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Travel Guide

What to do on a Day-trip to Tayrona Park

Posted on June 13, 2018
what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park, hiking, beaches, adventure, caribbean

If you’re wondering what to do for a day on the coast of Colombia, my answer is that you need to go to Tayrona National Natural Park. It’s one of Colombia’s most popular, most beautiful parks. The landscape is amazing; standing on the beach you can see the landscape switch from ocean to beach to mangrove to jungle to mountains. It is one of the most diverse, unique places I have been, and it was bunches of fun even though it was just for a day! So here’s what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park.

What to do on a Day-trip to Tayrona Park

There’s a TON to do here, and you can browse activities here! These are some of our favorite things to do in Tayrona Park:

  1. Hike from the park’s entrance to Cabo San Juan. This hike will take you through some of the most beautiful coastal landscapes you’ve ever seen. It takes about 2.5 hours, although that can vary depending on the person hiking. Get to the “El Zaino” entrance (more info on how below), where you pay the entrance fee, find the trail to Cabo San Juan and just start hiking.
  2. Once you get to Cabo San Juan all sweaty and tired from hiking in the baking sun, the best thing to do is to get right in the water. Now, if you’re down for some adventure, there’s a pretty large rock in the bay that is perfect for diving. The rock is out a ways from the beach right where you get to Cabo San Juan. You have to swim there, do a little bit of easy scrambling to get on top of the rock and then jump the six feet down into the ocean below. I marked the spot on the map below so you can find it easily, and if you want to see it beforehand to recognize this diving rock when you go to Tayrona Park, check out our Youtube video below!
  3. Yet another activity you can do at Cabo San Juan is snorkel. The crystal clear, calm water makes for a great time enjoying the underwater world. This does mean you’ll have to carry your own mask and fins or rent them in Santa Marta or Taganga because there is no snorkeling service in Tayrona Park.
  4. Hike to Pueblito Chairama. At the far end of the Cabo San Juan campground, towards the mainland, you’ll find a trail that will take you on a mini-Ciudad Perdida hike (one of Colombia’s most popular multi-day hikes) to an abandoned, historical Tayrona tribe town. The hike is uphill and takes about 1.5 hours, which may vary. *Doing this hike along with everything else listed here might jam pack your day, making you rush from one activity to another, so if you were to discard any of the activities in this list I’d recommend discarding this one. Still, the hike is awesome, so do it if you can!
  5. When it comes to food, the one restaurant in Cabo San Juan can have long lines and low quality food and can sometimes run out of certain dishes because of the crowds during high season. At the same time, if you take food, you have to carry it and it’s rarely as good as a cooked meal. What I prefer, just for simplicity’s sake, is to brave the line at the restaurant.
  6. Unless you have your car with you, head back on a boat! After a long day hiking, diving, snorkeling, eating and relaxing on the beach, it might be hard to feel motivated to take the long hike back. I find that the most enjoyable way to get back is on a boat. It leaves from Cabo San Juan at the end of the day and you get to see the sun set in front of you as you ride to Taganga. You can buy tickets for the boat at Cabo San Juan. Buy them as soon as you get there! To buy them ahead of time, there’s a travel agency called Tayrona Taganga Express right when you enter Taganga where you can buy your boat ride ticket from Cabo San Lucas to Taganga or vice versa. I marked the spot on the map below! More info on prices later.
  7. And don’t forget to just relax on the beach, maybe take a nap in the shade! Enjoy!

How to get to Tayrona National Natural Park:

This blog post, what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park, is based on entering the park through the El Zaino entrance and then getting to Cabo San Juan. This is how you do that!

Get to the Entrance:

On a bus, you have two options. The first is to take a bus going to La Guajira from Santa Marta’s bus terminal (search for “Terminal de Transportes de Santa Marta” in Google Maps or Waze) and tell the bus driver to drop you off at the El Zaino entrance to Tayrona Park. Just say “Déjeme en la entrada el Zaino del Parque Tayrona.” It costs $12,000 pesos ($4 dollars). The second option is to get your hotel or hostel to set you up with transportation. This will cost a little more, but involves less planning.

