ONCE UPON A TIME IN … TAYRONA PARK (COLOMBIA)

Tayrona National park is the second-largest park in Colombia after Chiribiquete with an area of 150 sq. km.  It’s located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in the North of Colombia.

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Tayrona Park in Colombia was nationalized in the 1960s to protect its fauna and flora along with preserving a certain way of life. There are 2 ecosystems due to its location between the sea and mountains.  In fact, Tayrona Park gets its name after an indigenous group that lived there in Colombia way back when. The Koguis that live in the surrounding area are actual descendants of the Tayrona and continue to carry some of the same traditions as their ancestors.

While wandering through the park you might spot a few trying to sell you some kind of juice (do try). However, we saw most of them around the Calabazo entrance in the hills.

HOW TO GET THERE

Getting to Tayrona Park in Colombia is relatively easy. All you need to do is grab a bus from Santa Marta.  Ha Ha, that’s not exactly true but it isn’t hard.

By bus

We booked our transportation from Dreamers Hostel where we were staying.  The ride cost us 15000COP each. Otherwise, you can grab a bus at Santa Marta-Mamatoco.  The ride cost 10000COP to get to El Zaino and 7000COP to Calabazo, the 2 main entrances to Tayrona Park.

The first one, the furthest down the road, is really the main and most popular entrance and for good reason. The trail from El Zaino is an easy walk. After passing through El Zaino entrance, pay the 3000COP for the ride in the shuttle to the beginning of the actual trail (+2km away).  Trust me, it’s worth it. You’re going to do enough walking.

By boat

Another way of getting to Tayrona Park in Colombia is by boat from Taganga.  I’m not familiar with the cost nor the length of the trip. The boat drops you off to the main attraction of the Park, Cabo San Juan. One of the only places where you can swim. Just know that there aren’t any docks for the boat so you’ll have to jump into the water.

By horse

If walking isn’t too much of your thing, you can rent horses to take you from point A to point B inside the Tayrona Park in Colombia. The horse ride from the Calabazo entrance to Playa Brava cost 80000COP or else it’s at least a 3-hour walk and mostly uphill. 

If you want to spare yourself some grief, you can rent a horse from Playa Brava to Cabo San Juan at the cost of 120000COP. Otherwise, the very steep walk will take you between 3 to 4 hours.

WHAT TO BRING

Coming to Tayrona Park in Colombia takes a little bit of planning.

Formalities

The entrance fee for foreigners is 63500COP for your whole stay and 3000COP for insurance per day. Kids under the age of 5 get in for FREE. You can come and go as you please in and out of the park until 5pm. Honestly, once inside, there is no point in walking back out for whichever reason unless it’s to leave.

You can pay by credit card at the El Zaino entrance. Otherwise, inside Tayrona Park, it will most often than not be cash only.

You need to bring your passport in order to access the park.

Finally, the yellow fever vaccine is required to access the park.  However, they didn’t check our papers when we entered the park.

Equipment

Whether you are staying for the day or overnight, you will need to pack light. Only bring your essentials: good walking shoes and sandals. Don’t forget your solar phone charger and your hands-free telephone case. Trust me, you’ll need it when walking from Cabo San Juan to Playa Brava.

Clothing

This is our packing list for Tayrona Park if you are planning on staying overnight but can also be helpful for just a day trip. Don’t forget to pack light as you’ll have to carry it for long periods of time:

WHERE WE STAYED

We spent 2 nights in Playa Brava. The beach for the brave like I like to translate it literally. We booked this lodging once again with Booking.com.

Although you can’t swim there, waking up on a beach with no one around makes the grueling hike all that more rewarding and worth it.

The place looks a little run down and there really is nothing to do other than veg in a hammock all day.

If you are looking for a digital detox, this is the place to stay.

You can only pay by cash there and you can’t really cook your own food unless you are MacGyver and use one of the fire pits to do so.

The meals there are good but you have to sign up for them beforehand. Checking in at 6pm might be cutting it close for dinner, so make sure you arrive a bit beforehand. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. sharp. The cost is 30000COP. This is the only meal we had there. Breakfast cost 12000COP and lunch 20000COP.

If spending the night in a hut on stilts is too expensive for you, try a hammock for 35000COP. You can bring your own or a tent, but it will still cost you 25000COP.

In Cabo San Juan you can now book your hammock ahead of time. If you are looking for a fancier stay inside Tayrona Park and can afford it, check out the Ecohabs.

WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN TAYRONA PARK COLOMBIA

The easiest way to relax and swim in Tayrona park is by arriving by boat to Cabo San Juan. This will save you A LOT OF TIME!  Otherwise, get ready to walk, A LOT. 

The trail from El Zaino to Cabo San Juan takes at least 2 hours to walk, and that’s if you don’t stop.

Another place where you can swim is at La Piscina, which is about 20 minutes away from Cabo.  Don’t be frightened if you hear leaves moving above you. It’s not the wind, but MONKEYS! So look up!

OFF  THE BEATEN PATH

If you have the time, add 1 hour to your journey and walk the trail of the Nine Stones. You’ll walk along a path surrounded by huge boulders that actually represent something to the Tayrona people. The path takes you to a beach where you can’t swim and where you might encounter crocodiles, so be careful.

If you are staying longer than a day and are looking for a little challenge, hike uphill from Cabo San Juan for 3 hours to El Pueblito. It’s an ancient Tayrona Indian ruin and an archeological site. It was closed when we were there, and we wouldn’t have had time to stop there anyway. We passed by it as we were making our way to Playa Brava from Cabo San Juan. We had run out of water and didn’t know how much further we had to go.

Luckily, we made it out of the jungle before it got completely dark, starving, thirsty and sweaty like hell. My phone died during the hike, so I don’t have many pictures to show proof. Just know that when you think you’ve reached the top of the hill, a few more await.

It took us a good 7 hrs to walk from El Zaino to Playa Brava. During that time, we did the Nine Stone trail and splashed around at La Piscina and Arrecifes.

Even though the hikes were quite challenging, the Calabazo path was the worst, we did get to see all kinds of monkeys, lizards, and birds.

RECOMMENDED ITINERARY

If we were to go there again, we would take a horse to Playa Brava from Calabazo and spend the night there. The next day, do the challenging trail from Playa Brava to Cabo San Juan stopping along the way to visit El Pueblito. After a good dip and sleep in Cabo San Juan, take our time and walk back to El Zaino.

Another option, for a day trip, is to arrive early morning by bus to the El Zaino entrance and leave by boat from Cabo San Juan.

Please take note that the park closes usually for a month in February. Therefore, when planning your trip to Tayrona Park in Colombia, verify if it’s is open when you plan to visit. You can then plan on going back to the Républica Hostel in Santa Marta or go and relax in the small beach town of Palomino just a few miles away from the flamingo reserve.