Cabo de la Vela
Cabo de la Vela
4.5
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4.5
296 reviews
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Valentina F
1 contribution
Nov 2019
The Cabo de la vela is located in La Guajira, Colombia. I was there 1 year ago
I love this place because it is a beautiful destination, a secluded place of the city weight with amazing landscapes, a place where the beach and the desert come together.
There, you can eat the typical gastronomy of La Guajira, sleep in the beach or in "chinchorros", do a tour for the territory, know the wayuu culture and if you have time, you must go to Punta Gallinas to have a complete experience of La Guajira.
Our Guide was wonderful, he shows and told us all the places and mistakes of the Cabo, such as the souls in the Pilon de azucar or how the rainbows are formed in playa arcoiris.
La Guajira is a Magical place, it had many adventures to you
I love this place because it is a beautiful destination, a secluded place of the city weight with amazing landscapes, a place where the beach and the desert come together.
There, you can eat the typical gastronomy of La Guajira, sleep in the beach or in "chinchorros", do a tour for the territory, know the wayuu culture and if you have time, you must go to Punta Gallinas to have a complete experience of La Guajira.
Our Guide was wonderful, he shows and told us all the places and mistakes of the Cabo, such as the souls in the Pilon de azucar or how the rainbows are formed in playa arcoiris.
La Guajira is a Magical place, it had many adventures to you
Written 9 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Whitney S
2 contributions
Jan 2021
I was there on 1/2021 Cabo de la Vela, Guajira. The activities offered are: unforgettable views, delicious food and a visit to the desert and its beautiful beaches, with impressive sunsets.
The service was very good, the people are friendly and you can share with many of the great people and their culture.
What I liked the most was the starry night when I slept outside.
I would go back because you can breathe and feel peace. a good place to reconnect with yourself.
The service was very good, the people are friendly and you can share with many of the great people and their culture.
What I liked the most was the starry night when I slept outside.
I would go back because you can breathe and feel peace. a good place to reconnect with yourself.
Written 28 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julie V
Genk, Belgium3 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
Hi there,
I was wondering whicht tour orgainsation is the best to go on a two day tour to Cabo De La Vela?
I was wondering whicht tour orgainsation is the best to go on a two day tour to Cabo De La Vela?
Written 20 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pau JF
Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia12 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
The guide they assigned us was the worst guide, by far, of anyone we met during the tour. Just to say that after spending 3 days together he didn't learn our names. He only communicated with "photo and in 5 minutes in the car." He didn't even respond to our "good morning." We didn't learn anything about the "Wayú" culture through him but rather we had to ask other guides. There are more but this gives you the idea. For the rest, the site itself is recommended to go to, but definitely with another agency
Written 15 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
local_yokal2
Hollywood, FL8 contributions
Nov 2014 • Family
We just returned from a 5-day trip from Colombia which included Santa Marta, Camarones (Parque Natural Los Flamencos), the Taironaka Reserve (Don Diego River) and Cabo de la Vela. We have family in Colombia, so this trip was my 11th trip to Colombia in the past 9 years, so I am familiar with traveling in Colombia.
People rave about Cabo de la Vela and I have no idea why. It is an ideal place to kite surf and yes it has nice sunsets, but it's hardly worth the long, off road drive to get there. There is no tourism infrastructure, and certainly nothing charming, quaint, unique or inviting about Cabo de la Vela.
I'll start with the deal breaker on this one -- the attempted armed robbery. To get to Cabo de la Vela, it's about a 10 or 11 kilometer drive off-road through the desert. After our overnight stay, we started our journey to our next stop.
About 6 kilometers from the main tourist area, there were two men on the side of the road. One stepped into the middle the road, held a gun up in the air for us to see, then aimed the gun at our car. The second man was waiting on a motorcycle.
We stopped, put the car in reserve and started backing up at full speed. As soon as the man with the gun saw up backing up, he ran to his partner on the motor cycle, jumped on the back of the bike and started to follow us.
With the robbers in pursuit, we turned our car around and drove as fast as possible to the small military/police outpost. Somewhere before we reached the outpost, the robbers must of realized we were not going to cooperate and gave up.
At the outpost, the officers were ultra-professional and apologized for our unfortunate experience. To ensure our safety, they were kind enough to escort us to back to the main paved road. It seems we were not the first attempted armed robbery and armed robbery a new source of revenue for the locals. I guess the robbers don't understand the threat of armed robbery is a deterrent for many tourists.
