The Tayrona Park is a natural wonder of Colombia, is a site that collects hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists annually as the beauty and variety of its beaches make this park an attraction of the country. And not only because of its beaches, but also because of the cultural richness hidden in its protected areas and its indigenous communities.
Image taken from Aventurecolombia.com
HOW TO GET TO TAYRONA PARK?
This wonderful place is located 34 kilometers from Santa Marta. To reach Tayrona Park from Bogotá you can do it by land or air. If you prefer to do it by land you must take a bus at the transport terminal in Bogota to Santa Marta. This trip takes about 20 hours. When you arrive in Santa Marta, at the bus terminal, you should look for a bus to La Guajira. This bus will leave you at the entrance of the Tayrona Park and will take about 45 minutes.
If, on the other hand, if you prefer to do it by air, when you arrive at the Simón Bolívar airport in Santa Marta you must take one of the buses that pass right in front of the airport. These buses have a destination of Santa Marta – Riohacha and the trip takes approximately 45 minutes.
The entrance to the Tayrona National Park is from 08:00 am to 05:00 pm.
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE IN TAYRONA PARK
The Park is located between 0 and 900 meters above sea level and handles an average temperature of 27°C, this area has a warm climate. In your visit to the Tayrona Park, we recommend you to wear comfortable and light clothes of light colors, you can’t forget your bathing suit and sandals. It is important that for the walk in the park you have comfortable shoes. Also do not forget to take sun block or suntan lotion and insect repellent on a stick. It is advisable to have a hat or cap for the sun.
Photo taken from Locationcolombia.com
ATTRACTIONS IN TAYRONA PARK
The Tayrona Park is one of the biggest attractions of Colombia and Santa Marta as it has a variety of beaches and a land of 15,000 hectares where you can find diversity of fauna and flora. The tour in the park is really reassuring, because you will walk in the middle of a jungle landscape accompanied by the whispers of animals that hide among the tall trees.
This park has been declared a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, which means that the environmental and cultural importance of the Tayrona is totally outstanding.
The park has 4 entrances, for each entrance you can enter different beaches, although the ideal would be to make the complete tour of the park. Bear in mind that the Tayrona Park has many beaches and the terrain is very large, so you should follow the signs so as not to get lost, and if you do get lost, don’t worry! During the tour you will always be able to find the local Indians who will show you how to get to your destination and help you to hydrate yourself with a delicious coconut water.
WHAT TO DO IN TAYRONA PARK?
If you are wondering what can you do in Tayrona Park, the answer is simple: enjoy.
The Tayrona Park is a magical place, it is an earthly paradise where you can bathe in the waters of the variety of beaches it guards, enjoy the sea and its transparency, the tranquility of its blue sky, its palm trees and the mountains that surround the view is one of the best experiences.
You must take into account that in the Tayrona Park there are more than 10 beaches, one of the busiest, because it is there where you can camp and spend the night in beds, it is Cabo San Juan, this wonderful beach is bathed by a golden sand and surrounded by vegetation that harmonizes the place. In this beach you will also find a restaurant and what better than to sleep in front of the sea? Foreigners usually come to this beach to spend their holidays so it is a good place to enjoy and meet new people.
Neguanje Bay, on the other hand, is known as Campo Santo, since it was an indigenous cemetery for many years. In this mysterious beach you will be able to make mugging and diving and some sectors of this beach have a strong swell.
Cinto Bay is another of the park’s beaches, where you can enjoy transparent waters and green vegetation all year round. It has a great variety of marine life, which is why it is also a good place to go diving and snorkeling. If you want to spend the night on this beach, you must take into account that it is very far from the city and there is no restaurant nearby, so you must bring food and water for the days you plan to stay.
La Piscina beach is another beach that you can visit, this small beach resembles a swimming pool, its waters are calm and you can swim freely, however, in this beach there is no place to camp or to spend the night, so it is only a passing beach that you should certainly visitin your travel to Tayrona park.
The Arrecife beach is the largest in the park and bears his name thanks to the variety of reefs found in its waters. On this beach you will find a camping area, hammocks and cabins to spend the night.
In Playa Brava you can also find restaurant and lodging services, as well as enjoy a beautiful landscape and calm waters for swimmers.
In addition to all this, the Tayrona Park has what tourists have catalogued as a nudist beach, which is not exactly a nudist beach, but visitors practice this modality despite the fact that it is rarely frequented due to its strong waves and the prohibition to swim in its waters.
The Tayrona Park is definitely one of the best tourist destinations in Colombia.
Image taken from Juanballena.com
GASTRONOMY IN TAYRONA PARK
In the Tayrona Park you will find restaurants in three of its beaches, Arrecifes, Cabo San Juan and Cañaveral where you will find breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurants serve the typical dishes of the region, that is to say, you will enjoy a delicious rice with coconut, a variety of fish and mollusks and the delicious coastal sancocho. In addition to these dishes, you can try typical coastal “pasabocas” such as the bollitos, the arepa de huevo and the patacones.
It is recommended to take canned food and water, because inside the park it is much more expensive than outside and you can have something in your backpack while making the trips from beach to beach.
WHERE TO STAY IN TAYRONA PARK?
The Tayrona National Natural Park is such a complete place that you can even stay overnight in one of the three places that have been arranged for tourists.
The three beaches that have accommodation are Cabo San Juan, Cañaveral and Arrecifes. You will have the option of sleeping in a campsite, in a hammock or in a cabin. The most requested place is Cabo San Juan because there you can camp in front of the sea.
However, if you are only passing through the Tayrona Park, you will have the option of finding good hotels a few kilometers away.
For example, the Hotel Casa Italia is located 3.8 kilometers from the park on 14 street # 5-94. It offers WiFi, restaurant, airport transfer, rooms with private bathrooms, air conditioning and television.
Telephone: 314 2844619
Website: www.casaitaliataganga.com
E-mail: mariacasaitalia15@gmail.com
Deep Forest Posadas Ecoturísticas is a good option to spend the night since they are located only 500 meters from the entrance to Tayrona Park in the Zaino sector, kilometer 29 via Rioacha. It offers restaurant service and 24 hour reception and free parking. The rooms have private bathroom, flat screen TV and comfortable beds. Pets are allowed.
Telephone: 314 6627025
COSTS
To enter the Tayrona National Natural Park you must pay an entrance fee at the park entrance.
Entrance to the Tayrona National Natural Park in Low Season:
NATIONAL OR FOREIGN RESIDENT IN COLOMBIA UNDER 25 YEARS OLD: $11.500 COP
NATIONAL OR FOREIGN RESIDENT IN COLOMBIA OVER 25 YEARS OLD: $18.500 COP
FOREIGNER NOT RESIDENT IN COLOMBIA: $44.500 COP
Entrance to the Tayrona National Park in the high season
NATIONAL OR FOREIGN RESIDENT IN COLOMBIA UNDER 25 YEARS OLD: $13.500 COP
NATIONAL OR FOREIGN RESIDENT IN COLOMBIA OVER 25 YEARS OLD: $23.000 COP
FOREIGNER NOT RESIDENT IN COLOMBIA: $54.500 COP
