Mocoa, Colombia 🇨🇴 Gringo's Guide
The jungle "hidden gem" that's quickly being discovered by the world...
I recently went to Mocoa, Colombia as part of a massive motorcycle trip.
I had been invited by a close friend who I used to date, and finally took her up on the invitation. She had been studying in Bogotá and had moved back to Mocoa to start her own business.
I had no idea what to expect, but was thinking I would be coming to a rough-and-ready run-down jungle town.
I was right about the jungle part. Otherwise, boy, was I wrong!
Mocoa, Colombia 🇨🇴
Population:
Approximately 56,000 people live in Mocoa. Being so small, it almost doesn't really have suburbs or outlying towns.
Weather:
When you are in Mocoa, you are definitely in the jungle, and you can feel it!
The climate here isn't very hot in terms of degrees, but the humidity is consistently above 80%. And, of course, the sun almost couldn't be stronger, because of how close you are to the equator.
Mocoa, like a lot of the rest of Colombia, also sees a good deal of rain. The good news, though, is that the rain comes down hard but doesn't last very long.
For people who like the weather in Florida, for example, Mocoa won't be a problem at all. For the rest of us, we can just seek shade during the early afternoon hours and we'll be fine.
Why Visit Mocoa?
This small city, or large town, has a lot going for it…
It's quickly turning into a boutique town, with lots of amazing restaurants, shopping etc.
It has tons of things to do in and around town
It's incredibly friendly
It's quite cheap, even by Colombian standards
The women here are exotic and beautiful
How to Get to Mocoa
The trip to Mocoa may be something everybody should do in their life. Be prepared, however, getting there (really, getting anywhere in the south of Colombia) is far from easy.
As you can see by the map below, it's more than a bit out of the way:
As is almost always the case, you can either go by land or by air.
By Air:
You will save a lot of travel time by flying, this is true. But there are several disadvantages to flying into Mocoa.
Only one airport (BOG) connects directly with Mocoa, and there's a pretty limited schedule.
In addition, flights to Mocoa are surprisingly expensive, often costing $500-600 USD or more each way.
As if this weren't enough, you will be flying in an uncomfortable small plane and landing in a tiny regional airport. Also, because of this, your baggage allowance may be next to nothing, depending on circumstances.For this reason, if you do choose to fly to Mocoa, check the airline's baggage policy very carefully!
And, finally, the airport is actually in Villa Garzón, which is at least half an hour's drive away from Mocoa.
By Land:
Most Colombians choose this route, despite the many downsides. This would be my preferred way of going to Mocoa also, believe it or not. There's one very important caveat to this, however.
Starting from Bogotá, Medellín or Cali (or almost any other point in Colombia), you have two ways to get to Mocoa. One of them is through Huila, the other is to take the Panamerican down to Pasto and then go to Mocoa from there.
I highly recommend that you take the Huila route and AVOID the road between Pasto and Mocoa, which is locally known as "the highway of death" or "the devil's trampoline." This stretch of road is about 80 miles long, and the half of it closest to Mocoa is one of the statistically most dangerous roads in the world!
Despite not being heavily transited at all, it has claimed over 2000 lives since it opened in the year 1930.
If you want to see it on video, check it out over here.
If you're a hardcore thrill-seeker and a big fan of extreme adrenaline, you will not be disappointed if you choose this route!
Your other choice is the Huila route. It's still far from perfect, although they are working like hell to make it better. The worst part, once again, is the part closest to Mocoa, of which some sections are still not paved. There's no sheer 2-mile drop into the abyss anywhere on this road, though.
Going by Huila leads you through a lot of gorgeous scenery and cool small towns. It's also a bit shorter in both distance and time than the other route, and it avoids going through Lower Cauca, which is probably my least favorite part of the country.
The total trip will take you 13 to 14 hours if you go on a bus, and will cost around $13-36 USD, depending on the season.
Best Neighborhoods in Mocoa 🇨🇴
Right now in Mocoa, the absolute best place to live is the:
Ciudadela Universitaria
Mocoa, as you can imagine by its size, is a very walkable city. Ciudadela Universitaria puts you right in the middle of it; you can get to downtown or to the best restaurants and clubs very easily by walking if you stay here.
Honorable mentions go to El Peñón and Huasipanga, which used to be the best neighborhoods in town. As of the time of this writing, Ciudadela Universitaria has edged slightly ahead of them.
