How to Do Fin del Mundo Like a Boss

It’s the end of the world as we know it.

Not really. It’s actually the end of the world as we’ve never seen it before—in Colombia. El Fin del Mundo is the destination, and it's a jaw-dropping cliff-side waterfall is something you've got to see at least once in your lifetime. It evokes sentiments of pure wonder, enchantment, and enlightenment while showering you with all the wet affection a waterfall of this magnitude can hold. It also evokes sentiments of the endless void. So don’t get too close.

At the top of Fin del Mundo

You can, however, get close enough to see this 75-meter-high monstrosity in all its cascading glory—and you can do it for cheap. How’s that? With a little elbow grease and a lot of determination, you can witness this wonderful waterfall. Yes, you. You, with just a couple bucks to spend and a couple days to spare. You, with a ticket back home in a month, and no idea how to spend that month. You, just looking for something to do to while away the hours until the world really does end.

Not that it’s happening any time soon, but you never know. That’s why it’s important to visit Fin del Mundo while you can. Too poor to travel? I think not. Read on to discover how to get the most bang for your buck and traverse the hell out of this jungle.

Getting to Mocoa: The World’s Wildest Ride

Fin del Mundo is located about 6 kilometers away from the small, unassuming town of Mocoa in the Putumayo district of Colombia. You’ll need to get to Mocoa in order to access the falls. You can choose a few ways to get there. These vary in terms of cost, convenience, and safety. Which one you’ll want to take depends on where you are in Colombia and just how much of a risk you're willing to take.

Those currently east of Mocoa have the most to look forward to when arriving. That's because they'll have to take the Trampoline of Death (otherwise known as Death Road) from Pasto. This ones a doozy. It’s 8 straight hours of harrowing madness on a single dirt lane through the Andes—on one side a solid wall of mountain, on the other a sheer drop of hundreds of meters, and in between the two of them, your bus and your prayers.

Sound scary? It absolutely is. I was terrified. However, it does put hair on your chest. And it demonstrates perfectly the kind of courage people have to muster up every day just to get where they’re going. The passage is around $13, which isn’t so much to pay when you consider that the driver is literally taking his (and your) life into his hands every time he starts the engine.

The journey is totally worth it when you see the destination.

People north of Mocoa will have the easiest time getting there, as this road is pretty well-travelled. That also means cheaper. Expect to pay as little as $20 for the twelve-hour bus ride from Bogota, but don’t expect to find those prices online. If you want cheap tickets, source them yourself. That means buy them at the station. Not all the bus companies advertise on the internet. Those which do are usually catering to the sort of audience which will pay extra for creature comforts, and if you’re reading a series about cheap travel, that probably isn’t you.

If you’re currently in eastern Ecuador, La Hormiga, Nueva Loja, or any town south of Mocoa, you’ll be able to take a bus or collectiva northbound. Prices vary depending on where exactly you are, but they should stay shy of $20. So now you know how to get there. But what should you do when you arrive?

Staying for Cheap in Mocoa: To Camp or Not to Camp?

Travelers accustomed to doing things the cheap way already know that you sort of need to fly by the seat of your pants when choosing a hotel. That’s because the cheapest spots rarely advertise on the internet, and sometimes they're barely visible to the naked eye.

Can you find all the hotels in this picture?

That being said, you have two main options when it comes to accommodation. You can stay inside the actual park along the pathway to Fin del Mundo, or you can stay in Mocoa proper. Navigating Mocoa is pretty easy, as the town’s population rests at around 22,000. It's a small place. If you choose to stay here, take to the streets.

Stay Comfortable

Your hotel could cost as little as $5 (15,000 pesos) if you look for a cheap one. Keep in mind, this most likely won’t include Wi-Fi, towels, or any of the other finery you may have become accustomed too. However, you’ll be contributing to the economic prosperity of your host city, and you’ll meet some cool people to boot. There are a number of small, no-frills hotels in the city center offering very cheap accommodation.

If you’re the type who likes your Wi-Fi, you can stay in a hostel more geared towards the tourists who trickle through Mocoa. You can stay dorm-style in Casa del Rio for around 30,000 pesos, or you can pay 100,000 pesos for a private room.

Go Camping

Lovers of all things cheap will be excited to learn that you can go camping within the confines of the park, but keep in mind that there is no free camping. And even if you were allowed to do it (because let’s face it, it’s a freaking awesome idea), you’d find the terrain to be less than hospitable. I learned the hard way that wild camping in the Colombian jungle isn’t like wild camping in a regular forest—the steep hills, massive rainfall, and generally harsh vegetation/insect life make it impossible to do on a whim.