In a car, you’ll want to get on the Troncal del Caribe road, which is the main road that crosses the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Follow the signs to La Guajira, which will be east. The Zaino entrance is the last one going west to east, so it will be about a 50 minute drive there from Santa Marta. There are no signs until you’re right at the entrance, so be watching for it on your left. In addition to the entrance fee (info on that below), you’ll have to pay $13,000 COP ($5 USD) for the car and $9,000 COP ($3 USD) for a motorcycle.

Get to Cabo San Juan:

From the El Zaino entrance, you have 4 options.

  1. If you’re renting a car, follow the road until you reach the parking lot. A day of parking costs $9,500 COP ($3.25 USD) for a car and $7,500 COP ($2.50 USD) for a motorcycle. From the parking lot, find the trail with the ocean on your right and start hiking! (You can hire someone to get you to Tayrona Park here.)
  2. Then, you can take a small bus owned by the park from the entrance all the way to where the road ends. The bus costs $3,000 pesos or $1 dollar. Find the trail from wherever it drops you off with the ocean on your right and start hiking!
  3. You can also ride a horse all the way to Cabo San Juan for $40,000 pesos ($14 dollars). This way, you get a guide to explain things as you ride and get to enjoy the hike while sitting down. It’s a pretty awesome deal!
  4. Walk from the entrance all the way to your destination. Walking to Cabo San Juan takes about 2.5 hours. The trails are amazing, easily identifiable and include some of the most beautiful hiking I’ve ever done.

Here’s the map to get there from Santa Marta – I indicated three spots on the map too: Pueblito, the Diving Rock and the travel agency, Tayrona Taganga Express!

Some things to know:

  • You’ll most likely see monkeys and, if you’re lucky, alligators!
  • The times between which you can enter and exit the park are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
  • Some beaches along the trail have signs that prohibit getting in the water. This isn’t just to protect the area environmentally. Since those beaches are not bays, there are currents in the water that can sweep you away from the mainland into the vast ocean in a matter of seconds. So don’t get in the water at those beaches!
  • Get your yellow fever shot at least 10 days before going to Tayrona National Natural Park. If you’ll be in Bogota beforehand, you can get the shot for free at the airport.

Payment

  • Colombians or foreign residents below the age of 25 pay $10,000 Colombian pesos or $4 US dollars ($11,000 or $4.40 during high season) to enter the park.
  • Colombians and foreign residents above the age of 25 pay $17,500 pesos or $6 USD ($19,500 or $6.50 during high season) to enter the park.
  • Non-resident foreigners pay $44,000 pesos or $15 USD ($48,500 or $17 USD during high season) to enter the park.
  • High season is December 15 to January 30, June 15 to July 30, Holy Week and all Holidays.
  • Students get discounts, so take your student ID!
  • Make sure you take cash, because you can’t pay for anything with a card at Tayrona Park, and that it is in Colombian pesos.
  • The boat ride costs between $35,000-$45,000 pesos ($12-$15 USD). If you’re not staying in Taganga, take a bus (less than $2,000 Colombian pesos or 0.75 US dollars) or a taxi (about $40,000 Colombian pesos or $13 US dollars) to Santa Marta.

I hope this helps you figure out what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park! If you’re staying in Taganga or Santa Marta, check out this blog post about what to do while you’re there and some things that are good to know!

Another place you have to visit on the Colombian coast is Isla Fuerte. This island vacation spot isn’t as well-known as Tayrona or that part of the coast, but it is a totally unique, remote and gorgeous destination. Read about Isla Fuerte here!

Travel Guide

What to do in Taganga

Posted on May 30, 2018
what to do in Taganga, how to get to, what to do in Santa Marta, adventure, tourism, vacations, scuba diving

Taganga, land of the fishermen. I’ve been to this town more times than I care to count, and I’ve enjoyed every stay. This blog post probably even counts as a “What to do in Santa Marta” because I’d always rather stay in the tiny Taganga than the city of Santa Marta. Also, this blog post, even though it’s called “What to do in Taganga,” includes a lot of activities that are outside of Taganga because the area is one of the most beautiful, diverse and well-known in Colombia. So get ready for a whirlwind of things to do and get to planning your adventure on the Caribbean coast of Colombia – in Taganga.

