Riohacha is the capital of the department of La Guajira. The city with 188,000 inhabitants (2018) is on the Caribbean coast and the land behind the town is rather desert-like.
Downtown Riohacha is very walkable. There's nothing much to see outside of the ten or so square blocks around the ocean. If you need to take some wheels, it's easy to hail a cab. Mototaxis cannot go to the old centre, only taxi cars.
1 Beach. Riohacha presents a much less touristy Colombian beach than what you will find in Barranquilla or Cartagena. The beach runs along the coast of the city and tends to be relatively crowded with locals and a smattering of Colombian tourists during the high season. You can also take a stroll out onto the pier where la virgen Mary awaits you at the end. 2 Colonial churches. There are a couple of colonial churches in the downtown area.
Tourist dock on the beaches of Riohacha offers a privileged location to observe the beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It has also become an extension of the boardwalk of 1ra or 14 de Mayo street. At the end of the dock there is an image of the Virgen del Rosario or Fátima, carved in wood, which is why this point has become a pilgrimage site for those who like religious tourism. Monument Identity: Tourist boulevard: Along Calle 1ra, facing the sea, this boulevard extends, which offers a special walk, where you can buy Wayuú handicrafts, directly from the hands of artisans, enjoy a delicious shrimp cocktail, see monuments that are on this boulevard, among them the 9-meter-high Identity monument…
At the Plaza José Prudencio Padilla is some 1 street food in the morning. And at Carrera 7A/Calle 14 you can find 2 street food. The simple restaurant inside the Terminal de Transporte is good. They serve a main dish, a drink and a soup for COP$10,000 altogether (Oct 2021). 3 Restaurante Casa China. Tasty Chinese restaurant with big portions of a main dish from COP$17,000 (Oct 2021). They have a menu card. As of Oct 2021 it's only take away. (updated Oct 2021) 4 Restaurante BrasaMar. It has a view on the beach. Tasty Spaghetti Bolognese for COP$17,000, and Salchipapa for COP$10,000. They also serve breakfast until 10:30AM for COP$7,000-12,000. (updated Oct 2021) 5 NOA Restaurante.
There are a string of bars and small clubs along the ocean which serve Aguila on tap and a few imports.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Sep, Riohacha typically sees ~33°C daytime highs and 20 rainy days.
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