The park is beautiful, but not over the top. I do not understand all the rave reviews. Perhaps from those who have never seen a tropical beach? It is no more beautiful than the many I've seen.Here is some practical advice.Bring lots of cash. It is expensive. Foreigners pay a lot more to get in. Like all tourist spots, price gouging is common. The restaurant, hotel. well, everything is just too expensive. For that reason, I will not go back. The walk to the last beach is not easy. There are lots of inclines. If you have any physical issues, this might not be for you. It's about a 9k, 2.5 hour walk. Some mention horses. I love to ride and rode back. Believe me, the walk is physically easier. Horses take a different trail with lots of near 90 degree inclines. My horse nearly fell, of course with me on it. I don't scare easily, but had we fallen, neither would likely have survived the steep, rocky fall. 2 days later I am still quite stiff. So, I do not recommend the horses for the faint of heart.Bring water, snacks, a hat, repellent and sun screen. Wear hiking shoes or other solid footwear. I would not recommend sandals. I am not sure if I recommend this or not. If you have seen lovely beaches, I would not. If you have not, then I would.
To get here take the bus from the corner of Carerra 11 and Calle 11 in Santa Marta. The trip takes about an hour and costs 6000cop. When you are here it will take a while to get in... there are only a few staff and the process is slow and includes listening to a safety talk and giving your passports to be photocopied. There is a generous discount for foreign students aged under 26 but you must have a student card with a clear expiry date on it. Once you get in you should take a bus further in for 3000cop. From there there is still a lot of walking so pack lightly. Inside the park was excellent: saw a lot of wildlife including butterflies, iguanas, crabs and more. Stayed 2 nights at Cabo San Juan in hammocks (20 000cop/ night). The hammock I had the first night was uncomfortable but the one I had the second night was comfortable. It gets cold early in the morning so it would be good to have a blanket. There are also lockers here so bring a padlock. Most meals were around 20-25000. There are very nice beaches... walk to the further beaches and you will have them almost exclusively to yourself.
This place is absolutely amazing. You are searching for paradise beaches, magic sunsets and sunrise? Go for the hike to one of the well maintained camp sites and spend at least a night there. These beaches are far beyond beautiful. It could be a bit packed at some of the beaches but still the hike is incredible and stunning every minute. Dont forget your camera and dont even think about the 38000 Pesos you have to pay! Worth every penny.
Its a beautiful National park, and well wortth the trip. I've been there a couple times, into differant spots, and there are always beached to explore.One trip in we went into Playa Piscina by horseback. What a ride! We rode up and down steep, rocky cuts, and through some beautiful terrain. There seems to always be someplace to explore in Tayrona, and at the end of the day, or at lunch, there is a great restaurant.By all means. Go!
TayronaWe caught a bus from Cartagena (Marsol Buses, about 60,000 pesos each) which picked us up from our accommodation at around 5am. We arrived at the park at about midday. Tips: Watch the video at the park entrance, get a little white ticket from the guys working there (dressed in a white Tayrona uniform) and get your passport ready and then go up to buy your pass into the park. We watched the video but didn't get the ticket, waited in line and then couldn't get a pass as we hadn't proved we'd watched the video (which is in Spanish). It was 39,500 pesos each to get in. We spent 3 nights there and while day 1 was mostly about getting there, day 2 was spent doing the hike to El Pubelito and day 3 was spent on the beach. You need at least this amount of time there, it's not a day trip!!It is back to basics, so if you like flashy travel, you probably won't be interested (you have to hike to all swimming beaches). But if you're keen to see some awesome wildlife, great beaches, basic camping and get a little sweaty, you will love this place!!El Pueblito HikeThis is not for the faint hearted.We trekked from a campground at Arrecifes beach (about 1 hour). We stopped for a swim at Cabo and checked out the facilities there as well. We were glad we were staying where we were. All of the tents at Cabo were in the sun (no shade or shelter) and it had quite a commercial, overcrowded feel. The beach was nice, similar to the bay just after Arrecifes beach and also La Piscina. We then started the hike to El Pubelito from Cabo. It said 1.5 hours, and to not leave after 1pm. It