Tayrona National Park in Colombia, is hands down my favourite location in the world. In the past I’ve said that Pigeon Point Beach is my favourite beach, and Iceland is my favourite country.. but Tayrona is a combination of everything I love in one place. If someone told me to close my eyes and picture the ultimate paradise, I automatically think of that little stretch of white sand, and the view of it all from a hammock within an open-air hut above the ocean.

It’s perfect.

However, it’s not a trip for the weary.

Enjoying the spoils of Tayrona involves several multi-hour bus rides, a long humid hike through the rainforest, fording a crocodile river, roughing it with little electricity & no cell service, being vulnerable to bad weather, bugs, and more bugs.

 

From Cartagena

The closest main city and international airport to Tayrona, is the vibrant and culturally rich town of Cartagena.

Cartagena is worth the trip in itself, so feel free to spend a week here before or after your time in the Park, to explore all that it has to offer. Along with Jessie On a Journey and a couple other friends, we wandered the streets of Old Town, climbed the fortress walls, sipped sangria at small cafes, munched on street food beside the ocean, shopped from local vendors, and spent our nights at El Viajero Hostel.

I would recommend leaving Cartagena in the morning and planning a night in Santa Marta, as it is best to hike into Tayrona early in the morning.

From the hostel, head to one of the many transportation companies that offer rides from Cartagena to Santa Marta. A private shuttle bus will not cost much more than taking public transportation and will save you a lot of time and discomfort (a ride on a public bus is bumpy, uncomfortable and lacking in air conditioning).

MarSol is a popular option with offices located right next to Old Town, friendly service, stops along the way and reasonable pricing. Tickets can be purchased directly from El Viajero Hostel for 42,000 pesos (about $12). The ride will take between three to four hours, makes stops along the way for bathroom breaks and snacks, and the shuttle will drop you off directly at whichever accommodations you have booked for the night in Santa Marta.

You can also just book full transport from stop to stop to make things easier.

 

Santa Marta

Santa Marta is more of an industrial city than a tourist destination, but it is worth exploring the markets and the main beaches before grabbing dinner near your hotel. Call it an early night, as tomorrow will arrive quickly.

Masaya Hostel is comparable to a luxury hotel with two swimming pools, a cinema, rooftop terrace and bar, hammocks and rope beds, free WiFi and nightly activities including dance classes, starting at only $12 per night.

The earlier you can arrive at the park’s check-in, the better—you will want to think about leaving at around 7:00-8:00 a.m. From your hotel, head to the Mercado (accessible by foot from most locations, ask in your hotel lobby for directions) and look for buses labelled “Tayrona”.

You will know you’re in the right place when you hear the bus drivers shouting “Tayrona! Tayrona! Tayrona!”.

The bus ride will cost 6,000 pesos (about $3) and take approximately one hour. It will drop you off at the gates of the park, where you will pay the 38,000 peso (about $19)–or slightly less for Colombian nationals–which goes towards conservation efforts and maintenance of the park and surrounding environment. entrance fee with an optional $1 shuttle ride to take you further into the park from the Calabazo route. I would highly advise this shuttle, as the first part of that hike is fairly long and boring.

Bear in mind that you can only gain entrance to the park during opening hours: 5am to 5pm via the most popular Zaino, Palangana and Bahia Concha routes, and from 5am to 3pm via the Calabazo route.

 

The Hike

From here, you will begin a hike which can take anywhere between 1.5 and 3 hours, depending on your pace and fitness. The hike will take you up and down rocky mountain trails, along cliff-sides with an ocean view, through narrow passages in the rock, along remote beaches, under tangled mangrove and palm forests, and around vibrant turquoise lagoons. In humid conditions, it is one of the most challenging yet rewarding hikes in the area.

Basically, the scenery changes drastically every ten minutes, and you never know what you’re going to see next.

You may also opt to rent a horse for 32,000 pesos ($16), which will shorten your ride to the campground to 30 minutes. This is a good idea if you’re carrying lots of water and other heavy equipment. You also have the option of paying a bit less for the rider to carry only your luggage and meeting him at the gate of the campground (which is what we did, and our bags were there waiting behind the check in counter).

At one point you have to scale large boulders, and shimmy yourself through seemingly impossible cracks in the rock. Wooden staircases are built into stone and lead you along cliffs high above the raging waves below. At other times, you will rise and descend rickety steps on muddy hills in the moist jungle, while sweat pours out of you, all before you traverse across a mile of shadeless deserted beach in the hot Colombian sun.

