Surfing in Colombia

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By Lorena Fernández

Foaming at the top, they rise high and move fast towards the wide Colombian shore, which expands over 3,000 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Long ignored by surfers, Colombian waves are increasingly gaining attention both from locals and tourists at every skill level who want to ride the clear water on long boards. The best surfing spots in the country are on the Pacific coast, particularly the Department of Chocó, however, surfing is also popular in Cartagena de Indias in the Caribbean.

Surfing in Colombia has surpassed an amateur point and is now a major competitive sport at a national level, not to mention a popular destination often recommended by international surfing publications. Particularly, the city of Nuquí has become a major surfing destination because of its deserted beaches and diverse lodging options. Hotels like El Cantil organize surfing tours of two to five nights in which parties are taken in a motorboat to specific isolated surfing spots. They also have alliances with surfing schools like Olaviento Indoor, where beginners can learn to balance themselves on simulators before going out into the ocean.

El Chocó is the poorest department of Colombia; the rainfall of the land (considered one of the heaviest in the world) does not allow for much agriculture, and industrial development has lagged behind in the department. The potential for ecotourism is what gives locals an incentive of income, and as a result surfing tours and lessons have become popular.

The surfing culture of Colombia is blooming with talent as new generations learn the sport at earlier ages than they did 10 years ago. Kids of ages 5 and 6 are picking up boards and stroking up to waves, whereas the previous generations would start surfing at ages 15 and up. Events like the Circuito Nacional de Surf OP PRO 2008, have pulled considerable crowds to places like Cartagena, Parque Tayrona and Barrranquilla in order to proclaim a national champion, which is considered an elite athlete in the nation.

In the last decade over 40 national surfing competitions and three Latin American tournaments have taken place in the beaches of Colombia. Beginners and tourists looking for a lesson usually go to Terquito beach in Nuquí or La V beach in Puerto Colombia. Intermediate level surfers have a wide range of beaches from Mendihuaca and Los Naranjos in the department of Magdalena to Bahía Solano in Chocó to El Bolsillo in Puerto Colombia. Finally, experts looking for a challenge go to Pela Pela or Pico de Loro in Nuquí.

If you plan to surf in Magdalena, note that the best months to surf in the Caribbean coastline are December through March and July through September. The Pacific, however, is considered a higher quality surf coast.

Though surfing as a competitive sport is not widely known to be a South American specialty, most countries in the continent train and participate at national and international levels. Colombia holds some of the best surfing spots and is therefore developing a well-respected surfing community and getting Colombian surfers on the wavelength of world-renowned board riders.