Letter from Tumaco: Notes from the forgotten pearl of the Pacific.

A trip to Tumaco for work reveals that the violence is there, but not as conspicuous as you might expect. A new series where writers share their observations about less-visited zones of the country.

Playa del Morro: There’s more to Tumaco than Coca fields. Photo: Caroline Cornier

“So where are you headed?” my taxi driver asked. “To Tumaco”, I replied, knowing that my destination wouldn’t fail to make an impression. And indeed, just like everyone else in Bogotá I had told about my travel plans, my interlocutor raised his eyebrows, “You need to be very careful around there.” I laughed, but couldn’t deny I had already started to feel a little worried. Was I completely crazy to go there? What risks was I running?

Caroline Cornier: