Love in the Time of Coca - Stephanie Pearson

villages and weed out locals whoact as liaisons to the drug runners.These days the cartels keepto themselves, and curious travelersfrom all over the world areattracted to El Cantil by its stunninglocation, fresh Chocóanmeals, and chic palafitos—clean,rustic, oceanside cottages lit byoil lamps and strung with hammocks.This week a high-levelinternational-developmentworker from the U.S. and his17-year-old son are here to surf;a Dutch real estate lawyer, hiswife, and two teenage daughterscame to watch migratingwhales; a professor of LatinAmerican history from NewYork City is here with her twokids to relax before school starts; and a youngAustralian mining executive and his Colombiangirlfriend are taking a romantic breakfrom Bogotá.“It’s actually nice to harbor the illusionthat people shouldn’t come here,” the U.S.aid executive told me as he and his son playedcards in the open-air dining room. “Sixmonths ago, my security team told me, ‘No,you can’t go to Chocó.’ I convinced them thatif there’s a problem, the local commandanteknows I’m here. I’ll just call the police. Theyknow everything that’s going on.”Once again, Colombia isn’t living up to itsdeadly reputation. What I’m seeing in frontof me is paradise—the turquoise Pacific,PANAMAPacificOceanCaribbeanSeaECUADORSantaMartaCartagenaSuarezRiverNuquí MedellínArmeniaCo rd i l l e raO c c i d e n t a lCaliCo rd i l l e raCe n t ra lCo rd i l l e raBogotáLa MacarenaC O L O M B I APERUO r i e n t a lAmazonRiver BasinNorth100 MILESblack-sand beaches, and so much greenerythat even the volcanic boulders sticking outof the ocean are covered in ferns and sproutingpalm trees.What are the odds of a catastrophic mishapfor a traveler veering off the beaten path?The answer depends on who you ask andwhere you are. Even the State Ddepartmenttravel warnings tend to flip-flop: “Securityin Colombia has improved significantly inrecent years,” but “terrorist activity remainsa threat throughout the country.” An unexpectedresult of the violence, however, isthat most Colombians, perhaps by psychologicalnecessity, crave peace and go out oftheir way to ensure that foreigners experienceit while on their soil.“Pablo was a real monster,but I chose the right path forme faster because I saw thatviolence,” Gómez told me atdinner one night. “What’sgoing on with this countrymakes us go deeper.”To attract more tourists,Termales, a fishing villageroughly three miles southof El Cantil, has capitalizedon what is literally its hottestasset: a sulfur spring.Using government funds,the people of Termalesbuilt a jungle spa with mudbaths, decks overlooking ariver, and beautiful concretepools. When we arrive, agroup of ten Germans in Speedos are soakingin the springs.Back at El Cantil, guests gather for a lunchof fresh tuna, coconut rice, fried plantains,and frosty Aguila beers. I nap in the hammock,then borrow a stand-up paddleboardfrom Gómez’s wife, Adriana. It’s late afternoon,and the water is choppy. I fall headlonginto the salty waves a few times before I syncup with the ocean. Finally, I find my balanceand paddle toward the sunlight.oVENEZUELABRAZILContributing editor STEPHANIEPEARSON (@Stephanieapears)WROTE ABOUT Fitness mogulbAHram Akradi IN September.Access andResourcesFor a DIY vacation in Colombia,stick to the well-traveledzones of the Caribbeancoast between Cartagena,Santa Marta, and TayronaNational Park; the midcountrybetween Cali, Medellín, andBogotá, which encompassesthe Coffee Triangle and LosNevados National Park; andthe Santander region north ofBogotá, with its deep canyonsand Class V white water onthe Suarez River. Guide HernanAcevedo can customize ajourney, visiting coffee plantationsand colonial cities throughVoyage Colombia (voyagecolombia.com). To veer fartheroff the grid, Acevedo will puttogether a trip through his newcompany, Colombian Backroads(colombianbackroads.com), which specializes inhiking, mountain biking, andother adventures and pairs youwith local, trusted guides. Howto Get There: Delta, Avianca,and United offer nonstopflights from New York Cityto Bogotá. Within Colombia,travel by bus or local airlines likeSatena (satena.com) and Ada(ada-aero.com). When to Go:For the Pacific coast, Januarythrough March and August arethe sunniest months; whalewatchingseason is July toOctober. December throughApril are the sunniest monthson the Caribbean. Bogotá andthe Coffee Triangle region arebest June through Septemberand December through March.Where to Stay: In Bogotá,the B.O.G. Hotel in the exclusiveCarrera neighborhood has arooftop bar and soothing interior(doubles, $209; boghotel.com). In Cartagena, theKkarmairi Hotel Spa, 15 minutesnorth of the city, is aBali-inspired caribbeanoasis (doubles from $232;karmairihotelspacartagena.com). Roughly 100 miles upthe coast, Santa Marta’s LaCasa del Farol Boutique Hotelhas six spacious rooms anda fresh-water pool overlookingthe Cathedral of Santa Marta(doubles from $176; lacasadelfarol.com). Just north ofSanta Marta in TayronaNnational Park, the EcohabsSanta Marta’s four-personcabanas sit on CanaveralBeach within a 15,000-acrereserve (doubles from $221;ecohabsantamarta.com).Nestled 5,000 feet up inthe cordillera Occidental,Mmedellín’s Hotel MedellínRoyal, in the Parque Pobladoneighborhood, is modern andsafe and has an excellentbreakfast next to the outdoorpool (doubles, $142; hotelesroyal.com). The HaciendaBbambusa, near Armenia in theCoffee Ttriangle, is an oasis onthe edge of a bamboo forest(doubles, $193; dev.zerofractal.net/haciendabambusa). Inthe Santander region, 215 milesnorth of Bogotá, you’ll find thewhitewater-rafting, rappelling,caving, and horseback-ridinghub of San Gil. Global Descentsruns three rivers on one eightdaytrip ($2,250 per person;globaldescents.com). And fortotal relaxation, head to thePacific coast and the El CantilEcolodge, just south of thevillage of Nuquí, which offerssurfing, whale-watching,stand-up paddleboarding,fishing, jungle hikes, birdwatching,and the best foodon the Pacific (doubles, $320for two nights; elcantil.com).88 OutsideMap by Hannah Velie