The Ghetto in Mocoa
Honestly, 80 to 90 percent of Mocoa has a real middle class feeling. Even the upscale neighborhoods don't feel super opulent, as they might in a bigger city.
Having said that, there are a couple places where all but the most intrepid of you will want to avoid.
These are San Miguel and Independencia.
Both of these neighborhoods were abandoned after a massive mudslide in 2017, and are now full of squatters.
Places to Stay in Mocoa 🇨🇴
For a small town, you actually have a few decent options here…
Hotels
Mocoa, for a place with such a small population, is very well decked out with lots of amazing hotels. I'm going to highlight three of them here, although there are dozens of good options.
A great mid-budget option is the Hotel Samay.
It's listed as a three-star hotel, but, like many hotels in Colombia, a three-star has a big four-star feel to it. The rooms on high floors have great views of the city, the surrounding gardens, and the mountains. There's also a beautiful rooftop terrace and an excellent in-house restaurant which serves a tasty breakfast which is free for guests.
The nicest option is the Hotel Suma Wasi.
This hotel is a resort type place, and it's located slightly out of city limits.
The Suma Wasi is a great option for expats who really want to get away from the noise and bustle of town, but don't want to be in the middle of nowhere. Unless you are there right during Carnival, there is no reason to pay more than around $300,000 COP ($60 USD) per night in this place.
Where I actually stayed, however, was a more budget-minded place called the Luis Ángel Hotel.
I got a basic, and spotlessly clean, room with AC for $60,000 COP, or around $12-13 USD, a night. I did this mainly because of its location.
AirBnB's
I'm a big fan of AirBnb's in general, but Mocoa is more of a hotel-based place for short-term stays, probably due to its size.
In fact, many of the options shown below are actually hotels that just advertise on AirBnB. The $1256 per month option is actually for the Hotel Suma Wasi, as mentioned above. This is, naturally, in low season, but it shows how deep a discount you can get for extended stays.
The prices shown above are for a month's rent, so, excluding hotels, you can get an Airbnb for anywhere from $166 USD to $774 USD per month.
Naturally, the $774 option is super spacious and has access to a gorgeous pool.
Typical Costs of Living in Mocoa 🇨🇴
You can live a great life here for dirt cheap on a monthly basis. However, not necessarily recommended to stay for a month.
Airbnb Apartment in Best Area: $600
Hotel in Best Area: $600
Grocery Store: $150
Eating Out / Delivery: $250
Gym: $10
BJJ / MMA: $20
Partying / Dating / Social: $250
Cell Data: $12
All prices are in USD and based on a month-long stay.
How Safe is Mocoa, Colombia?
This is a good question, and if you ask 50 people in Mocoa, you will probably get 50 different answers.
Some people will say that Mocoa is perfectly safe, others will claim it's perfectly dangerous, and you can't walk anywhere at any time of day even in the best neighborhoods.
I know that last one is not true, because I did it myself several times, and didn't see anything even slightly sketchy the whole time.
I'm firmly of the opinion that Mocoa is quite safe, and is among the safest places you can be in Colombia.
Most of the locals I know there don't think twice about having to go across town on foot at night.
Dating in Mocoa 🇨🇴
The one negative side to dating in Mocoa is that there is a surprising amount of tourists and foreigners hanging around this town. This is especially shocking considering how difficult it is just to get to Mocoa!
However, I don't see this as a major impediment to successfully dating in Mocoa. In fact, I couldn't go more than about half an hour without getting stared at from some girl while I was there! This is despite the fact that it's not hard to bump into other foreigners.
In addition, people are just about as easy to meet and talk to as they possibly could be. People in Mocoa are incredibly open and friendly. There often is no "ice" to break whatsoever.
People in this part of the country are famous for being real adventurers, as well. They tend to have a strong wild and rebellious streak in them. Since you're not a local, this gives you a big advantage when dating.
Women here are also drop-dead gorgeous, on average. Really. You will encounter head-turning beauty here almost non-stop. They are beautiful in a very interesting and exotic way, as well.
Nightlife in Mocoa, Colombia
For such a small town, this place is actually pretty decent at night…
Restaurants
For traditional food home to the region, check out Amazónico.