As for Cabo de la Vela itself, there is no infrastructure of any kind to support tourism. Accommodations are very basic, which I usually don't mind for a couple days. We slept in rented hammocks on the beach. Since there were 6 people in our group this seemed quite safe, however if i was by myself or traveling with just one other person, I probably would not have made the same choice.
People seems to enjoying partying on the beach all night, so there was always loud music, and generally rowdiness. Nice if you want to party all night, but not if you are there to enjoy the quiet beauty of nature.
Any time we were sitting or standing in one location for more than a few minutes we were approached by kids/woman selling handicrafts, which I get because everyone needs to earn money to live, but it was constant and not enjoyable.
One member of our group left her tennis shoes by her hammock and they were stolen. OK, I get that also, people steal stuff so why would Cabo de la Vela be immune from petty crime? Not a biggie, but it did not help win any points for our experience.
To sum up my thoughts on Cabo de la Vela: If you want to have a quiet, relaxing experience, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you want to swim in a warm ocean, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you need to sleep in a clean bed with a fan to help keep the mosquitoes away and to keep cool, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you want to experience Wayuu culture, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you want to feel welcomed as a tourist or adventure traveler, skip Cabo del la Vela.
If you want to drive a long way to simple but pretty beach and you are a die-hard kite surfer enthusiast, you might like Cabo de la Vela. So other than the kite surfing, I cannot think of any other reason to go to Cabo de la Vela, especially if the locals continue to allow the armed robberies/attempted robberies. So save your time and money and skip Cabo de la Vela and go somewhere with a little developed, a little safer and a better representation of the beauty and warmth Colombia has to offer.
People rave about Cabo de la Vela and I have no idea why. It is an ideal place to kite surf and yes it has nice sunsets, but it's hardly worth the long, off road drive to get there. There is no tourism infrastructure, and certainly nothing charming, quaint, unique or inviting about Cabo de la Vela.
I'll start with the deal breaker on this one -- the attempted armed robbery. To get to Cabo de la Vela, it's about a 10 or 11 kilometer drive off-road through the desert. After our overnight stay, we started our journey to our next stop.
About 6 kilometers from the main tourist area, there were two men on the side of the road. One stepped into the middle the road, held a gun up in the air for us to see, then aimed the gun at our car. The second man was waiting on a motorcycle.
We stopped, put the car in reserve and started backing up at full speed. As soon as the man with the gun saw up backing up, he ran to his partner on the motor cycle, jumped on the back of the bike and started to follow us.
With the robbers in pursuit, we turned our car around and drove as fast as possible to the small military/police outpost. Somewhere before we reached the outpost, the robbers must of realized we were not going to cooperate and gave up.
At the outpost, the officers were ultra-professional and apologized for our unfortunate experience. To ensure our safety, they were kind enough to escort us to back to the main paved road. It seems we were not the first attempted armed robbery and armed robbery a new source of revenue for the locals. I guess the robbers don't understand the threat of armed robbery is a deterrent for many tourists.
As for Cabo de la Vela itself, there is no infrastructure of any kind to support tourism. Accommodations are very basic, which I usually don't mind for a couple days. We slept in rented hammocks on the beach. Since there were 6 people in our group this seemed quite safe, however if i was by myself or traveling with just one other person, I probably would not have made the same choice.
People seems to enjoying partying on the beach all night, so there was always loud music, and generally rowdiness. Nice if you want to party all night, but not if you are there to enjoy the quiet beauty of nature.
Any time we were sitting or standing in one location for more than a few minutes we were approached by kids/woman selling handicrafts, which I get because everyone needs to earn money to live, but it was constant and not enjoyable.
One member of our group left her tennis shoes by her hammock and they were stolen. OK, I get that also, people steal stuff so why would Cabo de la Vela be immune from petty crime? Not a biggie, but it did not help win any points for our experience.
To sum up my thoughts on Cabo de la Vela: If you want to have a quiet, relaxing experience, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you want to swim in a warm ocean, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you need to sleep in a clean bed with a fan to help keep the mosquitoes away and to keep cool, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you want to experience Wayuu culture, skip Cabo de la Vela. If you want to feel welcomed as a tourist or adventure traveler, skip Cabo del la Vela.
If you want to drive a long way to simple but pretty beach and you are a die-hard kite surfer enthusiast, you might like Cabo de la Vela. So other than the kite surfing, I cannot think of any other reason to go to Cabo de la Vela, especially if the locals continue to allow the armed robberies/attempted robberies. So save your time and money and skip Cabo de la Vela and go somewhere with a little developed, a little safer and a better representation of the beauty and warmth Colombia has to offer.
