A comprehensive travel blog for Malpelo Island

[Interceptor121]

Thank you. Excellent and very informative.

Question: On the same day that I disembark, there is a flight leaving Cali at 14:30. Should I even try or should I stay the night in Cali and fly out on the next day?

Thanks.

I had my flight at 1800 and made it with plenty of time.
The bus can arrive between 1130 to 1200.
If you jump straight in a cab is 30-45 minutes so you are really tight for international but domestic check in is quick and easy
If you are adamant on that flight you can also arrange a transfer from the boat to cali the night before which is expensive but doable in a group of 4 people
The default is to stay in cali for another night but it’s not necessary if your flight is in the evening.
As Dan says they build a lot of contingency and the hotel is good value for money. Unless you have to rush back it makes sense to follow the advice

 

[Manuel Sam]

Thank you, Dan and Interceptor21.

 

[Sunn]

Thank you. Excellent and very informative.

Question: On the same day that I disembark, there is a flight leaving Cali at 14:30. Should I even try or should I stay the night in Cali and fly out on the next day?

Thanks.

Next day !

nearly sure that something will happen to delay your trip... and no need to be stressed

 

[Interceptor121]

Next day !

nearly sure that something will happen to delay your trip... and no need to be stressed

I bought the tickets with Avianca with the no refund but flexible change. This sorts out any eventuality really as the boat arrives in Buenaventura the night before.

 

[Dan]

This is an expensive trip. You don’t want to cut the trip short due to contingency or in order to catch morning or early afternoon flight.

We had 11 day / 10 night trip with 3 days of roundtrip crossing from Buenaventura to Malpelo and back to Buenaventura (1.5 days each way) for 7 days of diving (21 dives total). We made them as planned as the trip run as scheduled, without contingency, and people either flying out late in the evening or on the next day after the bus noon arrival in Cali.

I heard the trip before us, not only had a shorter days of diving to begin with, but also one of the engine wasn’t working, that made the crossing took longer and compounded with some of the guests had the morning flight which made the diving much shorter than scheduled. One of the guests who took a back-to-back trip with us & the previous trip told me that he was dry for 5.5 days between the two trips. You don’t want that to happen to you.