What to do in Taganga

Activities

  1. Scuba Dive. Taganga became a Colombian tourist hot-spot because of the diving. For such a small town, it really has a lot of dive centers. They’re all trustworthy, but I’d recommend Tayrona Dive Center and Scuba Master. Taganga is known for how inexpensive it is to dive, and, though the diving is not the best in the Caribbean (compared to a place like San Andres), I’ve enjoyed most dives and seen turtles, barracudas, sharks, groupers, etc. The further you get from the town towards Tayrona National Park, the better the diving and the clearer the water. My favorite dive spots are Punta Aguja, Salidero and and La Piedra del Medio.
  2. Go to Tayrona National Park. Taganga is kind of the pit stop for people headed to Tayrona Park since it’s on the park’s edge. The entrance to the park is only 40 minutes from Taganga. It is one of Colombia’s most beautiful National Parks and is 150% worth a visit!
  3. North of Taganga, towards Tayrona, there are small islands along the coast that rise to great heights. These are so much fun to hike up because you feel like no one has been where you are at the moment – there are no trails or anything, and it’s probably true that few people have been there. On top of these islands you have an incredible, expansive view of the coast and the water surrounding you. Find someone to take you on a boat and get to hiking! A more accessible way to hike is to go north along the coast towards Playa Grande and the Tayrona. The trail starts right below the Bahia Taganga hotel.
  4. Mountain Bike in the Sierra Nevada. This is one of the best things I’ve done close to Taganga. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has one of Colombia’s few snowy peaks, and is a wonder to bike down. You can contact TayronaTrips, Elemento Outdoor Adventure or Minca Bikes and they’ll hook you up. If you’re in for an adrenaline rush, I recommend you tell them you want to do the downhill biking, although they have lots of other trails to ride.
  5. Hike to Ciudad Perdida. “The Lost City” is a Pre-Columbian town that was discovered in the 1970s deep in the jungles surrounding the northward slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. This is one of Colombia’s most popular multi-day hikes (4-6 days), giving all who venture onto the path a sense of oneness with nature. The Lost City is remote, and so worth it. Some tour companies that can help guide you are: Wiwa Tour, Expotur and many others.
  6. Watch the sunset. Taganga has the most consistently beautiful sunsets of any place I know. That’s probably because it never rains there, which is actually a problem, but at least it gives us a pink, purple, orange and yellow sunset almost every day.

Logistics

  1. Where to stay: I’ll get straight to my favorite hostel – La Casa de Felipe. I’ve stayed there a couple of times and had the time of my life. It’s comfortable, absolutely beautiful, and a little farther from the beach and, thus, the crowds. Some other places to stay that I would recommend are Ballena Azul, Hostel Nirvana, Taganga Dive Inn, and Bahia Taganga.
  2. Most people love beaches. Some love crowded, popular beaches, others desolate, pristine beaches. Here’s a short list of both. Popular: any of the beaches in the Taganga Bay and Playa Grande. Pristine: Playa Chengue, Playa Brava, Playa Cristal and any beach in the Granate Bay. Ask around and any boatman will take you to any of these for a fee! Some of the more desolate beaches are far away, but so worth it.
  3. Where to eat: I’m just going to list my favorite restaurants for you to try them. Bitacora, Baguettes de Maria, the Casa de Felipe Restaurant, the huts by the beach (get a sancocho de pescado there) and the Ballena Azul restaurant.

How to get to Taganga:

The first step is to get to Santa Marta, Colombia by plane, bus or car.

If you arrive in a plane, you can take a bus or a taxi from the airport all the way to Taganga. A taxi from the airport will cost $40,000 Colombian pesos or $14 US dollars. The trip takes about 40 minutes. Taking a bus from the airport is a little more complicated. You’ll have to take a bus to Santa Marta and get off on Carrera 5 (find the map below) and then take a bus to Taganga right there.

If you arrive on a bus, you can take a bus from the terminal to the Historical Center (Carrera 5 on the map below) and then take another one from there to Taganga. Otherwise, take a taxi to Taganga from the bus terminal, which will cost about $15,000 Colombian pesos or about $5 US dollars. (Quick tip: when traveling on a bus in Colombia, make sure you take warm clothes because the air conditioning might freeze you!)