Written 1 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Margaux
Paris, France36 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
La Guajira is a very nice trip (Cabo de la Vela and then Punta Gallinas). Different tours can be booked directly in Cabo de la Vela.
Don't book or stay in with "Toti", they seem nice but are thief. They make the price they want. Plus my camera has been stolen near the hamacs, while in other places of Cabo, it was very safe to let things while going swimming or eating. They are not helping at all...
Don't book or stay in with "Toti", they seem nice but are thief. They make the price they want. Plus my camera has been stolen near the hamacs, while in other places of Cabo, it was very safe to let things while going swimming or eating. They are not helping at all...
Written 30 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mlerth
Bogota, Colombia101 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
Plenty of accommodation here, no need to book in advance. Mostly hammocks that go for around 10000 or 15000 per night or larger more comfortable 'chinchorros' I think around COP20000 (I recommend them).
If you stay along the populated part of town (a stretch of about a 20min walk), it may be more noisy at night and more chance of partying tourists/locals as it's near all the bars. If you want more peaceful, there are a few places to stay further along the road around the curve of the bay, just know there's no shade so the walk is hot - often there are frequently passing locals who will take you up and down the road for COP1000/2000 - harder to find later in the night, but then again the walk at night is lovely, and to me felt safe (two of us walkig together).
The journey here is not for the frail - it’s a long VERY bumpy ride. If you get motion sickness definitely take your medicine. Absolutely picturesque, interesting, unique landscape all the way though. I loved it.
Not much to do and see here in general, unless you kite surf, so be prepared to just ‘relax’ and take in the desert coast - whcih I think is loevly and tranquil but I'm happy just sitting on the beach in a hammock for a week with a book and a beer.
If you choose to find a ride to Cabo de la Vela from Uribia, be warned you might be in for a long wait until the truck/car fills up (unless you want to pay for the whole vehicle - if so you’ll have to pay for the empty seats). We waited 4 hours in Uribia to fill the 8-seater 4WD. They initially said they’d leave in half an hour but ‘half an hour’ it seems is much more flexible amount of time than usual…
I recommend when deciding on transport anywhere (if you want to be more comfortable - although it’s so bumpy nothing is really ‘comfortable’ by most definitions) to check how many people maximum they’ll fit in the car/bus AND how much ‘shopping’ they’ll load in - in our 8 seater vehicle there were sacks of groceries taking up 2 seats but they still fit 8 people in the 8-seater. It wasn’t very comfortable…but there are also open air trucks that pack people/goods in like sardines so that’s another cheaper option and those trucks leave more frequently as they fill up faster…so it all depends what you want/can cope with. One way from Uribia to Cabo de la Vela was COP20000 per person in the 8 seater for us.
If you want to go here and Punta Gallinas, best get a kind of 'tour package' - but before you choose a tour get confirmation of everything you’re expecting, including transport to and from wherever you’re going and if they are including various things, get them to put it in writing on your ‘ticket’, otherwise there will be misunderstandings at the wrong end (and there are some dubious tour operators so be wary). To get a good deal you can often negotiate free accommodation in Cabo de la Vela or Riohacha included in your ‘package’, so make sure you negotiate.
We paid COP150000 which included all of the following: Two nights hammocks stay in Cabo de la Vela, being driven to the lighthouse/Faro and Pilon of Sugar and the ‘turtle’ shaped cove at Cabo de le Vela, The Drive from Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas and the drive from Punta de Gallinas back to Uribia. Also included was transport to the lighthouse/faro at Punta Galinas, another beach, and also transport to the Dunes (entry to the dunes is extra as it's a protacted zone now, but it's worth it and very peaceful - not like some stories you hear from some of the more dubious tour operators).
Get a receipt when you pay for any tour package that details everything you're paying for so there's no confusion/arguments as often the same people are not at the other end of your journey. If going to Punta Gallinas from here, allow an extra day in your itinerary as leeway in case you have to wait a day to fill a car to go. I'm not sure how common this is but good to be aware it sometimes happens.
Food and drinks here aren't that cheap as it's obviously hard to get stuff here. But prices vary wildly depending on how rich you look so feel free to negotiate. Hostels usually charge more for food than the restaurants. I recommend not choosing to eat in places that are obviously just people's houses with a makehisft sign saying breakfast and lunch - the food in many of these places is terrible and a rip-off. Places that actually look like they cook for a living are a better bet.
Bring water and snack with you from Uribia/Riohacha as it's expensive here.
There are two good juice bars that do fresh juices and great cocktails - the juices are COP5000/6000 and cocktails are COP10000.