was 12pm when we left and we would have got to the top about 1:30pm. I'm not sure "moderate" is an accurate grade for this path! It is really challenging, mostly as it seems that a whole lot of rocks and boulders have fallen down a ravine and you somehow have to navigate that. Do not attempt this in anything but good runners or hiking boots. You will be scrambling up rocks (and under them), swinging around trees and using your best balancing skills. There is even a part where you have to use a rope to pull yourself up one of the boulders it's so huge. Go with someone else so you can help each other out. If you have allergies, take medication with you. There was a girl we saw on our way down who had been bitten by something and had an allergic reaction, she was covered in a huge rash, her eyes were puffy and she was so dizzy she couldn't walk. We sent the police up to find her when we got to Cabo, but at the rate they moved, she might have recovered by the time they got there! Take water and snacks with you, they also sell water at the top. The ruins themselves are a bit of a disappointment, but the journey is awesome! Also, we walked a little further as we could hear howling - turned out to be two Orang-utan families in the canopy of the trees - definitely worth it! Coming back down (the same way) was much faster and easier. Round trip from Arrecifes was about 4-5 hours in the end (including stopping for lunch and two swims).
It is becoming as ecological as Hyde Park, and the once crystal waters have dropped visibility by a good 50% from the last time we were here 20+ years ago. Dead coral litter the beach as well as the waters and at the present rate of decline are unlikely to last another 20 years. A great shame that such a wonderful ecological park is being gradually destroyed by hoards of ecological tourists sharing their ice lollies and plastic bottles with wildlife.Quite apart, a basic lunch of quite decent fresh fish will set you back more than a 5* restaurant in Santa Marta.$35,000 for the main dish plus another $5,000 for a soft drink is a rip off. I know these people have to earn a living, but there are limits, so take you own pack lunch...and a bag to bring back all your leftovers!!
It was a grand hike in- expensive too. $40000 pesos for foreigners but a significant drop for locals. 45 minute walk can be avoided by a 3000 peso bus ride- recommend this especially because there's at least another 45 min to walk to get to camp/hammock stop 1- Arreccifes. $15000 or a hammock in a nice netted house if you will. Rude staff, cold stream of water with no lights and no door showers and unswimmable beach in front of the camp.Walk 10-15 to the left and you'll find a couple nice beaches- warm water and some cools stuff to see with goggles (bring your own- not worth renting).Got whistled at for climbing on the rocks but other than that it was pretty low key.Bring and reapply lots of sunscreen and find a coconut- have a local slice it open with a machete (might get charged 2000 pesos or not).A lady walks around and sells delllliiiicious sandwiches for only 4000. My boyfriend and I stocked up on these rather than paying a high price for the restaurant at El Cabo. Woth it!Beautiful beach with nice grainy sand overall.
Wooden walkways help in lots of places. It feels a little over-managed. Horses available in one or both directions, for those who can't manage the trek but still want to get to El Cabo.Take plenty of water but there is a restaurant and drinks sellers when you get to the beach.You need your passport to buy your entrance ticket.
Awesome place. Really amazing views all the way round. Great wildlife; we saw a big pack of wild monkeys jumping about right above our heads. Lots of stunning beaches, and lots of easy-medium trails to clamber around.Would say, you would be better off going if you have at least a night or two to stay in the park. You'll be very rushed otherwise, and it is HOT. Like, ridiculously hot.But overall one of the best things you can do in Colombia. Gorgeous.For some more tips on Santa Marta, check out our blog: https://ednaventures.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/santa-marta-a-new-and-interesting-place-to-sweat/
By the time we reached Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park, we were exhausted so compromised with our guide for just a half day in the park. I was going to skip it all together but am glad that we did the half day. I loved the peacefulness and tranquility that the park has to offer. I loved walking in the sand along the beach and having a plate of fresh fruit in the restaurant in the park. We would have taken more advantage of what the park had to offer if we had more time but Santa Marta was just a brief visit before heading on to Cartagena after being in San Agustin.