If you arrive in a car, it’ll be best to use a GPS, type in “Taganga” and follow the instructions. If you’re old school, the map is at the end of this post and here are my instructions: get on Carrera 5, which is the second main road away from the beach, going north or with the sea to your left. At the end of this road, take a right. Take a left on Carrera 9a, which will be the second left, going over a train track and then take the next right turn. Stay on this road and it will take you over the mountain along its windy path all the way to Taganga.

Some things to know:

  • Before taking a taxi, settle on the price to Taganga or back to Santa Marta before you get on so that there aren’t any misunderstandings later and so you don’t get cheated.
  • Do your part in taking care of the town, the beaches and the ocean. Taganga is a classic example of what happens to a small town when it is overrun by mass tourism – trash, crowds, crime. So what can you do? Throw your trash away in the trash, don’t buy or sell drugs, say no to plastic and choose ethical tour operators (do your research!).
  • Use water sparsely. Taganga suffers from chronic drought and most people get water from tankers that visit the town every week, so limit your showers, etc. Also, drink bottled water so you don’t get sick.
  • High season is June and July, December and January, and Holy Week.
  • Take cash in Colombian pesos because most of what you will buy or spend will be in places you cannot use your card to pay. There is one ATM in Taganga, right at the entrance.
  • Be safe. There’s a saying in Spanish that goes, “No des papaya.” Literally, it means don’t give papaya (a fruit). What it really means is, don’t do anything that makes you a target, such as going to a sketchy part of any town with all your bling on, your camera hanging from you neck, talking on your phone. Do give papaya!

I hope this will help you plan your adventures! If you’d like to read about a more remote place on the Caribbean coast, read our blog post on Isla Fuerte!

Or if you’re stopping by Bogota, check out this list of places to go on outdoor adventures close to the city!

 

Travel Guide

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

Posted on May 3, 2018
fit, strong, what to do in san andres, adventure edition, scuba diving, beach, ocean, caribbean

I’m so glad San Andres is Colombia. I say this because it is a tiny island that is a full 800 km (500 miles) from mainland Colombia. The island is surrounded by “the sea of seven colors”, a visual effect created by the sea-bottom’s varying depths and huge, expansive coral reefs. Clear, calm waters, beautiful beaches, chill vibes, and great diving make this island a paradisiacal vacation hot-spot. Lala and I had our honeymoon here! I’m going to let you know my favorite way to adventure in San Andres. Read this travel guide if you like doing exercise, enjoying nature and feeling fulfilled! Let’s get into it – this is what to do in San Andres, adventure edition!

If you’re looking to have a classy, super relaxed vacation, read our post “What to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition.”

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

  1. Rent bikes.

The best way to move around in San Andres is on a bike. When we go to San Andres, we bike all the time—to the city, the lagoon, the beach, you name it! San Andres isn’t nearly as small as the other paradisiacal islands surrounding it, but biking is the best way to get to know the place and get some great exercise while you’re at it. You can park them practically anywhere you go. There once was a study that showed cyclists are the happiest athletes. And who isn’t happy vacationing on an island? Biking is a must. Our friend Konan, whose contact info is below, can get you what you need, but so can hundreds of other companies and people!

  1. Scuba dive.

Because you can’t go to an island in the Caribbean and NOT scuba dive!! This place has incredibly clear water, and the underwater world is as colorful as it gets. San Andres’ main attraction is the sea itself. No, scratch that, it’s a DESTINATION! Here’s my view on diving: it may sound scary before doing it, since the ocean is enormous and unknown. But scuba diving is the most relaxing and impacting thing you can do on the island. We’ve gone diving with Sharky Dive Shop or Karibik Diver, and we’ve enjoyed both experienced a ton!

  1. Snorkel.

Because if you don’t want to scuba dive, at least you can go snorkeling in crystal clear water. Actually, when we’re not diving, we’re snorkeling. The depths (or shall I say shallows?) of San Andres are something everyone needs to experience. What I love about San Andres is that the visibility is so perfect, the water so clear, that you can literally float, look down, and see the world beneath you without a problem. If you have your gear, get in the water anywhere and enjoy the reefs! You can see tons of colorful fish, and there’s large sting rays and sharks if you’re lucky. Our contact Konan is a snorkeling pro, and any dive shop will rent you some gear or guide you on a trip.

