El Valle

Take the only road south from Bahía Solano for about 20 kilometers (12.4 mi) and you’ll reach El Valle. Contrary to what its name would suggest, the town is distinctly un-valley like. El Valle is gradually stepping out of the shadow of its larger neighbor to the north, Bahía Solano, and El Almejal Nature Reserve is helping it become a destination in its own right.

For now, the town consists of two roads and a pathway to Playa Almejal. There has been a massive construction push along this beach, which looks like it could have some positive effects in this area.

Electricity cuts and communication problems are the norm. If you desperately need medical attention, or just want to run an errand, you must head north to Bahía Solano. When the weather is at its worst, provisions in El Valle become scarce. During one recent October, torrential rain caused several places to run out of beer!

Soak in everything, as little as that might be, that El Valle has to offer. The town’s skyline displays the spurs of the Baudo mountainous region and a variety of species of migrating birds. El Valle is also great for whale-watching trips. Hop on a launch from the expansive stretch of beach, which runs south from the town into the Utría National Park, and is populated by lazy dogs and coconut harvesters

(Altitude: 5 meters, City Code: 4)

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Other places nearby El Valle: Bahía Solano, Nuquí and Quibdó.