developed and easier-going Caribbean coastline is the focus for consistently fun beachbreaks, reefbreaks and a few rivermouths from November to March. To the north the remote, arid shoreline of the Guajira Peninsula is smattered with shipwrecks Ð an indicator of the strong winds that buffet this coast where the Andes meet the sea.

When to Go

Locally produced windswells with very short wave periods result in messy and confused surf. On the plus side, itÕs consistent, with rarely a flat day between December and March. The Barranquilla to Cartagena stretch is always windy during this period, but winds are often lighter in the morning. Hurricane swells are rare for this part of the Caribbean. Most swells are in the 3-4ft range, often building through the day before dropping off again as the wind dies overnight. Tidal variation rarely exceeds 0.3m.

Surf Spots

The vanilla yellow city of Cartagena de Indias has a sheltered spot in in front of the Hilton, where short jetties catch big swells with W in them and deeper in the bay Castillogrande beach only breaks rarely as it faces S. The longest jetty on CartagenaÕs beachfront holds surprisingly punchy lefts in front of the Las Velas hotel and is more consistent than the jetties stretching north. These waves break on localised windswell and are usually weak, messy and a muddy brown colour. Things improve marginally along the strip of coastline between here and Barranquilla, which has better exposure and Caribbean ColombiaÕs only known reefbreaks. Pradomar is well-known for its soft rights off the jetty and lefts further down the beach, but the more consistent option is the slow, fat rights of El Bolsillo the next jetty north. It picks up all the NE swell, but maxes out in overhead conditions and the rips get really strong. Punta Roca is probably the best wave on the Caribbean coast, a heavy, ledgy A-frame reef that can get hollow. ItÕs easily blown-out and will be busy with BarranquillaÕs friendly surf community, breaking best at higher tides and holding up to 6ft. A good respite from the hustle of the cities is the Parque Nacional Tayrona Ð the jungle-cloaked bays and inlets house numerous perfect beaches. Arrecifes is a highly consistent wave and unlike the Barranquilla and Cartagena areas is not battered by constant wind. The right breaking off the huge granite boulders at the eastern end of the beach is the best wave, though it does close-out a lot and beginners will struggle with the paddle and power. With accommodation or hammock camping possible right on the beach, this is a truly idyllic spot to hang out for a few days and the waves are rarely crowded since better, easier access options are found nearby. ItÕs an hour-long walk through the jungle to reach the beach and visitors must pay a fee to enter the park. A small stream emerges at Los Naranjos and creates a reliable low tide sandbar in front of the dramatic rock pillars. It gets hollow and is generally a cleaner wave than Arrecifes, holding up to 6ft and only small numbers in the line-up. There are some lefts over rock heading west, plus more playas to scope at Castilletes and Ca–averal. Casa Grande is a suckier, powerful peak that will either tube or close-out depending on the state of the bank. If the mouth of the Rio Mendihuaca is open, look for some longer lefts. Further east still, Buritaca has two right pointbreaks and hollow waves in the rivermouth breaking in a beautiful, natural setting. Viento Fresco also has a quality righthand point, consistently breaking on all swells. Opposite Club Las Gaviotas is another long right rivermouth that deposits sand along a sectiony line-up. There are further right points in the Finca de los Rivera area, with numerous exploration possibilities.

Statistics

dominant swell

NE -NE

swell size (ft)

2-3

1-2

2-3

consistency (%)

dominant wind

NE -E

average force

F4-F5

consistency (%)

water temp (C)

wetsuit

boardshorts

Travel Information

Weather
Year-round hot weather, with averages between 25-30¡C (77-86¼F). Dec to April is the driest and the evenings are freshened by a light breeze, making the heat more tolerable. May to August temperatures can reach 45¡C (113¼F), with regular light showers adding to the humidity. Sept to Nov are the least appealing, with daily torrential downpours, flooding certain areas. Boardshorts and a rash vest year-round.

Lodging and Food
Every town has at least one basic hotel and all the coastal tourist cities have dozens of options suiting all price ranges. Colombia is cheap, with clean double rooms available for as little as $10. Many seafood and meat dishes like cazuela de mariscos, ceviche de camarones or carne asada and fried chicken, all usually served with plantains.

Nature and Culture
Cartagena is a World Heritage Site renowned for its beauty and extraordinary street life. The Parque Nacional Tayrona has good jungle trekking and the remains of a lost city called Pueblito. The twin peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are the worldÕs highest coastal mountains at 5775m. Ciudad Perdida is a Colombian highlight.