In this site you will find everything about rivers, I invite you to get to know the Baudó River, one of the main rivers of the Colombian department of Chocó, which flows into the Pacific Ocean.
This riverbed is considered one of the main Chocó rivers, originating in the Baudó mountain range. It has a length of one hundred and fifty kilometres and ends its course in the Pacific Ocean. The Baudó River receives the waters of several smaller rivers, including the Ampora, the Portadó, the Dubasá, the Berreberre and the Pepé.
Due to its course, it has been considered to be transformed into an artificial interoceanic canal to connect the Baudó or San Juan rivers with the Atrato river.
The Río Baudó is a very important commercial artery in the area, and its navigability is optimal for medium-sized vessels, but only during the rainy season. The name of the river comes from the Noanamá language and means river of coming and going.
Although it is a short river, the Baudó is of great importance to the planet because of the marshes that form along its course in the southern part of the Chocó. The international Ramsar Convention is a specialist in the study of wetlands and marshes, so it is the one that has the power to grant the degree of importance to the areas that deserve it. (See article: Rancheria River)
The delta of the Baudó River is the third most important Ramsar site in Colombia. This is not only because of the ecosystem, but also because of the way it is managed by its inhabitants and the biodiversity found there.
This delta covers an area of eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight hectares. As I said, its biodiversity is very rich and very important for the fishermen of the area, in it you can find bush swamps, slow flowing rivers, flooded forests, mangroves, sandy beaches, shallow marine waters and estuaries, all in one landscape, as for the fauna it is very diverse, you can see jaguars, otters or water dogs, some wild boars and as for the fish there are an infinite number of species (see article: San Luis River).
The municipality of Alto Baudó is located in the valley of the river Baudó, in this area you can enjoy a warm climate with a temperature of twenty-eight degrees Celsius, because of its location it has large areas of forest with very large trees that suffer from deforestation and are used for the production of canoes, firewood and other things.
The fauna is also very varied, on the banks of the river you can see a large number of butterflies of different species (see article: Patia River).
The location of the Baudó River makes it rich in every sense of the word, so much so that it is contested by the armed groups that inhabit the area and the government authorities. The inhabitants of the area are so used to this conflict that they consider it normal.
One of them, who lives on the banks of the River Baudó, or ‘La Joya Chocoana’ as it is known, says that he had to leave his house during the encounter between these two enemies. Unfortunately, the riverbed is used for trafficking coca, which is grown nearby, and for transporting bananas, which are also grown along its banks.
The same route is used to return payment for these illegal sales, either in money or weapons, which enter the country without any problem. In an interview with the commander in charge of the area, he explained that this is an advantage for the criminals because it is easier to evade the checkpoints.
The most important area in the central Baudó is Puerto Meluk, located at the junction of the Baudó River and the Isthmus-Puerto Meluk road. It is a population with deep-rooted cultural traditions, which it preserves and celebrates with the best festivities, such as the tribute to Our Lady of Poverty, which is celebrated in the villages of Pie de Pepe and Boca de Pepe.
The inhabitants of this area make their own living either by farming or fishing, although cattle, pigs and chickens are also raised. Due to its location on the banks of the Baudó River, the land is very fertile, especially for the cultivation of bananas, maize and bananas. The river is used to transport and sell the harvest.
Here is a short boat trip on the Baudó River.