La Guajira

Travel Guide La Guajira

La Guajira

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North coast desert

Extreme landscape
La Guajira is the northernmost region of Colombia. Capital is Riohacha, a city of about 300,000 inhabitants, 175 km from Santa Marta and 92 km from Palomino. Riohacha is the gateway to “Alta Guajira, a sparsely populated, isolated and extremely arid area. The landscape consists of desert-like plains, deserted beaches and high sand dunes.

The Wayuu community
La Guajira is habitat for the Wayuu, the largest group of Indians in Colombia. This is one of the poorest and least visited areas of Colombia. The Wayuu have survived in the extremely dry area for hundreds of years, including by fishing and raising goats. As a traveler, you can learn about Wayuu culture by spending the night in a Rancheria, an authentic Wayuu accommodation. Despite La Guajira being one of the least visited areas of Colombia, the area is becoming increasingly popular with travelers, attracted by its extraordinary nature and Wayuu culture.

Off the beaten track adventure
If you go to La Guajira, you are truly going on an adventure. It is an off the beaten track destination with little infrastructure. Driving is off-road and you sleep in hammocks or simple huts, often without running water and with limited electricity. You have the beaches in la Guajira largely to yourself. You can kitesurf in Cabo de la Vela, “sandboard” in the Tarao dunes and bird watch in Parque Nacional Natural Macuira, La Guajira’s “wettest” area. If you travel to Punta Gallinas, you can do this with an organized tour from Cabo de la Vela or from Riohacha. Going to Punta Gallinas with a tour is absolutely a must, given the limited infrastructure. Plus, with a guide, you get an insider’s look at the Wayuu culture. Check out the different options here.

Safety in La Guajira
It is important for travelers to be well-prepared, as the safety situation in this region differs from other tourist areas in Colombia.

1. Underdeveloped region
La Guajira is one of the least developed regions of Colombia. Due to poverty, limited government presence, and insufficient infrastructure, certain areas can be unsafe, especially for individual travelers.

2. Crime
In urban areas such as Riohacha, safety is comparable to other Colombian cities, but it remains important to stay alert for petty crime such as pickpocketing.

3. Traveling to remote areas
Areas like Uribia, Cabo de la Vela, and Punta Gallinas are safe to visit, but only in the company of a local guide or tour company. Driving on your own is strongly discouraged, mainly due to poor road conditions, lack of signage, and potential risks such as informal roadblocks or theft.

4. Wayuu territories
The indigenous population lives mainly in the north of La Guajira. While the Wayuu are generally hospitable, some communities are not accustomed to tourism. Respect—such as asking permission before taking photos—is important.

5. Tips for safe travel in La Guajira

  • Book an organized tour to remote areas like Punta Gallinas through certified tour operators.

  • Do not travel at night in this region.

  • Bring enough cash; ATMs are scarce outside major cities.

  • Use sun protection, drink plenty of water, and prepare for high temperatures.

#ColombiaMyWay  tips

Buy an original Wayuu mochila (shoulder bag) or Chinchorro (original Wayuu hammock). It takes the Wayuu ladies about a week to make a mochila and 2 to 3 months for a Chinchorro. Tourism is a welcome, important source of income for the Wayuu, so your pesos are certainly money well spent here.

Check our travel guide Santa Marta and our other travelguides if you’re continuing your round trip along the Caribbean coast. 

A special encounter in Cabo de la Vela

Travel Guide La Guajira, Travel Stories

Home 9 Category: Travel Guide La Guajira

During our trip along Colombia’s northern coast, we traveled -through the “desert”- to the village of Cabo de la Vela in La Guajira.

Through the desert to the “middle of nowhere”

As we slowly wake up, a little boy around 8 years old with an intellectual disability approaches us shyly. He sits down a few chairs away from us but slowly seeks contact by occasionally moving up a chair.

That Colombia has much to offer is widely known. However, what we did not expect was that Colombia also has a desert area: La Guajira. Before our trip we never thought we would make this trip, but as always everything turns out differently than planned in advance 😉

Bumpy ride
We left Santa Marta for a few days to the northernmost part of Colombia. From Santa Marta we took a bus to Cuatro Vías (COP25.000) and then changed to a bus to Uribia (COP8.000). The last part of the trip we drove on dirt roads in a jeep (with very hard seats) to our final destination Cabo de la Vela (COP15,000). Cabo de la Vela is a small village located on the coast, with a few huts and restaurants. Many people come to Cabo de la Vela as a stopover to Punta Gallinas in the desert area. However, we didn’t.

Being in Cabo de la Vela feels like going back in time. There is not much to do and experience in this small village with three streets, yet it made a big impression on us.

Minimalist bars
After the long trek, we decided to treat ourselves to a drink at one of the minimalist bars in the village. Soon we started talking to the owner of the bar. He said that if we could teach him some English, he would brush up our Spanish in the evening. As everywhere in Colombia, everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful, but in a village where there is fairly little to do and you rely more on each other, it creates more of a bond.

Want to dance?
After the necessary drinks, he asked if we wanted to join him at a pub to do dance. As we felt like dancing and were very curious where we would end up to dance in this small village, we accepted the offer. A hundred meters away was then THE pub: a container with some disco lights and a CD player with no one on the dance floor. So, who wants to dance?

Special meeting
The next morning, we woke up with a slight headache. We realized that we had a bit too much too drink and that the alcohol didn’t quite leave our bodies yet. As we slowly woke up, a little boy of around 8 years old with a mental disability approached us carefully. He sat down a few chairs away from us, but was slowly seeking contact by occasionally moving up a chair. He started pointing to my camera that was on the table and i asked him to come closer.

A beautiful smile from ear to ear appeared on his face. I took pictures of him which I then showed him, he started blushing and giggling. I give my camera to him and showed him how to take pictures of us. He jumped for joy and for an hour we took pictures of each other, showing them to each other, while communicating with gestures and smiles.

These are the encounters that make travelinf so incredibly special! How a visit to a simple village turned into a trip with special memories for us……

Written by Mellijn
Travel date December 2017, updated September 2025

Would you like to go on an organized tour to Cabo de la Vela (and Punta Gallinas), check out the options here. Look here if you want to know more about la Guajira.

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Jeanette and Shelly

Writers and Travelers, Colombia My Way