Decent Gin and tonics can be found in a couple of bars for COP15000. The important info.
If you stay along the populated part of town (a stretch of about a 20min walk), it may be more noisy at night and more chance of partying tourists/locals as it's near all the bars. If you want more peaceful, there are a few places to stay further along the road around the curve of the bay, just know there's no shade so the walk is hot - often there are frequently passing locals who will take you up and down the road for COP1000/2000 - harder to find later in the night, but then again the walk at night is lovely, and to me felt safe (two of us walkig together).
The journey here is not for the frail - it’s a long VERY bumpy ride. If you get motion sickness definitely take your medicine. Absolutely picturesque, interesting, unique landscape all the way though. I loved it.
Not much to do and see here in general, unless you kite surf, so be prepared to just ‘relax’ and take in the desert coast - whcih I think is loevly and tranquil but I'm happy just sitting on the beach in a hammock for a week with a book and a beer.
If you choose to find a ride to Cabo de la Vela from Uribia, be warned you might be in for a long wait until the truck/car fills up (unless you want to pay for the whole vehicle - if so you’ll have to pay for the empty seats). We waited 4 hours in Uribia to fill the 8-seater 4WD. They initially said they’d leave in half an hour but ‘half an hour’ it seems is much more flexible amount of time than usual…
I recommend when deciding on transport anywhere (if you want to be more comfortable - although it’s so bumpy nothing is really ‘comfortable’ by most definitions) to check how many people maximum they’ll fit in the car/bus AND how much ‘shopping’ they’ll load in - in our 8 seater vehicle there were sacks of groceries taking up 2 seats but they still fit 8 people in the 8-seater. It wasn’t very comfortable…but there are also open air trucks that pack people/goods in like sardines so that’s another cheaper option and those trucks leave more frequently as they fill up faster…so it all depends what you want/can cope with. One way from Uribia to Cabo de la Vela was COP20000 per person in the 8 seater for us.
If you want to go here and Punta Gallinas, best get a kind of 'tour package' - but before you choose a tour get confirmation of everything you’re expecting, including transport to and from wherever you’re going and if they are including various things, get them to put it in writing on your ‘ticket’, otherwise there will be misunderstandings at the wrong end (and there are some dubious tour operators so be wary). To get a good deal you can often negotiate free accommodation in Cabo de la Vela or Riohacha included in your ‘package’, so make sure you negotiate.
We paid COP150000 which included all of the following: Two nights hammocks stay in Cabo de la Vela, being driven to the lighthouse/Faro and Pilon of Sugar and the ‘turtle’ shaped cove at Cabo de le Vela, The Drive from Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas and the drive from Punta de Gallinas back to Uribia. Also included was transport to the lighthouse/faro at Punta Galinas, another beach, and also transport to the Dunes (entry to the dunes is extra as it's a protacted zone now, but it's worth it and very peaceful - not like some stories you hear from some of the more dubious tour operators).
Get a receipt when you pay for any tour package that details everything you're paying for so there's no confusion/arguments as often the same people are not at the other end of your journey. If going to Punta Gallinas from here, allow an extra day in your itinerary as leeway in case you have to wait a day to fill a car to go. I'm not sure how common this is but good to be aware it sometimes happens.
Food and drinks here aren't that cheap as it's obviously hard to get stuff here. But prices vary wildly depending on how rich you look so feel free to negotiate. Hostels usually charge more for food than the restaurants. I recommend not choosing to eat in places that are obviously just people's houses with a makehisft sign saying breakfast and lunch - the food in many of these places is terrible and a rip-off. Places that actually look like they cook for a living are a better bet.
Bring water and snack with you from Uribia/Riohacha as it's expensive here.
There are two good juice bars that do fresh juices and great cocktails - the juices are COP5000/6000 and cocktails are COP10000.
Decent Gin and tonics can be found in a couple of bars for COP15000. The important info.