It's a bit pricey, especially by Mocoa standards. The food is top-notch though, and if you go to Mocoa, you should eat there at least once to get the full experience.
Smoked food is, for some reason, all the rage in this part of the country.
You can find it at every second street vendor, but if you want the best smoked meats and fish in Mocoa, head out to Al Humo.
I liked this place at least as much as Amazónico, and it's less expensive as well.
Nightclubs
I could easily list dozens of nightspots in Mocoa, but I'll just highlight two great spots to hang out at night in Mocoa.
The first is Regal Disco Bar.
Despite the name, this place has a wide variety of music and different events. Because of this, you can do this place multiple times, and each time the experience will be different.
Another nice upscale place to chill and enjoy a tropical cocktail or two is the Amaretto Coctel Bar.
Located just off the main drag and just out of downtown, right around the corner from Regal actually.
BJJ / MMA in Mocoa
There honestly isn't any real BJJ or MMA action in Mocoa.
There is one place where you can take Tae Kwon Do or boxing classes. 80,000 COP (around $16-18 USD) will allow you unlimited access for a month of classes here.
Things to Do in Mocoa, Colombia 🇨🇴
Mocoa's strongest point is, without a doubt, its surrounding area.
While cities like Villavicencio have a really nice surrounding area, Mocoa's is nothing short of spectacular.
The favorite thing to do in Mocoa is to go to many of the town's surrounding waterfalls. In fact, this could be considered by many to be the peak Mocoa dating experience.
Here are some of the best examples…
The first and most famous of these is "El Fin del Mundo"
This one is almost an hour hike back and forth from the nearest road, but it's also the most breathtaking:
Another one is the Samawe falls.
This one is easily accessible by vehicle, and even has an adjoining hotel:
The area also has tons of world-class hiking.
One very popular trail takes visitors through the Mandiyaco Canyon:
Mocoa's surrounding jungle also has a god-tier butterfly preserve, called the Mariposario Paway:
Do You Need to Speak Spanish in Mocoa?
I would say it's essential to speak Spanish if you go to Mocoa.
While, as I mentioned above, tourism is starting to boom here, there's a lot you will miss out on if you don't speak good Spanish. Also see above the example of the price difference between booking some of the hotels over the internet, or calling in and booking them.
It's also important to point out that a lot of the gorgeous local girls may have zero English, so without any Spanish, they will be borderline unapproachable.
Let's face it, guys...Google Translate is a bit of a “rubber crutch” in many ways. Work that Spanish hard if you're going to make Mocoa a destination. I really think this should apply to anywhere in Latin America, but especially in a smaller out-of-the-way place.
Here’s how to actually learn Spanish before your trip.
How Long Should You Stay in Mocoa, Colombia?
One to two weeks.
While I truly love this place, I don't think it's going to be worth staying longer than this amount of time.
There may be two main exceptions to this rule. One would be if you really want to explore the surrounding area to the maximum, which would extend the recommended stay to a month or more. Also, if you are a digital nomad with a heavy workload, it could take you a month or two to see everything because of your schedule.
The other exception is if you really vibe with a girl. This could theoretically extend your stay indefinitely. Be warned, however…
Colombians say "pueblo pequeño, infierno grande," which means "small town, big hell" in English!
Because of its small size, it's probably not a great idea to plan a super-extended stay in Mocoa.
Other Notes…
Many tourists come to Mocoa to consume yagé, otherwise known as ayahuasca.
There is an indigenous reserve located near Mocoa, but the people on the reserve aren't always welcoming of outsiders. Also, the road to get there is in absolutely horrible condition. I recommend against going there.
The town's carnival runs from December 28th through around January 10th. This is party time in the city, although carnival in Pasto absolutely fades it.
December and January are the best months to do to Mocoa if you are big on dating, because a lot of the city's college-age people study elsewhere in Colombia.
Mocoa, Colombia 🇨🇴 Overall
Mocoa isn't for long-term stays in most cases, in my opinion. I have made that clear above. But it would also be a shame if you are an expat and are working your way through Colombia and you don't have this place on the itinerary.
It may be quite a difficult place to get to, but it's absolutely worth it. I can almost guarantee that, if you go there, you won't regret it.
The surprisingly good city amenities are one reason you can't miss this place. Also, the absolutely gorgeous surrounding area will not disappoint. Combine this with a great dating scene, and you can see why I recommend Mocoa.
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