Patía River

Patía River
Rivers in Colombia. Patía is in the far southwest
Country	Colombia
Basin features
Main source	Cordillera Occidental
River mouth	Pacific Ocean
Physical characteristics
Length	400 km (250 mi)

The Patía River (Spanish: Río Patía) is a river in southwestern Colombia. It flows over 400 kilometres (250 mi) to drain into the Pacific Ocean north of Tumaco. The Patía River is the longest river on the Colombian Pacific Coast. The last 90 kilometres (56 mi) is navigable by boat.

The Patía River begins in the Department of Cauca south of the city of Popayán near the town of Timbío. The source of the river begins in the gap between the West Andes and Central Andes very near the source of the Cauca River.

An 1853 watercolor by Manuel María Paz shows a mestizo or indigenous family on horseback herding cattle in a field near the Patía River.

Coordinates: 2°15′36″N 78°40′47″W / 2.2599°N 78.6798°W / 2.2599; -78.6798