Featuring breathtaking landscapes, pristine white beaches and flourishing jungle, the Tayrona National Park is a must-visit for all those wishing to see some of Colombia’s best. Situated at a short bus ride from both Santa Marta and Palomino, the park has been developing fast over the last few years, becoming a more touristy-friendly destination but still retaining all of its wilderness. Whether just to spend a day snorkelling in La Piscina, relax on the beaches of Cabo de San Juan or hike the jungle to discover ancient civilizations in Pueblito, the park will surely exceed your expectations!
Bus that connects Santa Marta to Parque Tayrona & Palomino
How to get there?
If you’re travelling from Santa Marta, hop on one of the white & green buses (Cootransoriente) that say P. Tayrona in front from either the Mercado Central or the Terminal de Buses.
Time | 1h
Price | 6000 to Calabazo, 7000 to El Zaino
If you’re travelling from Palomino or Riohaca just hop on the same white and green buses that say P. Tayrona from right on the highway.
Time | 1h from Palomino and ≈2h to Riohaca
Price | 8000 to Calabazo, 7000 to El Zaino
How to get there?
Ticket prices have been highly increased at the beginning of 2017 and have changed since. This is the current pricing for foreign visitors:
· Adult: 44500 (low season) | 54500 (high season)
· Adult up to 25 years member of CAN: 11500 (low season) | 13500 (high season)
· Adult older than 65 years member of CAN: 0 (low season) | 0 (high season)
· Kids under 5: 0 (low season) | 0 (high season)
· STUDENTS DISCOUNTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY!
The entrances
El Zaino
This is the main entrance of the park located just off the main road that connected Santa Marta with Palomino and here is where most of the buses, group of tourists or those looking for just a short stay in Tayrona start their exploration journey. There’s a ticket booth, several shops to stack up drinks & food for your stay (instead of buying the same overpriced items inside the park) and then a couple of security checkpoints where you’ll be asked to watch a video about whats not allowed in Tayrona etc… plus you’ll have your bags checked. Beware that some travellers have also been asked to show their document for the Yellow Fever vaccine, necessary to access the park. Although is an entrance to the park, before reaching the hiking trails you’ll have to walk the 4km (or take a 3000COP shuttle) separating El Zaino to Cañaveral. In all honesty, we suggest you take the shuttle cause the road to Cañaveral has nothing interesting to see and you wouldn’t want to spend 1h 30min walking on it would you?
Museum in Cañaveral
Cañaveral
This is the place where all the hiking trails start (or end) and where the shuttle would drop you off if you’re coming from El Zaino. Here you have the possibility to hike the trail of Las 9 Piedras, take a short walk to the beach near the EcoHubs or just make your way to the heart of the park toward Arrecifes; for those not fancying to walk, a horse option is available. Imagine this place as just a crossroad, nothing special to see here apart from a small museum of Tayrona.
Welcome staff just before Calabazo entrance
Calabazo
This second least known entrance is also located on the road connecting Santa Marta to Palomino and more specifically in the small village of Colinas de Calabazo. In the village you can find a couple of shops and even a restaurant but to reach the official entrance of the park you’ll need to walk up a dirt road (well indicated) for around 10min. Contrarily to El Zaino, the only “paperwork” to do here will be paying the entrance tickets and nothing else, no checkpoints, no controls: all hassle-free! From our experience, if you want to stay away from touristy areas and spend a couple of days in the park, this is where you should start!
The beaches
Arrecifes
The beach here is huge, the current is very strong and if you’re planning on sunbathing under the shade of a tree, well… nope. The good things about this place are that is quiet, accommodation is cheaper than its neighbouring brother Cabo and sunsets are really awesome. If you spend here sometime, make sure to visit the Panaderia (located just off the main path leading to Cabo) to taste some of the best pan-au-chocolat and pan-au-fromage of Colombia!
La Piscina
This is the only place of the whole Tayrona park where you can safely swim and snorkel around. The small section of ocean in front of the beach is surrounded by big stones that act as wave crashers and resulting in the surface of the water being like the one of a swimming pool (which would be the English translation of the beach name “La Piscina”). Here there are plenty of spots to relax under the shadow, there’s a couple of food and drink sellers (at a decent price) and you can even rent snorkelling masks + fins or take a tour with a guide. We found this place to be much better than Cabo (less touristy) and definitely more enjoyable if planning to spend a day. Unfortunately there are no accommodation options here but whether you’re staying at Cabo or Arrecifes, you can easily walk here in less than 30min. Don’t miss it!
