Isla Gorgona

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Isla Gorgona is an island in the Pacific Ocean near Colombia.

	isla gorgona Travel Guide : 1 Understand 1.1 History 1.2 Landscape 1.3 Flora and fauna 1.4 Climate 2 Get in 3 Fees/Permits 4 Get around 5 See 6 Do 7 Buy 8 Eat 9 Drink 10 Sleep 11 Stay safe 12 External links

Understand

Parque Nacional Natural Isla Gorgona is an small island 30 kilometres out of the Colombian coast.

History

It was a prison island, but now it is national park. Some of the prisons are converted into a research centre, accommodation and a restaurant. The rest is overgrown by jungle and can be visited.

Landscape

Flora and fauna

The island is covered with tropical forest. The island is famous for it's poisonous snakes. Further inhabitants includes monkeys, endemic lizards, pelicans and more. The ocean is roamed by sea turtles, whales, whalesharks, whitetip sharks and a lot of other fish species.

Climate

Warm and wet.

Get in

There are several ways to get in.

• The cheapest is a cargo boat from Buenaventura. The boats leaves at 4pm and arrives 2am (you don't have to pay this night on the island), but it is usually late. Don't leave with an empty stomach (it's possible to buy food on the boat) and take medicine against motion sickness with you.

• If you are with a group off 10 people or more it's possible to arrange a faster boat from Buenaventure.

• There are also boats going from Guapi which take only four hours, but the only way to get to Guapi is by airplane.

If your boat out of the island doesn't show up, you get a free night on the island.

It is not allowed to bring alcohol to the island. Bags are sometimes checked on entrance. Confiscated goods will be returned at your departure. On departure bags are sometimes checked for corals or endangered animal species.

A vaccination against yellow fever is required, and vaccinations against hepatitis B and tetanus are advised to get in.

Fees/Permits

The entrance to the park is COP$ 20.000 and has to be payed in advanced together with the cost of accommodation. The easiest way is to arrange it in person in the office in Bogotá, but it's also possible to arrange by phone and fax.

Bogotá: Oficina de Ecoturismo, Carrera 10 N. 20-30 piso 4. Tel: 2431634 2433095, Fax: 2434174.

The office in Cali can provide useful information: Territorial Suroccidente en Santiago de Cali, Avenida 3 G No. 37N-70 (Barrio Prados del Norte), Tel: (092) 6656124 / 6543719/ 6543720/ 6658084/ 6654261 (mmambiente@emcali.net.co).

Get around

Access to the park is restricted. You're only allowed without a guide on the area, called El Poblado between the accommodations and the dive shop. With a (free) guide it is possible to visit the former prison area and the one trail leading to the other side of the island.

See

Do

• Diving is the main reason people visit this island. There is one dive shop. The prices are low and the equipment is what you expect for that price. The dive sites are amazing and it is likely you see seaturtles, moreens and whitefin sharks. If you are really lucky you might see a whale or a whaleshark. It's possible to do a PADI open water or a PADI advance course.

Buy

There is nothing to buy on the island, so take everything you need with you.

Eat

There is only one restaurant. The meals are good, but prepare for lots of seafood and rice. A breakfast cost COP$5.000, lunch and dinner COP$13.000.

Drink

Sleep

Accommodation is in shared 4-person rooms and cost COP$30.000 a night and has to be paid in advanced.

Stay safe

There are several species of poisonous snakes on the island. Walking to playa Blanca and further is only allowed with guide and rubber boots (You can rent them at restaurant for COP$7000). After 5pm the it's advisable to wear rubber boots and use torches.

External links

http://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/areas/lasareas/gorgona/gorgintro.htm -- Official homepage (Spanish).

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