Written 20 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert W
10 contributions
Aug 2017 • Couples
To be honest, if all goes right then I see no problem with booking with Toti. However if things go wrong, this guy is not there to help you in solving the problem. At the moment we were there it started to rain heavily and this does not happen often in the dessert. The next morning we left early for the tour to Punta Gallinas. The roads were really muddy and we got stuck a couple of times, because Toti drives in 2WD jeeps and not 4x4 like the other tourcompanies. At one point we needed to return back to Cabo de la Vela without informing the whole group what was going to happen. Finally they informed us that we would continue by boat to Punta Gallinas, but only if we pay extra. The whole group refused but some people did not want to continue the tour, because we would arrive really late and miss everything we booked for and we would leave early morning the next day. In the port these people were given the option to get in the boat really quick or they would be stranded there and we would leave without them. Everything went well until settlement of the bill in Punta Gallinas. You pre-book and pay with Toti your Punta Gallinas tour, but Toti didn't pay the tour company in Punta Gallinas so they asked us to pay them. This got resolved luckily without us paying extra. However when we got back by boat in the port only one car was there instead of three. As this was the car of another tourcompany the cars of Toti didn't response to any call. Finally they showed up and wanting money from all of us. After some people of the group got threatened again with no transport back to Uribia or Cabo de la Vela everything escalated with a car leaving with all the backpacks inside, but without the people. Luckily a brave guy of our group jumped on the roof of the car and the car stopped. There was no other choice to pay all and hope we would arrive safely in Uribia.
Written 7 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelingPumpkin
Colombia81 contributions
Dec 2016 • Family
Yes, reaching Cabo de la Vela takes a lot of effort but you won't regret it.
From Riohacha to Cabo de la Vela we spent around 5 hours since we had to stop for breakfast (we left Riohacha at 4 am), the road has lots of potholes and it's really long. All buildings are left behind at Riohacha, you'll encounter a road in the middle of the desertic jungle with few rancherias (Wayuu people homes), and from time to time kids will approach you on the road just to get candies, water or anything for them. Keep in mind that part of Colombia is very very poor and for them getting water is really difficult. So we got tons of bottles of water since you'll find these "tolls" with kids asking for anything you can give them.
We went after the rainy season so along the road there were little ponds of water where you could see different kind of birds which was really nice, you'll see goats as well along the road. After a looooooong way going north you'll find an entrance for Cabo de la Vela, however our driver told us that the easiest path was further away since this one was kind of dangerous at the moment (in terms of holes in the road). We went with a little bus, a service we rented thanks to our hotel. We asked we wanted to go there and they gave us several transportation options and contacts, at the end we got a little bus. The hotel provided us with breakfast for take away (sandwiches, coffee and juice).
So we, of course, had to go further away almost reaching the entrance to the Cerrejon port. We even passed by the Parque Eólico, it was a great view seeing the big windmills against the blue sea. After tiring hours we reached Cabo de la Vela.
Locals are very friendly, as soon as you arrive they'll offer their services: rancherias so you can stay overnight, restaurants or fun activities like visiting Playa Dorada and Pilón de Azúcar.
We chose a restaurant in the middle of the village. There were a lot of Wayuu women with their beautiful handcrafts and others were in the middle of making them as well. We got a pair of mochilas from them, here they are cheaper than those from Riohacha so of course I had to get more from this beautiful place.
The village is calm and there's a lot of rancherias where you can stay. Unfortunately, that wasn't our plan so we couldn't see the places there. Once thing to keep in mind here, water is expensive and difficult to get so please pay attention to that. For instance we needed to use the toilet and they were dirty (due to people getting sand and salt water there) and we had to "flush" it while getting a bucket with water inside the toilet. For me it wasn't a big deal since I've been to places like these but I noting that here since people can see how things are here. There's no luxury here that's for sure.
The water is really calm! Not waves whatsoever that's why the place is great for kitesurfing and windsurfing best activities to do here. We swim a little but after a while we got bored and decided to take part of one of the activities: going to Playa Dorada and Pilón de Azúcar. We were told by locals that beach was way better.
You had to bargain with a jeep driver in Cabo de la Vela so he can take you there. These jeeps are big so you can fit like 7 or 8. We manage to get there with a low price since we joined another group that wanted to go there.
The beach is like 4-5 minutes from there.
We reached this place and let me tell you the beach was really beautiful and the view incredible!! Pilón de Azúcar is a little hill with a shrine up there. When you get there the view is breathtaking! Gorgeous blue mixed with the sand of the desert, you'll see Cabo de la Vela from there with all the rancherias as well as Parque Eólico further away. We took incredible photos and we had tons of fun with the other group we joined with.
Going down we went to Playa Dorada and the water was really nice and refreshing! Lots of fun waves. We stayed there for around an hour since the jeep service is moving between places constantly and you want to go back since there's no rancherias there.
Back in cabo de la vela, we had our lunch which was really delicious, fresh fish and it was huge! The rest of the afternoon we spent swimming and walking the village where you'll see how locals live. They'll greet you cheerfully and of course they'll offer some of their products as well.
