The Colombian coastal village reinventing itself as seas rise

Intense high tides have destroyed homes and businesses in Juanchaco and affected 3,000 families. But many in the Afro-Colombian community that live there are choosing to ‘stay in a different way’

• Words and photographs by Mario Toro Quintero

Buenaventura is the most important port on Colombia’s Pacific coast, handling about 40% of the country’s foreign trade and acting as the gateway to the Uramba Bahía Málaga national natural park. Every year, tens of thousands of tourists arrive there, heading to the village of Juanchaco or the beaches of Ladrilleros and La Barra.

But the coast around Juanchaco, in the Valle del Cauca department, is experiencing accelerated erosion that has already left damaged streets, collapsed homes and a local economy exposed to the elements.

On the beach front in Juanchaco, damage caused by the rising tides has forced some people to evacuate their homes

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