Departing Medellin for the Pacific Coast, today's focus will not simply be arriving in one of the most remote and untouched parts of Colombia, but a celebration of the journey itself. After landing in Nuquí you'll learn why our minimalist packing list required a waterproof bag. Roads in this region give way to the unpaved pathways of the ocean and communities connected by footpaths and familiarity. 

Your boat's first stop today will be Coquí, a town located between the jungle and the sea where your local host will arrange a visit with local school children and give you a taste of the cuisine that reflects this region's unique Afro-Colombian culture.  

Continuing by boat, you'll follow the coastline southwest to Punta Brava where you'll check into your eco-friendly jungle lodge perched atop a point where ocean views are easily enjoyed while hanging in the hammock. 

After time to explore the lodge and pathways to the beach, you'll regroup for a disconnect reflection led by Marco Williams followed by dinner and a bonfire on the beach.

Your first full day on the coast of El Chocó will immerse you in the natural rhythms of coastal life. Today your focus will be your immediate ocean and jungle surroundings. 

After breakfast this morning, you'll have time for group or individual reflection before re-embarking on a whale watching expedition. There are no ports or protected harbors in this part of Chocó, so you'll need your wits, waterproof gear, and sure-footed-strength each time you board. With a little luck and perseverance, we'll see the majesty of humpback whales and admire the untouched beauty of boating around the coast.

Returning to shore in time for lunch, the later afternoon will be yours to stroll, swim, or hike to nearby beaches. In the late afternoon, you'll return to the jungle with an indigenous guide for an introduction to the local plants used to make tea.

Today you'll join your guide, Pedro, for a trek that will take us along a long ridge much deeper into the jungle. ‍

In the late morning, you'll arrive at the banks of the Arusicito river where you'll meet your local guides and float down the river in wooden dugout canoes. The indigenous have used these hollowed out wooden canoes for millennia, and as you float down river you might catch site of small communities living far off grid.

Arriving back at the coast around noon, you'll slack your thirst with a fresh coconut before returning to your Punta Brava hotel for lunch and a free afternoon. 

This evening you'll regroup for a jagua body painting workshop. This pigment is extracted from the the jagua fruit and has been used for body painting and medicinal purposes for centuries. 

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Your last full day in El Chocó will provide time to reflect and observe. After breakfast, you'll return to the ocean for a morning spent snorkeling and observing the abundance of life that thrives just below the surface. A metaphor for the purpose of this retreat, while floating in the water or struggling against the waves, outer voices are quieted and time is given to focus on the aspects of life that give rootedness in storms and color and vibrancy to every passing moment. 

After lunch this afternoon, you'll have an hour for silence to listen to the constant music of the jungle, to observe the paths that are never the same twice, and to participate in the vibrancy of the natural world that offers both stillness and life.

Before dinner this evening, Marco Williams will lead a final reflection on the themes of connection through disconnection, silence, intentionality, community, and solitude.

After an early breakfast, you'll battle the waves to re-embark on a boat journey back to Nuquí. The goal of today's journey will be to return to urban life without leaving the stillness and strength of the ocean and jungle behind. 

You'll arrive in Medellin in the early afternoon. But no place is ever the same twice. As you return to the neighborhood where you started, what was unknown when your journey began, will now be familiar, and what was familiar may now feel out of place.

At dinner this evening, you'll celebrate with those who have completed not only this physically intense journey but also those who have had the courage to see the world without the veil of screen or digital distractions.

Every end is also a beginning and every beginning is an end. There are no activities scheduled for today but your Alithea guide will help arrange transport to the airport or to wherever the next leg of your journey leads.