Pilón de Azúcar
A cone with views of sea and desert.
ROCHY HERNÁNDEZ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · ROCHY HERNÁNDEZ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kobaor — CC BY-SA 4.0 · John Eduar Pérez — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jucami07 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jorge Mahecha — CC BY-SA 3.0
Cabo de la Vela is a headland on the desert Guajira Peninsula with a small fishing village beside it, one of the best-known ecotourism destinations on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Its name means cape of the sail. Yellow desert meets turquoise water here, in a scene quite unlike the rest of Colombia. The Spanish explorer Juan de la Cosa saw it in 1499, among the first parts of the South American mainland seen by Europeans, and its pale headlands suggested a sail. Nikolaus Federmann founded the first settlement in the area here in 1535, moved to Riohacha in 1544. The Wayuu people still live here and call the place Jepirra, sacred as the spot where the souls of the dead go to join their ancestors. The best-known landmark is the cone of Pilón de Azúcar, climbed by a short path for a view of blue sea and desert in every direction. Nearby are the quiet beach of Ojo de Agua and a small lighthouse on a rocky point, good for the sunset. In the village you sleep in hammocks under thatched roofs and can buy woven Wayuu bags. Flamingos gather in the salt ponds around the cape. The cape is 109.9 km in a straight line north-east of Riohacha and 55.1 km north of Uribia. There is no paved road to the end, so most visitors come by four-wheel drive with a guide. The heat is strong, and rain is rare outside October and November. Bring cash and water, respect the Wayuu, and ask before photographing people, especially children.
A cone with views of sea and desert.
A quiet bay near the cape.
Sleeping under thatch in the village.
Guajira Peninsula, Uribia municipality
There is no paved road to the end, and most visitors come by four-wheel drive with a local guide.
In hammocks or simple rooms run by Wayuu families in the village, so do not expect hotels.