How to Get from Medellín to Nuqui

Nuquí is 121 miles (196 km) away from Medellín, which sounds like a short distance and relatively easy to get to. However, there are limited ways to get to this area. Nuquí is located on the Colombian Pacific coast and the only transport methods to travel to this area is by plane or boat.

There are no roads in this area due to the dense rainforest between the Cordillera Occidental Mountains and the coastline.  At the time of publication, there are no flights to the airport in Nuquí, as the airport there is no longer in service.  Your only option is to fly to the nearest city of Bahía Solano and then taking a boat to Nuquí since there are no roads that connect the two fishing villages. 

Due to the lack of transportation options to get to this area, consider this 7-day itinerary, which has all the transportation arranged on your behalf. It includes a visit to Medellín, along with visits to the remote region of El Chocó on Colombia's Pacific coast. You’ll visit Nuquí and have the opportunity to partake in activities like canoeing, hiking, cooking with locals, and visiting the hot springs. 

By Plane via Bahía Solano

Duration: 50 minutes

At the time of publication, there are no direct or connecting flights offered from Medellín to Nuquí. Your best bet to get to this location is to fly to Bahía Solano and then take a boat. During certain seasons and depending on the amount of passengers that frequent this route, there are sometimes flights to the very small airport in Nuquí called Aeropuerto Reyes Murillo (NQU). When flight routes are scheduled to NQU, the route is serviced by Satena and charter operators with flights from Medellín’s Olaya Herrera airport (EOH). 

Alternatively, there is the option is to fly into José Celestino Mutis Regional Airport (BSC) located in Bahía Solano from EOH, which takes about 50 minutes. There are several flights throughout the week serviced by Satena Airlines. On arrival, there are tuk-tuk drivers readily available for onward travel. 

By Boat from Bahía Solano to Nuquí

Duration: 2+ hours

Boats like Transporte Yiliana have services between the two cities of Bahía Solano/El Valle and Nuquía a few times a week, usually on Monday and Friday so plan accordingly. Depending on the tide, the boats leave very early in the morning and this route takes about over two hours, depending on the number of stops and the type of boat. Your accommodation can help arrange a booking on one of these boats.