Skip to content. | Skip to navigation
Sapzurro is located on Colobia's Caribbean coast, in the Darien Gap on the border with Panama, and sadly is missed by many who head straight for Cartagena. You can however clear here (or just around the corner at Capurgana) and it is a picture-perfect little Colombian fishing village of around 500 people, with a small sheltered bay and coral reef just 10 metres from the beach. The thick Darien jungle in the surrounding hills comes right down to the sandy beaches.
Position 08° 39'N, 77° 21'W
Full details on the formalities required for clearing into and out of Colombia can be found at Colombia Formalities.
For a list of agents see Clearance Agents.
Remember, an agent is required to clear into and out of Colombia, so no attempt at contacting the Port Captain should be made, except through your nominated clearing agent (Agencia Maritima) on arrival.
Anchor on the Eastern side of the harbour and catch a launch to Capurgana (an open bay around the corner) for clearing in.
You may be approached by a man on a panga saying that he is from the "Junta de Acción Comunal," the local community board, who will request a 25,000 peso anchorage fee. The anchorage fee supposedly includes trash disposal and access to fresh water; however, the trash is reportedly never collected and fresh water is available at the dock for free.
All crew members aboard need to go. Many of the boats that move backpackers from Panama to Colombia bring them here and pick them up as you can also clear out of the country by land here too.
Last updated December 2017.
For entering the harbor at Sapzurro: stand off about a mile and enter through the reefs keeping the view of the town in the middle of the entrance. There are markers, red right returning, for entering the harbour. The reefs are marked as well. Go straight towards the cruise ship mooring buoy and then turn East to find a spot out of the swell.
It is possible to get diesel here.
Last updated December 2017.
Colombia, Cartagena: Outboard & fuel tank theft - February 2018 (28 Feb 2018)
Cartagena - Reports from Cruisers (23 Jan 2018)
Honduras/Nicaragua border: Piracy - October 2017 (31 Oct 2017)
Colombia, Caribbean Coast, Santa Marta: Feedback from Cruisers (15 Apr 2017)
Colombia, Isla Baru : Armed Boarding & Robbery - March 2017 (16 Mar 2017)
Honduras: Offshore Piracy, 20 miles off Gordo Bank - January 2017 (20 Jan 2017)
Colombia, Islas del Rossario, Isla Grande: Boarded & Attacked - July 2016 (14 Jul 2016)
Nicaragua, north of Isla Providencia (Colombia): Attempted Boarding - January 2016 (31 Jan 2016)
Colombia, Santa Marta, Taganga Bay: Armed Boarding and Robbery - November 2015 (28 Nov 2015)
Colombia, Islas del Rossario: Dutch yacht boarded and crew member killed - September 2015 (20 Sep 2015)
Colombia, Cartagena: Attempted Dingy Theft - March 2015 (23 Mar 2015)
Colombia, Islas del Rossario, Isla Grande: Outboard theft - December 2014 (23 Dec 2014)
Cartagena de Indias: Leaving a boat for a long period of time (19 Jun 2014)
Sailing Advisory North West Coast of Caribbean Colombia (10 Jun 2014)
Caribbean Coast, nr Barranquilla: New Marina at Puerto Velero (19 Sep 2013)
Cartagena, Club Nautico: An update on renovations (15 Aug 2013)
Colombia, Catalina on Isla Providencia: Cruisers' Experiences (05 Aug 2013)
Colombia, Cienaga de Cholon: Attempted dinghy theft - July 2013 (28 Jul 2013)
Four weeks cruising Providencia, San Andres and Cayo Albuquerque (11 Jun 2013)
Colombia Cruising Notes (29 Jan 2013)
Colombian Formalities and Procedures - Our Understanding after 10 weeks Cruising (12 Nov 2012)