Sadly, we couldn't stay there for the sunset view since the bus driver told us we didn't want to reach Riohacha so late as road is dangerous. So we had to left this beautiful place sooner than expected. However, I really enjoyed the place and the culture. It is a little isolated but worth the visit.
A magnificent place with lovely people and a calm beach where you can get away from the noise of the city and connect more with the chill side of life.
Don't miss visiting Cabo de la Vela. Totally worth it!
From Riohacha to Cabo de la Vela we spent around 5 hours since we had to stop for breakfast (we left Riohacha at 4 am), the road has lots of potholes and it's really long. All buildings are left behind at Riohacha, you'll encounter a road in the middle of the desertic jungle with few rancherias (Wayuu people homes), and from time to time kids will approach you on the road just to get candies, water or anything for them. Keep in mind that part of Colombia is very very poor and for them getting water is really difficult. So we got tons of bottles of water since you'll find these "tolls" with kids asking for anything you can give them.
We went after the rainy season so along the road there were little ponds of water where you could see different kind of birds which was really nice, you'll see goats as well along the road. After a looooooong way going north you'll find an entrance for Cabo de la Vela, however our driver told us that the easiest path was further away since this one was kind of dangerous at the moment (in terms of holes in the road). We went with a little bus, a service we rented thanks to our hotel. We asked we wanted to go there and they gave us several transportation options and contacts, at the end we got a little bus. The hotel provided us with breakfast for take away (sandwiches, coffee and juice).
So we, of course, had to go further away almost reaching the entrance to the Cerrejon port. We even passed by the Parque Eólico, it was a great view seeing the big windmills against the blue sea. After tiring hours we reached Cabo de la Vela.
Locals are very friendly, as soon as you arrive they'll offer their services: rancherias so you can stay overnight, restaurants or fun activities like visiting Playa Dorada and Pilón de Azúcar.
We chose a restaurant in the middle of the village. There were a lot of Wayuu women with their beautiful handcrafts and others were in the middle of making them as well. We got a pair of mochilas from them, here they are cheaper than those from Riohacha so of course I had to get more from this beautiful place.
The village is calm and there's a lot of rancherias where you can stay. Unfortunately, that wasn't our plan so we couldn't see the places there. Once thing to keep in mind here, water is expensive and difficult to get so please pay attention to that. For instance we needed to use the toilet and they were dirty (due to people getting sand and salt water there) and we had to "flush" it while getting a bucket with water inside the toilet. For me it wasn't a big deal since I've been to places like these but I noting that here since people can see how things are here. There's no luxury here that's for sure.
The water is really calm! Not waves whatsoever that's why the place is great for kitesurfing and windsurfing best activities to do here. We swim a little but after a while we got bored and decided to take part of one of the activities: going to Playa Dorada and Pilón de Azúcar. We were told by locals that beach was way better.
You had to bargain with a jeep driver in Cabo de la Vela so he can take you there. These jeeps are big so you can fit like 7 or 8. We manage to get there with a low price since we joined another group that wanted to go there.
The beach is like 4-5 minutes from there.
We reached this place and let me tell you the beach was really beautiful and the view incredible!! Pilón de Azúcar is a little hill with a shrine up there. When you get there the view is breathtaking! Gorgeous blue mixed with the sand of the desert, you'll see Cabo de la Vela from there with all the rancherias as well as Parque Eólico further away. We took incredible photos and we had tons of fun with the other group we joined with.
Going down we went to Playa Dorada and the water was really nice and refreshing! Lots of fun waves. We stayed there for around an hour since the jeep service is moving between places constantly and you want to go back since there's no rancherias there.
Back in cabo de la vela, we had our lunch which was really delicious, fresh fish and it was huge! The rest of the afternoon we spent swimming and walking the village where you'll see how locals live. They'll greet you cheerfully and of course they'll offer some of their products as well.
Sadly, we couldn't stay there for the sunset view since the bus driver told us we didn't want to reach Riohacha so late as road is dangerous. So we had to left this beautiful place sooner than expected. However, I really enjoyed the place and the culture. It is a little isolated but worth the visit.
A magnificent place with lovely people and a calm beach where you can get away from the noise of the city and connect more with the chill side of life.
Don't miss visiting Cabo de la Vela. Totally worth it!
Written 2 January 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rapha_y_nici
Zurich, Switzerland5,938 contributions
Aug 2017 • Friends
That was a very good idea to get there! Already the city of Riohacha was not that touristic anymore and to continue from there was also kind of an adventure!
