Getting to and away from Riohacha

Getting to and away Types:
Getting to and away

By Lorraine Caputo

There are a variety of ways to get around Riohacha: busetas ($0.35), taxis ($1.30-1.60) and mototaxis ($0.50).

The bus terminal, at Calle 15 and Carrera 11A, has restaurants, a phone, shops and bathrooms.

To Maicao: Cootragua—every hour 5 a.m.-10 p.m., $2.65, 1 hour. Almirante Padilla—

half-hourly, $2.65, 1 hour.

To Maraciabo / Caracas Venezuela (direct): Brasilia—3:30 p.m. $23.65 / $76, 2.5 hours

/ 18 hours. Also Almirante Padilla.

To Palomino: Take a Santa Marta-bound bus as far as Palomino ($6.35).

To Santa Marta: Cootragua, Almirante Padilla and Brasilia—half-hourly, $8-10.50, 2.5

hours. Rápidos Ochoa—12:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m., $12.60. Copetrán—9 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., $11.60.

To Barranquilla: Cootragua, Almirante Padilla and Brasilia—half-hourly, $10.50-13.10,

4-5 hours. Rápidos Ochoa—12:15 p.m., 5:15 p.m., $14.10. Copetrán—9 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., $16.40.

To Cartagena: Cootragua, Almirante Padilla and Brasilia—half-hourly, $18.65-13.10, 6-

7 hours. Brasilia—hourly 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m., $24. Copetrán—9 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., $22.15.

To Valledupar / Bucaramanga: Copetrán—4 p.m., $8 / $48.50, 4 hours / 12 hours.

To Bogotá: Copetrán—3 p.m., $68.50, 24 hours. Brasilia, 3:15 p.m., $68.50, 20 hours.

Alternately, you can flag down a bus to your destination as it passes through town on Calle 15.

Shared taxis to Maicao leave from Calle 15 and Carrera 5 (5:30 a.m.-5 p.m., last from Maicao to Riohacha 6 p.m., $3); to Manaure and Uribia, from the same neighborhood. Collective taxis for Valledupar depart from Calle 15 and Carrera 10, across from the phone company; for Camarones, from Calle 15 and Carrera 7.

Camionetas (pick-ups trucks) to Manaure and Uribia leave from the large municipal market on Carrera 7, about 5 long blocks south of Calle 15.

Aeropuerto Almirante Padilla provides service to Bogotá (end of Carrera 11, south of Calle 15, Tel: 5-727-3854).