Colombia, Santa Marta, Taganga Bay: Armed Boarding and Robbery - September 2012 (01 Oct 2012)
Cruising the Magdalena Region of Colombia – Santa Marta, Taganga Bay and Tayrona Park (28 May 2012)
Selden Mast Recall - Our Experience (04 May 2012)
Five Bays - a restricted anchorage (05 Apr 2012)
Caribbean Colombia: Cruisers Own Guide (02 Feb 2012)
Santa Marta Updates (16 Jan 2012)
New Fees for Formalities in Colombia (20 Nov 2011)
Planning to Cruise Central America? (11 Sep 2011)
Cruising Colombia West Coast (22 Aug 2011)
New Free Caribbean Cruising Guide - A Thinking Mans Guide to Voyages South (23 Jul 2011)
Lessons we learnt in Colombia (18 Apr 2011)
Sailing the Northern Colombia Coast (18 Feb 2011)
Update to the Warning Regarding the Entrance to Boca Grande Channel, Cartagena, Colombia (16 Jan 2011)
Colombia: Cartagena - Security Update October 2010 (22 Oct 2010)
Colombia: Cartagena - Dinghy and Outboard Thefts 2010 Plus a Suggestion (17 Oct 2010)
Spanish for Cruisers - 2nd Edition (03 Jun 2010)
Colombia: Bahia Guyraca - Armed Attack & Robbery (03 Jun 2010)
Colombia: Cartagena - Dinghy and Outboard Theft (19 Apr 2010)
Colombia: Cartagena - Yacht Burgled at Anchor (19 Apr 2010)
Providencia - a Hidden Treasure (25 Feb 2010)
Cartagena - Owner of Restaurant La Carreta Killed (20 Feb 2010)
Venezuela to Canada (15 Sep 2009)
Free Cruising Guide for Colombia (03 Sep 2009)
Providencia Island at June 2009 (12 Aug 2009)
New charges and Fees in Colombia (11 Jun 2009)
Guide To Cruising the Colombia Coast (22 May 2009)
Doing Work On Your Boat In Cartagena (01 Nov 2007)
Cruising the coast of Colombia: Further Coastguard Security Information (14 Feb 2007)
Cruising Report on Sapzurro (15 Jan 2007)
Approaches To Cartagena Update (09 Oct 2006)
Cruising Bocas Del Toro to Cartagena (05 Aug 2005)
Approaches to Cartagena (16 Apr 2003)
Caribbean Safety & Security Net Launches Zoom-Tap, Know and Go (12 Jan 2018)
New year brings new adventures for World ARC rally circumnavigators (08 Jan 2018)
CSSN Annual Report 2016 Reported Yacht Crime – Caribbean (23 Feb 2017)
Sea Kidnappings Rise Despite Plummeting Global Piracy (06 Feb 2017)
Honduras: Three separate pirate attacks on cruising vessels in the past week (22 Jan 2017)
Mexico/Central America: Pacific Weather Resource Update (16 Oct 2016)
Colombia, Isla de San Andres: Dutch couple found dead; their yacht found upturned (04 Apr 2016)
2015 Atlantic Seasonal Hurricane Forecast (12 Apr 2015)
New NOAA East Pacific Experimental Forecasts now available (27 Mar 2014)
Eastern Caribbean and now the Pacific: The Coconut Telegraph SSB Net extends its reach (28 Feb 2014)
Pan Pacific Net needs Net Controllers (24 Oct 2013)
Great New Service for noonsite users: Get notified of cruising news, reports and country updates as they are posted (23 May 2013)
The Caribbean Directory of Marine Services and Vendors launched this week (15 May 2013)
Summary of Security & Piracy Reports 2012 (28 Feb 2013)
Colombia to Aruba: Missing Dutch Sailor on SY Jeri (21 Jan 2013)
Colombia, Santa Marta, Taganga Bay: Armed Boarding and Robbery (01 Oct 2012)
Caribbean Free Cruising Guides - New Editions (04 Apr 2012)
Colombia, Cartagena - Fuel Problems (29 Jul 2010)
Colombia, Cartagena - Spate of Dinghy & Outboard Thefts (23 Feb 2010)
Cartagena, Colombia: Yacht Attacked by Pirates (Update) (07 Dec 2009)
Cruising Yacht Kersti sinks on route to Cartagena (03 Dec 2009)
New Fees for Colombia - Updated (18 Jun 2009)
Ecuador’s Puerto Lucia Provides A Perfect Base En Route to the South Seas (05 Sep 2003)
Updated advice for boats sailing through piracy areas (19 Aug 2002)