Rising from a deep undersea ridge in the East Pacific Ocean, the oceanic Malpelo Island is part of Colombia. It lies about 310 miles (500km) west of Colombia and is uninhibited, except for a small military outpost. Tiny in size at 0.46 square miles (1.2 square km), the island appears as barren rock, but is home to one of the world’s largest masked booby colonies.
Malpelo Island is formed by volcanic rock, and its surface is covered in lichen, mosses and algae. The island is surrounded by several other rocks which include the Tres Mosqueteros off the northeast corner and four other rocks off the southwest corner. The island and surrounding rocks drop off into deep water which goes as far as 13,000ft (4km).
Established as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2006, Malpelo Island, or the Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, is known for its tremendous shark population. It is one of the few places in the world to see scalloped hammerhead sharks schooling in great numbers and joined by silky sharks. It is also a place where the rare smalltooth sand tiger shark can be seen. Weather at Malpelo is tropical and scuba divers are able to visit on a year-round basis.
Other attractions
Unfortunately, Malpelo Island is almost exclusively for scuba diving. Divers can however make short excursions onto the island to see the birds and also for stunning views.
Getting there
Fly to Gerardo Tobar López Airport in Buenaventura, Colombia or alternatively, fly to Cali (Airport Code CLO) and aim to arrive at least one day before your trip starts. Transfers from Cali to Buenaventura as well as back to Cali may be included in your hotel rates. Cali is connected internationally with Miami (American Airlines & AVIANCA), New York JFK, Madrid (both AVIANCA) and Panama-Tocumen (Copa Airlines).
There are also direct flights to Cali from Quito, Guayaquil and Lima. It is also possible to fly to Cali via Bogota which is connected to various cities in North America (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York JFK, Orlando, Toronto, Washington) and Europe (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Madrid, Munich, Paris).
Note - Travel to any destination may be adversely affected by conditions including (but not limited) to security, entry and exit requirements, health conditions, local laws and culture, natural disasters and climate. Regardless of your destination, check your local travel advisory board or department for travel advice about that location when planning your trip and again shortly before you leave.