Cabo de San Juan
Certainly the most famous and touristy beach of the whole Tayrona, Cabo is essentially located in the middle of everything. Well connected to the mainland also by boat (you can take a lancha for 50k to Taganga) and full of facilities, is a good spot to relax and restock your backpacks of canned food, drinks etc… On site there is a huge camping, hammocks, a restaurants, loads of street vendors and a small shop. The ambience here is a bit more noisy, the beach is similar to La Piscina but the ocean has stronger currents and its not always possible to swim. Snorkel tours are also available here. The big positive here is the beautiful landscape, definitely a must-see even if you don’t fancy touristy locations!
Nudist Beach
This small beach is a nice place to chill and relax not far from Cabo. Due to its slightly farther apart location, over the years has been used by nudists and that is where the name has come from. There are no facilities or shops available here so make sure to go there prepared!
Playa Brava
The most wild and secluded beach of this sector of the park will surely prize the brave explorer handling the path there. Playa Brava is located at 3hrs from the closest camping/accomodation and due to the up & down path getting here can be pretty challenging. On site there is only an expensive camping offering hammocks or cabanas with ocean view but also meals and drinks (equally expensive). The beach is beautiful, there’s plenty of spots to chill in the shadow but the ocean has strong currents, so swimming is not really ideal. The fauna here is also great, in fact this is where we saw monkeys for the first time in the park! All in all, thanks to the few tourist present (5 people in total) and the quietness of the place, staying here felt like really experiencing Tayrona at its best.
The village
Pueblito
This indigenous village is located right in the heart of Tayrona not far from Calabazo or Cabo de San Juan. Currently, the village is still populated by local indigenous people living in a time bubble from back in the days as if nothing really changed in the world. There is no accommodation there and on site you can only find a small roadside shop selling handicrafts and drinks for the thirsty traveller. Having the possibility to walk through it is undoubtedly a unique cultural experience that you shouldn’t miss by any chance. If you decide to visit Tayrona, you must give it a go to pueblito!
Budget Your Stay
Accomodation
· Arrecifes: Hammock (20k/pp) | Tent (25k/pp) | Own Tent (15k/pp)
· Cabo: Hammock (30k/pp) | Sea View Hammock (50k/pp) | Tent (40k single, 60k double) | Own Tent (20k/pp)
· Playa Brava: 30k/pp for Hammock | 160k for Cabaña (3 people)
The very busy camping area at Cabo
Food
· Arrecifes: Lunch or Dinner (20k) | Breakfast (15k) | Water 1L (5k) | Beer (5k) – Panaderia (5k)
· Cabo: Lunch or Dinner (15-30k) | Breakfast (7k) | Water 1L (6k) | Beer (5k)
· La Piscina: Water 1L (3k) | Beer (5k)
· Playa Brava: Lunch or Dinner (30k) | Breakfast (20k) | Water 1L (7k) | Beer (6k)
Tours
· Cabo: Snorkel Tour (50k/pp)
· La Piscina: Snorkel Tour (50k/pp) | Rent Snorkel & fins (30k/pp/h)
Transport
· Shuttle from El Zaino to Cañaveral: 3000/pp
· Lancha from Cabo to Taganga: 50k/pp
· Horse Ride from Cañaveral to: Arrecifes (20k/pp) | La Piscina (30k/pp) | Cabo (50k/pp) | Pueblito (75k/pp) | Calabazo (100k/pp) | Playa Brava (150k/pp)
Possible Itineraries
1-day: Enter at El Zaino, hike the 9 piedras, snorkel at La Piscina, quickly see Cabo and the head back home.
2-days/1 night: Enter at Calabazo, hike to Pueblito, quickly stop by at Cabo, enjoy the rest of the day in La Piscina and sleep in Arrecifes. Wake up, head toward Cañaveral, hike the 9 piedras and the exit at El zaino.
3-days/2 nights: Enter at Calabazo, hike to Playa Brava and overnight there. Next day hike to Pueblito, then stop by at Cabo, enjoy the rest of the day in La Piscina and sleep in Arrecifes. Wake up, head toward Cañaveral, hike the 9 piedras and the exit at El zaino. Read our 3-days experience at Tayrona!
Check this short video we made about Tayrona !
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viN2yoJGol4[/embedyt]
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