We didn't book a tour and just tried to get there without a lead. At our hostel in Riohacha (Bona Vida Hostel, great place by the way) we asked if they can arrange a colectivo taxi in the morning. Colectivo taxi is normal car for 4 passengers and brings you for cheap 15'000cop pp in about 70minutes to Uribía (very comfortable and it leaves when there are 4people).
Tell the colectivo driver you want to go to Cabo de la Vela and you can jump off where the jeeps for the further ride leave.
After about 20min our jeep was full (were 5 people) and we could leave to Cabo de la Vela, cost was 20'000 pp, very fair price. The jeep was quiet in a good state and he drove save (driver Oswaldo, good guy, spanish speaking).
Important: buy snacks and a lot of water here in Uribia where you change to the jeep. (Total price for transport from Riohacha to Cabo 35'000cop pp, very fair for this remote region).
After about 1.5h bumby road (but was not the worst road ever) we arrived in Cabo de la Vela. Didn't have any reservation, so he brought us to Eoletto surf and kite Hostel where we easily got three Chinchorros for 25'000pp, good price (normal hammocks were 15k).
We took the number of Oswaldo to have the possibilty to arrange the transfer if we want to go further to Punta Gallinas (wrote him via whatsapp in spanish). In Cabo there was a bit wifi and the Claro sim card had connection as well.
Cabo de la Vela was as well beautiful and nice to relax for us as non kiters. For wind- & kite surfers it must be one of the best spots according to what some surfers said and the ongoing breeze we could feel.
Except of surfing there is not that much to do, but hanging out a bit and try kite surfing (cheaper than at least in europe) it's very nice and there are very few people!
Bring sunscreen and maybe also a light jacket, we heared it can get cool in the evening/night. When we've been there we just wore tshirt. Bring also money, especially if you want to surf, there is no ATM.
After Cabo we went to Punta Gallinas, arranged transport with Oswaldo via whatsapp. Was working great. The transport to Punta Gallinas startet at 5am in the morning and took about 5hours including 2 breaks of about 30-40 hours. This transport from Cabo to PGallinas and on the next day back from Punta Gallinas to Uribia and a little tour to the dunes and the faro around PGallinas (except meals and hammock) cost us 150'000cop pp what we thought was very fair for this remote region and transportation in jeeps. Can recommend it. Read as well reviews for Punta Gallinas.
Overall, as well as non surfers it was a great experience! Maybe it's easier by tour because everything is organized, but it was not that dificult without. The people are all very nice and relaxed! Highly recommended and in the end it was easier to get there than expected.
We didn't book a tour and just tried to get there without a lead. At our hostel in Riohacha (Bona Vida Hostel, great place by the way) we asked if they can arrange a colectivo taxi in the morning. Colectivo taxi is normal car for 4 passengers and brings you for cheap 15'000cop pp in about 70minutes to Uribía (very comfortable and it leaves when there are 4people).
Tell the colectivo driver you want to go to Cabo de la Vela and you can jump off where the jeeps for the further ride leave.
After about 20min our jeep was full (were 5 people) and we could leave to Cabo de la Vela, cost was 20'000 pp, very fair price. The jeep was quiet in a good state and he drove save (driver Oswaldo, good guy, spanish speaking).
Important: buy snacks and a lot of water here in Uribia where you change to the jeep. (Total price for transport from Riohacha to Cabo 35'000cop pp, very fair for this remote region).
After about 1.5h bumby road (but was not the worst road ever) we arrived in Cabo de la Vela. Didn't have any reservation, so he brought us to Eoletto surf and kite Hostel where we easily got three Chinchorros for 25'000pp, good price (normal hammocks were 15k).
We took the number of Oswaldo to have the possibilty to arrange the transfer if we want to go further to Punta Gallinas (wrote him via whatsapp in spanish). In Cabo there was a bit wifi and the Claro sim card had connection as well.
Cabo de la Vela was as well beautiful and nice to relax for us as non kiters. For wind- & kite surfers it must be one of the best spots according to what some surfers said and the ongoing breeze we could feel.
Except of surfing there is not that much to do, but hanging out a bit and try kite surfing (cheaper than at least in europe) it's very nice and there are very few people!
Bring sunscreen and maybe also a light jacket, we heared it can get cool in the evening/night. When we've been there we just wore tshirt. Bring also money, especially if you want to surf, there is no ATM.
After Cabo we went to Punta Gallinas, arranged transport with Oswaldo via whatsapp. Was working great. The transport to Punta Gallinas startet at 5am in the morning and took about 5hours including 2 breaks of about 30-40 hours. This transport from Cabo to PGallinas and on the next day back from Punta Gallinas to Uribia and a little tour to the dunes and the faro around PGallinas (except meals and hammock) cost us 150'000cop pp what we thought was very fair for this remote region and transportation in jeeps. Can recommend it. Read as well reviews for Punta Gallinas.