 

Tayrona National Park

Tayrona National Park is located about 20 miles from Santa Marta, Colombia, and is one of the countries most popular and beautiful National Parks. The Park is mainly comprised of tropical jungle, peppered with a series of immaculate and deserted white sand beaches.The bathtub warm turquoise waters, unique biodiversity, and peaceful oceanside accommodations, all set within a secluded pristine paradise, are what makes this Park one in a million.

One of the best spots for swimming is La Piscina, a small bay beach about 15-20 minutes walk from El Cabo. It’s great for snorkelling, swimming and other beach activities. There are lots of little rock outcrops, and places to wade around and view sea-life in the shallows.

 

Cabo San Juan Beach

Cabo San Juan Beach is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world–and totally worth the hike there.

Facilities are very basic here, for example; electricity is only on a few hours during the day. The bathrooms are quite dingy, outdoor, but kept somewhat tidy during the days. Be sure to wear sandals, and bring along a flashlight at night, just in case. The showers are also outdoor, unisex, and very open. Personally, I felt awkward being able to see the person next to me, separated only by a shoulder height wall, so I kept a swim suit on. Line ups are usually quite long in the mornings.

You also have the option of renting hammocks in a hut near the forest for 13,000 pesos (about $4.50). Just remember this location is more susceptible to mosquitoes. Additionally, there are tents for rent, for 30,000 pesos (about $10), with two sleeping bags.

 

The Hammock Hut

As soon as you arrive, check into the campground, where you can rent a hammock in the raised hut for 25,000 pesos ($12.50) or one down on the ground for 20,000 pesos ($10).

In the campground’s raised hut, you will feel as though you are in a movie or a dream. Sitting atop a tall stone outcrop, reachable only by a strip of crisp white sand, the open-air hut is surrounded on three sides by vast ocean horizon. Backed by the jungles of Tayrona, the hut is filled with about a dozen swinging hammocks, and topped by a private suite with a bed.

It is, hands down, the most incredible scene that you will lay eyes upon when travelling to Colombia. I don’t mean to sound like some clichéd travel writer, but I would literally just sit there and stare at the view for most of the day, and could consider it no less than breathtaking.

I’d say, that t’s best to give yourself at least two full days in the park to truly enjoy it–so rent your hammock for two nights.

There is a restaurant right on the beach that offers several types of meals including pasta, meat, rice and greens. The meals range from 10,000 to 22,000 pesos ($5-11). Beer is also available at 4,000 pesos ($2) and smoothies at 5,000 ($2.50).

There are two beaches on either side of the hammock hut and several other beaches nearby for exploring. The campground has many amenities such as flushing toilets, hot showers, public electrical outlets, lockers to rent and a snack bar. There are also many local vendors that frequent the park with handmade jewellery, food and other items.

While there is plenty to do in the park in terms of active hiking, snorkelling and pickup sports, this is the kind of place that you will want to sit and relax as much as possible.

Tayrona’s Cabo San Juan beach is an absolute paradise.

 

What To Bring

• Water. Lots of it. As much as you can carry. You can buy it in the park, but it’s very expensive.
• Food & snacks (suggestions: crackers, peanut butter, tuna, granola bars, bread, bananas etc.)
• Your passport to check into the Park
• longer layers for sleeping
• swimsuit
• small lock for lockers
• toilet paper
• Flashlight
• big spray/ mosquito repellent
• sunglasses
• sunscreen
• good hiking shoes
• camera (waterproof)
• a book
• cards or dice
• Towel
• Sandals

 

What Not To Bring

• Alcohol or drugs (they will check your bags, and they will confiscate your booze)
• plastics bags
• extra clothing
• any valuables you don’t want to leave in a locker

 

Leaving the Park

There’s no need for another three-hour hike through the jungle, if you’re not feeling up to it: you can hop on a boat right at Cabo San Juan beach and ride it over to the village of Taganga for 45,000 pesos ($22).

Taganga is just around the mountain from Santa Marta, yet is completely different in every way. There are no high-rise buildings, few paved streets, and none of the hustle-and-bustle of city life.

This small beach village is comprised of smiling locals and a thriving expat community of surfers and backpackers. Taganga can be described as nothing less than charming, picturesque and peaceful. You will have the option of either catching a bus directly back to Cartagena that day or spending a night in the village, where you can enjoy some fresh seafood and a beautiful sunset.

Another alternative to hiking out of the Park is riding horseback for 32,000 pesos ($16). The horse ride is actually quite an adrenaline rush, as the horse will run and trot at certain times through narrow rock hallways and along steep forest drops.

I opted for a partial horse ride and short hike, and then did the journey back to Cartagena all over again.

 

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