  1. Go to the Rocky Cay Wreck.

Rocky Cay is a Cay that is about 100 meters (300 feet) from the San Luis beaches. It’s a small islet with a few trees and clear water. Even though it’s pretty far from the shore, you can walk to the cay because the water never gets above your neck. Further on from the cay is and enormous, decomposed wreck where the water is 20 to 30 feet deep. You used to be able to jump from the top of the wreck into the sea, but a few hurricanes hit recently and made it pretty dangerous. I was thankfully able to do it beforehand, though!

  1. Find Lodging far from Downtown.

San Andres looks like this: the Northern tip is the touristic downtown, much like any other downtown: loud music everywhere, restaurants, hotels, and crowds. Though it can be awesome, we honestly prefer being able to choose when we want all of that – and we like sleeping well. The western or south side of the island are best for being away from the party tourism. There are some great hotels and hostels that feel secluded and outdoorsy. We’ve stayed at the Sunset Hotel, and its great. The only problem on the western or south side is that there are few sand beaches: it goes from spiky coral beaches to the ocean. It makes for great snorkeling and diving, though!

The eastern side of the island is where most locals live, in the city of San Luis. There are some great AirBnBs, and you don’t get crowds quite like you do in the north. Also, there are some great beaches on the eastern side, and the ocean has a lot larger waves. Our recommendation is to find a hostel on the western side or the eastern side. That way, you’re close enough to everything to bike everywhere, but also far enough away from crowds and partying to have peace and quiet.

  1. Surf.

You can surf in San Andres if you travel between November and February or June and September (hurricane season). San Andres is perfect for beginner or amateur surfers because the water is calm and the waves are generally small. Some surf spots are El Paraíso, Yelllow Moon (La Perla Bar), and Punta Sur. Most of the surfing is over coral reefs, except Punta Sur, which has a sandy bottom, so that’s the best place to learn. That being said, it is very expensive.

  1. If You’re Going Shopping…

Do it right! Go the day you’re leaving; maybe even after dropping off your bags at the airport! There’s a room at the airport where you can leave your bags if you can’t check them yet – the perfect solution if you have to check out of your hotel way before your flight. The airport is only a few blocks from the downtown area. San Andres has some really good products to offer, and it’s known for having great prices because of reduced taxes. Fun fact: there are malls called San Andresito in Bogota named after the island and its great prices. What is cheaper in San Andres is perfumes and alcohol.

A video for you to SEE what there is to do!

How to get to San Andres:

The only way to get to San Andres is to fly from Colombia, Panama or Costa Rica. There’s also a direct flight from Miami!

You can sail there, of course, but no one does because of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Seriously though, there’s pirates.

Some things to know:

–          You need to get a tourist card that costs $108.974 Colombian pesos, or $38 USD, before flying to San Andres. Get it at the airport before flying to San Andres. You have to show it when you enter and leave the island, so keep it safe. Children below the age of 7 don’t have to pay it, as well as if you’re going to be on the island for less than 24 hours.

–          We know a great driver who has a big car and is extremely trustworthy. His name is Julio Machado. His telephone number is  (316) 622 8720 or (311) 874 6749.

–          Konan can take you snorkeling and can rent bikes and golf carts. Go ahead and contact him at +578 (317) 518-0579 or at konanparadise@gmail.com.

–          The North side of the island has buildings, more crowds, more restaurants and hotels, and calmer water. The South side of the island is less populated, there are less crowds, and the water can tend to be a little rougher (but in San Andres it’s never really rough!)

–          Take extreme care of your surroundings. San Andres is suffering overpopulation and pollution, and they’re connected. So please do YOUR part and throw your trash away, even returning with the trash you can take back to the mainland. Clear, perfect water will be worth nothing if it becomes a plastic grave for everything that lives in it.

I hope this has helped you know what kind of adventures you can have in San Andres!

Would you like to visit another Colombian island on the Caribbean? Check out our blog post about Isla Fuerte!

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