Overall, as well as non surfers it was a great experience! Maybe it's easier by tour because everything is organized, but it was not that dificult without. The people are all very nice and relaxed! Highly recommended and in the end it was easier to get there than expected.
Written 16 August 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Buenas noches Alguien me podri recomendar una agencia para un pasadia al cabo de la vela. Mil gracias
Written 10 January 2023
¿Alguien fue al cabo de la vela desde riohacha sin utilizar tour sino que por cuenta propia? ¿Como le fue al momento de devolverse a riohacha? Gracias
Written 20 October 2020
Yo no lo recomiendo pues no hay vías señalizadas y te puedes perder.
Written 28 March 2021
Buenas tardes. Alguno de ustedes fue al Cabo de la Vela en un Tour? Pueden recomendarme una empresa para ello? Muchas gracias
Written 29 March 2019
Muchas gracias. Estamos hoy finalizando nuestra travesía por la Alta Guajira. Fuimos con Magic Tour por 4 dias y tres noches. Viaje absolutamente inolvidable. Fuimos hasta Nazaret y realizamos la caminata el PNN de La Macuira. Al igual que tú, para nosotros tambien la amabilidad y la increible actitud de nuestro Guía y Conductor Jesus Mendoza fue fundamental y muy importante durante todo el viaje. Es admirable su trabajo. Verdad?
Written 2 July 2019
hola Jaime lei tu comentario y otros tu crees que es mejor reservar antes de ir. o llegar alla y mirar que hay?
Written 16 February 2018
Hola, En temporada baja o media no hay que reservar sin embargo en alta temporada es recomendado y sobre todo llegar de dia
Written 20 November 2018
Hola, una consulta, en cuanto tiempo hicieron este recorrido? cuantos dias gastaron en estar en Riohacha y volviendo a ella
Written 26 January 2018
Hola Felipe, me podrías dar por favor un teléfono del nuevo mundo en el cabo de l vela?gracias
Cristina
Written 5 September 2017
Hola! pienso ir en estos días al cabo de la vela, no veo que hablen de zonas de camping....hay rancherias u hostales donde aluilen el espacio para acampar?
Written 1 September 2016
Heyy,
could you tell us which what company you did the trip?
Just to know what to avoid :)
Written 19 March 2016
Hey :) if you mean the Tour from cabo to punta gallina (only transport): we booked with monchilero and it was fine. Just dont book with Toti Jr., this guy is crazy and we had a really bad experience with him. We almost booked there because he is a bit cheaper : 120 000 for punta gallina and a Tour in cabo. But as we heard some things about him we told him that we wont. Then he was following us and standing at night in front of our room-door, where we were sleeping, knocking and calling us, and when we openend he insulted and kept harassing us. First he looked sympathique because he tries to catch you, but when you decide not to do the tour with him he doesnt let you go and keeps molesting you. We didnt feel safe at all (because cabo is not that safe anyway) and finally changed our hotel room, because Toti was drinking with the hotel guys next to our door (caracol hotel which we would not recommend either, better take something at the kitesurf beach). Toti still ows us 30000 Pesos and wont give it back. We aways had good experiences with people from Colombia but this guy really scared us. Luckily we didnt book with him in the end. After our experience we received more Information about him and found out that a lot of people had bad experiences: he says that things are included which in the end are not, he doesnt show up on tours, when you are in the car he suddenly wants a higher price than he said when you booked, and if you dont have the money he (or the people working for him) start insulting and threatening the clients, open their bags, dont let them go and others. I even heard some things about stealing but in the end no one can really say that it was him. There are so many possibilities to book the Tour, dont go with him!
Written 22 March 2018
Hola bien o no, una pregunta, planeo viajar al cabo de la vela con mi novia en mayo; me pueden decir en que parte en riohacha se consiguen tour economicos y en que horarios y lugar salen las camionetas hacia alli? Gracias.
Written 26 January 2016
normalmente las camionetas salen por la mañana,despues del desayuno y arriban al cabo al mediodia ya que te van mostrando parte de los sitios de mayor atraccion;pero tambien puedes irte hasta uribia tomando un automovil frente a la policia y ya en uribia consigues camionetas que te trasladan hasta el cabo y seguramente el plan te sale un poco mas economico,y asi mismo puedes regresar
Written 20 January 2017
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