Chocó Overview

By Richard McColl

Chocó is one of the least visited departments of Colombia, and yet it is one with perhaps the largest helping of natural wonders. The whole area is covered by humid tropical rainforest, which, from the air, appears as if it has been poured onto the land. Its geography, consisting of impenetrable forests, swollen rivers and nearly six meters of annual rainfall, make this one of the wettest and most bio-diverse places on the planet.

Former African slaves and Embera Indians now populate the department that is recognized for its poverty—earlier in 2007 it was widely reported when a number of children in the Chocó died of starvation—and its lack of infrastructure. Slowly the region is opening thanks to slowly increased tourism and prospectors keen on exploiting the area’s excessive natural and mineral resources.

Security in the Chocó can be an issue, due mainly to the coastline’s role in the country’s illegal drug and arms trade. These issues make it a hotly disputed region between the government and the guerrillas, and common sense is essential for travelers.