Don't be fooled, those hills are steep.

Don’t go with the idea (as I did) that you’ll be able to arrive and camp wherever you please. Learn from my mistakes. Be prepared to pay a fee of around 10,000 to 50,000 pesos for a night of camping in the park, on top of the 3,000-peso entry fee. How much you’ll pay depends on how primitive you want to go, from campsites to hostel rooms. If you don’t have the 10,000 pesos, it’s highly likely you’ll be able to haggle the price down a bit.

Keep in mind that if you camp within the park, you’ll have to bring your own supply of food. Buy your veggies, meat, and any number other accoutrements (alcohol? Incense? Hand-woven baskets?) at the open market in Mocoa proper. Get to the market early to get the most beautiful fruits, or arrive late to get the best deals. Whatever you do, get there before 5 pm when everybody starts to close. You can also get cheap meals here for 3,000 to 5,000 pesos.

Finding Your Way to Fin del Mundo (Don’t Get Lost in the Jungle)

As stated earlier, Fin del Mundo is actually around 6 kilometers away from Mocoa. If you want to hike to Fin del Mundo, don’t try to walk the distance from the town to the entrance of the park. Even if you’re a star runner just taking a break from the Olympics, you may find yourself regretting it. The heat is oppressive. It’s wet. Take a collective taxi. It’s only a dollar.

The taxis cue up at the edge of the city on the route towards the entrance of Fin del Mundo, which rests at kilometer 6 on the 45. You’ll find the taxis (which are generally white pick-ups with the beds covered and converted to seating space) easily. Pay your 3,000 pesos and you’re off!

The bridge to Fin del Mundo

They’ll drop you at the entrance, where you have a short hike down a steep hill and across the bridge to the park’s gateway. Here you’ll register and pay the entrance fee, which should be 3,000 pesos as well. Keep in mind that in order to enter without a guide, you’ll need to arrive before noon. After midday, they close the park’s entrance. However, you don’t actually have to leave until 6 PM if you’ve arrived well before noon. It’s an odd rule, but one which is strictly enforced. The hike up through the jungle is incredible, and not for the faint of heart. Especially in the rain.

Give yourself one to two hours to do the hike. The distance isn’t so far, but it’s incredibly steep. It can be challenging, so pack light and give yourself plenty of time. Don’t forget your water bottle, good hiking shoes, bug spray, and your swimsuit to take a dip in the pools at the top. Speaking of bugs, a word of warning: they’re out to get you. Your foreign skin is a deliciously exotic blood buffet which they simply cannot resist. If you don’t Deet yourself down properly, your thighs will look like (and literally be) hamburger meat. Bring the bug spray.

This bug was friendly, but I wasn't always so lucky.

If you take the trouble to get all the way out to the end of the world, you’ll want to stay there for a while. Water and snacks are a good idea, though lighting fires and cooking in the park is not allowed. If you want to get fancy, you can technically take lunch at the top in the restaurant. It’s pricey, but the view is amazing and supposedly the food is passable. I wouldn't actually know for sure though, because we ate uncooked Ramen noodles while crouched behind a boulder like cavemen.

Wander through the grottos, dip in the pools, and enjoy yourself as much as you can up here. You probably won’t come back, especially when there are so many other amazing places to see. So why not make this trip count?

Pools and falls at the End of the World.

Trip Highlights and Things to Know Before You Go

Keep in mind that Mocoa is not like Medellin or Bogota. It’s smaller, more laid back, and it gets less tourism than the bigger cities. That’s one of the best things about it. It’s still relatively tucked away back there in the jungle. It’s isolated, pristine, and gloriously wild. That’s one of the main reasons visiting Fin del Mundo is perfect for the budget traveler—you don’t have to spend much to get the best experience here. But it also means you might get a little dirty, a bit lost, and come out of it a tad disheveled. If that sounds great to you, then hop on one of those death-buses and take the ride of your life.

All of us gathered around the edge, about to fall off the map.

Take Away

What: Hiking, Camping, Swimming, Jungle, Waterfalls, Gorgeous Scenery, Friendly People
Where: Near Mocoa, Putumayo District, Southern Colombia
Budget Cost: $40 (Food, Park Tickets & Transport, Lodging)
Bougie Cost: $100 (Food, Park Tickets & Transport, Lodging)
Bring: Bug Spray, Good Shoes, Swimsuit, Water Bottle, Snacks,
Trip Length: 2-3 Nights
Travel Rating: 5 Stars