Location Estado Natural is located on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, away from major tourist and urban centers. The region is known as Playa del Viento, a coconut-tree fringed beach located a few kilometers from the small town of San Bernardo del Viento. We can be reached by private car or by public bus from any major city in Colombia. Monteria is the closest national airport, about 1.5 hours away by paved road. Cartagena de Indias is a 3.5 hour drive from here and has an international airport. See Map The environment The Islands We are located on the beach facing a small key that serves as a bird refuge and rookery. About 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) out to sea lies Isla Fuerte, a beautiful green island surrounded by crystal-clear waters and coral reefs, ideal to snorkel, scuba dive, surf and paddle. Bajo Bushnell, one of the offshore reefs offers some of the best diving in the entire Caribbean coast of Colombia thanks to its pristine state. A reef break (left) at the northern tip of the island is a great spot to surf, kite and windsurf. There is a sleepy fishing village in Isla Fuerte where friendly natives offer local seafood. We are at the closest point on the mainland to Isla Fuerte. Ecological Hotspot The region of Playa del Viento is part of a globally biodiversity-rich ecoregion known as Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena Hotspot. That means we are in a globally critical region that is both very rich in biodiversity and endangered. Our ecologically-rich zone includes tropical dry forest (one of the most endangered forest ecosystems on the planet), mangrove forests, fresh and salt water lagoons, estuaries, and the delta of the Sinú River. The combination of these habitats, along with the coral reefs around Isla Fuerte, make this region particularly attractive and ecologically interesting to people who want to explore and enjoy nature and to learn about its biodiversity.  Nearby Cienega de Bañó is one of the top bird-watching spots in Colombia, yet one of the least visited. The Seasons Our tropical weather is marked by two seasons: the rainy and the dry season, each offering its own beauty and opportunities. The rainy season extends from May to December and is an ideal time to enjoy the green forest and to snorkel the coral reefs and smooth ocean. Sunsets are particularly beautiful at this time. The dry season (Dec-May) is the windy season, perfect to catch a wave and surf, to windsurf and kitesurf. Migratory birds form North America can be observed at this time. It is also the time to kick back and enjoy the soothing afternoon breeze from a hammock.http://www.aardvarkmap.net/mape/LVNE2JEOhttp://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/tumbes_choco/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.conservation.org.co/programasdetalle.php?nivel=2&idu=29shapeimage_1_link_0shapeimage_1_link_1shapeimage_1_link_2
Howler monkey(Alouatta palliata),  a local resident
Yellow-hooded Blackbird
(Chrysomus icterocephalus)
 Cienega de Bañó
© Mig Copyright 2006
© Mig Copyright 2006
 © Estado Natural Copyright 2006- 2012
Isla Fuerte, coral reef and mangroves
Sunset in July