COCO's Journey Across Colombia | Necoclí

Necoclí is a small town in Antioquia - located in the eastern shore of the Gulf of Urabá. It's one of Colombia’s oldest towns and has had a very unfortunate history related to drug trafficking and guerillas.

Over the years, this has affected Necoclí's job market, and I feel as though the city fell through the cracks while the government was dealing with pressing issues elsewhere.

While in Necoclí we stopped by a local plantation and were able to observe the process from start to finish. I saw the whole thing: from the pruning of the fruit, to the fermentation of the beans. I even witnessed the drying stage, which happens in what is known as 'The Colombian Sauna' - after spending some time in there I understood where the nickname comes from!

Cacao farming in Necoclí is important because it creates jobs in the legal market. It means locals can find work without the need to travel to a larger city, which in turn provides a steady income to many families in the city.