Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park is a protected coastal and marine area on Colombia’s Pacific coast in Valle del Cauca. It was created to conserve mangrove wetlands, coastal ecosystems and marine species, including migratory humpback whales.

The park encompasses shoreline, mangrove forests and offshore waters where humpback whales come to breed and calve; whale-watching and guided boat trips are a primary visitor activity during the whale season. Shoreline trails and small-scale community tourism initiatives offer opportunities to see mangroves, shorebirds and marine life.

The protected area also supports sea turtles and fisheries that are important to local communities; conservation efforts focus on balancing marine protection with sustainable local livelihoods.

The park was established by the Colombian government to protect the bay and surrounding coastal habitats from unsustainable development and to safeguard marine breeding and nursery grounds. It represents one of several Pacific coastal protected areas that conserve the region’s high marine biodiversity.

Uramba Bahía Málaga lies on Colombia’s Pacific coast near the port city of Buenaventura in Valle del Cauca department, facing the tropical open ocean and accessible by boat or coastal roads from nearby coastal communities.

• Whale season: Humpback whale presence in the bay is seasonal and is a major reason visitors come for wildlife observation and boat-based tours.

What to See #

• Bahía Málaga: Bahía Málaga itself is the park's central coastal bay area and is an important nursery and calving area for humpback whales that visit its waters seasonally.
• Mangrove and coastal wetlands: Extensive mangrove forests and adjacent coastal wetlands that provide habitat for fish, birds and marine turtles in the Pacific tropical rainforest biome.