Tumaco
Tumaco is a port city and municipality in the Nariño Department, Colombia, by the Pacific Ocean. It is located on the southwestern corner of Colombia, near the border with Ecuador, and experiences a hot tropical climate. Tumaco is inhabited mainly by Afro-Colombians and some indigenous people.
San Andrés de Tumaco | |
|---|---|
Municipality and city | |
El Bajito beach | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Motto: Tumaco For Everyone | |
Location of the municipality (red) of Tumaco in the Nariño Department. | |
San Andrés de Tumaco | |
| Coordinates: 1°48′24″N 78°45′53″W | |
| Country | Colombia |
| Department | Nariño Department |
| Founded | 1640 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Julio César Rivera |
| Area | |
| • Municipality and city | 3,612 km2 (1,395 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (2020 est.) | |
| • Municipality and city | 257,052 |
| • Density | 71/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 86,614 |
| • Urban density | 7,700/km2 (20,000/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Tumaquian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 |
| Area code | 57 + 2 |
| Website | tumaco-narino.gov.co (in Spanish) |
Tumaco is accessible by plane from Pasto, the capital city of Nariño Department, as well from Cali and Bogotá. It can also be reached by land via highway from Pasto and San Lorenzo (Ecuador). Tumaco is known for being the hometown of many great Colombian soccer players, including Willington Ortiz.
Colombian film director Samuel Córdoba released a documentary about the city in 2009. The film, entitled "Tumaco Pacífico", chronicles the stilt-house area of the city, predominantly populated by Afro-Colombians. Córdoba was inspired by a panoramic photo of the stilt houses he saw in a photography book on Tumaco. The film won first place at the Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de Bordeaux, in France, and was presented at the Festival Internacional de Cine, in Santiago, Chile.
Other places of interest include ecotourism sites and beaches located near the mouth of the Mira River, where the river meets the sea. Also, there are the Playas de Milagros (beaches of Miracles), and Bocananueva y Teran beaches, where visitors can experience the diversity of flora and fauna first-hand.