Getty Images/Moment Open

La Guajira Peninsula

The Guajira Peninsula, the vast swath of sea and sand that is Colombia's northernmost point, is home to the indigenous Wayuu people, who historically repelled invaders – including English pirates, Dutch smugglers and Spanish pearl hunters – for centuries. The Wayuu's complex and autonomous political and economic structures meant they were ready to mount a staunch defense of their lands – on horseback and with firearms.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Playa Taroa
La Guajira Peninsula
This exceptional and extremely remote beach at the very northern tip of the South American continent is La Guajira's highlight. Massive sand dunes drop…
Santuario de Fauna y Flora Los Flamencos
Riohacha
Pink flamingos inhabit this tranquil, 700-hectare nature preserve in great numbers: up to 10,000 in the wet season (usually September through December)…
Pilón de Azúcar
La Guajira Peninsula
Pilón de Azúcar looms over the eponymous beach and provides the area's most telescopic viewpoint, with the whole of Alta Guajira displayed before you and…
Playa del Pilón
La Guajira Peninsula
Playa del Pilón, far and away the most beautiful beach in Cabo, is a vivid orange-sand beach lapped by surprisingly cool waters and framed by low, rocky…
Bahía Hondita
La Guajira Peninsula
This gorgeous bay has several islands, to which boat trips are often made on tours. A large colony of flamingos also calls the shallow waters of this…
Ojo de Agua
La Guajira Peninsula
This remote-feeling and craggily beautiful crescent-shaped dark-sand beach is bound by 5m-high cliffs where iguanas roam. The beach gets its name from a…
El Faro
La Guajira Peninsula
Wayuu and tourists alike head to El Faro, a small lighthouse at the edge of a rocky promontory, for stiff winds and tangerine sunsets. The view is…
Camellón de Riohacha
Riohacha
Built in 1937, this impressive wooden pier is lovely for a stroll late in the day.