Toluviejo - Tolu - 20 km
A mere 20-kilometre cycle took us to Tolu – another idyllic coastal village. Little did
we know our arrival coincided with the beginning of the Easter weekend. Easter
weekend in Colombia ran from Thursday to Sunday.
The tiny fishing community of Tolu was chock-a-block with holidaymakers. The
beachfront was a busy, festive place, crammed with traders, food vendors and
music, and an excellent choice to join in and enjoy the festive mood.
Tolu – Cerete - 94 km
From Tolu, the road headed along the coast, dotted by idyllic-looking beachfront
accommodation. Still, we continued past and soon headed inland along the river.
The road, once more, was in poor condition and the going slow and when we met
fellow cyclists on their way south, I was happy to take a break.
At Cerete, a budget hotel lured us in, and pavement traders provided an
inexpensive but tasty supper.
Cerete – Arboletes - 86 km
The route was considerably hillier than envisaged. Not only was the weather hot,
but it also came with a headwind, and I was more than happy to slink into
Arboletes. Once again, Arboletes came as a pleasant surprise and turned out to be
a tiny seaside village sporting a lovely beach, offshore islands, plenty of food and
fruit, and a friendly atmosphere. Arboletes means “Land of Trees”, but the name
was purely historical as virtually all forests were cleared to make way for the
thriving cattle industry.