Palomino, a tourist beach on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, is being swept away by rising sea levels. For years, the area has been battered by storms and huge waves, but rising sea levels are now making the problem worse, intensifying coastal erosion and threatening to erase this idyllic tourist spot.
Palomino beach, a Caribbean paradise in Colombia threatened by rising sea levels
A 2022 study by Colombian geologists Xania Avila Rueda and Rosana Baez Rodriguez revealed the dramatic impact that climate change and coastal erosion has had in Palomino over recent decades. According to the study, since 1985 Palomino’s coastline has receded by 20 to 30 meters every 10 years.
In recent years, this process has accelerated and is expected to worsen still further as climate change continues to affect sea levels. The Colombian Institute of Environmental Studies predicts sea levels along the country’s Caribbean coast could rise by 9 to 12 cm by 2040, 16 to 22 cm by 2070, and 23 to 32 cm by 2100.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, a local restaurant owner said he had relocated his business 10 times in 12 years due to the rising sea levels. “We are losing the beach very quickly. We are scared of rebuilding; it’s worrisome to lose money again,” he said.
Though the La Guajira department is best known as the land of the Wayuu Indigenous people and the largest desert in Colombia, the region also includes Palomino, which is located in its southwest. Known for its remote beach at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Palomino attracted more than 50,000 tourists in 2023, generating millions of dollars and over 500 jobs for the region.
Another Palomino business owner has called on the government to take action to prevent further erosion. “President Gustavo Petro, La Guajira is not just the far north. Palomino needs help too,” he said in an interview with Colombian media outlet RCN Radio. “Are we going to wait for the sea to wipe out this town’s economy? Hotel owners, tourism, commerce, and residents demand a solution.”
Locals have tried to stem the phenomenon by installing concrete blocks and stone fortifications along the coast, but with little success.
As urbanization and deforestation continue, hopes that the coastline can be salvaged are quickly disappearing. The disappearance of the area’s mangroves is particularly concerning, as these coastal wetlands play a key role in preserving and protecting the beaches from the constant assaults of the sea.