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District and city in La Guajira department, Colombia
Photo: Zero Gravity at English Wikipedia, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Riohacha is the capital of the department of La Guajira. The city with 188,000 inhabitants (2018) is on the Caribbean coast and the land behind the town is rather desert-like.
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Riohacha presents a much less touristy Colombian beach than what you will find in Barranquilla or Cartagena. The beach runs along the coast of the city and tends to be relatively crowded with locals and a smattering of Colombian tourists during the high season. You can also take a stroll out onto the pier where la virgen Mary awaits you at the end.
There are a couple of colonial churches in the downtown area.
Tasty Chinese restaurant with big portions of a main dish from COP$17,000 (Oct 2021). They have a menu card. As of Oct 2021 it's only take away.
It has a view on the beach. Tasty Spaghetti Bolognese for COP$17,000, and Salchipapa for COP$10,000. They also serve breakfast until 10:30AM for COP$7,000-12,000.
It's a delicious Colombian simple restaurant. They have a good variety of meat. A main dish plus soup and drink is from COP$8,000 . It's open from lunch time until 11:30PM. On Wednesdays it's closed.
Here you get three pieces of empanadas filled with shrimps for COP$10,000
With air conditioning and directly at the beach and the plaza. Dorm beds are for COP$30,000 and have a roller blind.
It is one block from the main plaza. Run by a great couple, they can tell you how to get to Cabo de la Vela and Punto Gallinas and can call one of the colectivos to pick you up from the door to take you to Uribia. Free breakfast and coffee, fast wifi, common room, lockers. The dorm is for COP$30,000 and without A/C.
Great German-owned hotel on the west side of the beach. At the hotel there is a branch of Kai Ecotravel, who was the first offering La Guajira tours for the big public.
Opened in 2013 by a Canadian expat and his Colombian wife. The different rooms are around a nice courtyard, where the breakfast is being served. The owners help you with organizing tours to La Guajira.
Hammocks for 18.000$ or bed in a dormitory for 25.000$ (both with A/C and fans). You can use the kitchen. People on the reception are really kind and can help you organizing tours to Cabo la Vela and other places.
Wifi available in reception. Opposite the market, 3 blocks east of the bus terminal, take a left just after the park. The hotel is tucked between a few jewelry stores, it might be easier to find at night as the shops that flank the entrance are closed.
It has 2 ATMs.
By bus
The Terminal de Transporte is 1 km south of the city centre at junction Caerera 11 and Avenida El Progreso. A taxi to the centre is COP$5,000 (Oct 2021). Buses of Expreso Brasilia/Unitransco go:
Downtown Riohacha is very walkable. There's nothing much to see outside of the ten or so square blocks around the ocean. If you need to take some wheels, it's easy to hail a cab.
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Riohacha · Regional · RCH
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