Colombia Birding Part 1: The Cali-Buenaventura Road
The Pacific Chocó region of Colombia, specifically the Valle de Cauca, is one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, home to over half of the country’s birds (aves), despite covering just 2% of Colombia’s landmass. With more than 1,000 species, this region is a birdwatcher’s paradise. During my trip to the Calle del Cauca area, we explored private 'fincas' that serve as havens for birds, showcasing a colorful mix of endemic and regional species, including a dozen or so species of hummingbirds (colibríes).
The Valle del Cauca region is shaped by the geography of the Andes, where the mountain range splits into three spines—the eastern, central, and western—at the Colombia-Ecuador border. The Magdalena River flows between the central and eastern ranges, eventually reaching the Caribbean Sea. To the west, the Cauca River, which runs through the city of Cali, cuts through the central and western slopes of the Andes before joining the Magdalena River. On the plane from Miami to Cali, you can follow the Cauca River valley, which is dotted with expansive sugar cane plantations. This region is one of Colombia’s key agricultural zones, where the warm climate and ample rainfall provide ideal conditions for cultivating sugar cane, a vital crop for both the local economy and the country’s biofuel industry. To the east lies Amazonia, and to the west is the Pacific Ocean, creating a diverse and rich landscape that fosters incredible biodiversity.
Driving through the city of Cali toward our destination lodge, about 1.5 hours up into the mountains, we followed the Via Cali-Buenaventura, a road that cuts through the heart of the city and eventually leads to the Pacific port city of Buenaventura. Cali, a bustling city of 3 million people, is known for its vibrant street life, where motorcycles seem to be the primary mode of transportation. In an effort to reduce emissions, there is a regulation that limits car use to every other day, except on Saturdays when everyone can drive. As we drove through the city, colorful murals painted on walls and buildings caught our eye, depicting everything from local flora and fauna to scenes of everyday life and people and cultural symbols. In the city center, we passed a park by the river known as the Cat Park, which features interpretive sculptures of cats, adding a unique charm to the urban landscape.
Leaving the center of Cali, the Via Cali-Buenaventura road transforms as it climbs from the city’s chic apartment buildings into the foothills and then the mountains. The urban landscape shifts to tightly packed, improvised dwellings built along the hillsides and the road's edge. Tin roofs, some covered with tarps, shelter these homes, while open windows, many barred, and porticos overflow with flowering plants. Glimpses of daily life are everywhere—laundry strung on lines between homes, roadside conversations, and women with grocery bags.
Roadside altars mark the sites of past tragedies, like one with a photograph of a young couple smiling—a haunting reminder of the dangers of this steep and winding road. The shoulders are bustling with activity despite their narrowness: scooters parked in clusters, bakeries and coffee stands offering fresh fruit and homemade food to passersby. Steep, narrow staircases snake up the hillsides, connecting the road to homes perched precariously above. It’s a road full of life and movement, with its challenges and charms intertwined in every curve.
Ahead of us, a red wooden bus crawls up the mountain, its peeling paint adorned with faded, brightly colored flowers. It chugs thick diesel smoke as it climbs, painfully slow yet resilient. The bus is packed—seats are full, passengers cling to the back, and the roof serves as an open-air storage area, loaded with market bags carrying food and provisions. Known as a chiva (Spanish for "goat") or escalera, this artisan rustic bus is a fixture of rural Colombia, adapted for the rugged demands of public transport in mountainous terrain. Its presence is both practical and iconic.
As we continue along the road, we pass open roadside restaurants and fincas—country estates or ranches—each offering a glimpse of rural life. This is the region where city dwellers and valley residents escape to enjoy the cool, refreshing mountain air. We are now on the Pacific slope of the Andes, a verdant landscape that feels worlds away from the bustling city below. Our destination is Araucana Lodge, a generational finca that will serve as our base for exploring the region. With its rich birding opportunities on-site and its proximity to other fincas, it promises to be an ideal starting point for our journey into Colombia’s unparalleled biodiversity.