SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA (TAYRONA)
Santa Marta is a great travel hub in Northern Colombia giving you access to: Carnaval in Barranquilla (late-February or early-March), scuba-diving in Taganga, trekking in Minca, and lounging at the beach in Tayrona National Park. Although Santa Marta as a city doesn’t have much to offer, it is a great location to use as a “home base” to do many activities close by!
Attractions:
Tayrona National Park: Santa Marta as a town doesn’t have that much to offer but swinging through is a must strictly for visiting Tayrona! This national park is gorgeous and extremely accessible via city bus. Entrance costs 61,500 COP. I spent two nights at San Juan del Cabo and would recommend doing the same! It is both relaxing and social without being over-crowded. Three important things to note:
Bring your passport or you will not be let into the park!
If you stay at San Juan del Cabo, there is one restaurant (only open during ‘meal times’) and a snack shop (with limited options). I would recommend bringing food!
If you stay at San Juan del Cabo, there will be small lockers for you to keep your things secure - be sure to bring a lock!
When it comes to attractions in Tayrona, your options are slightly limited. The majority of my time here was spent relaxing on the beach nose-deep in a book while admiring the surrounding nature. That said, there are two main spots you can check out (in addition to the main beach).
Pueblito: This small, deserted town is a 90 minute hike from San Juan del Cabo. I would say the hike is the attraction here, not the town.
Playa Nudista: This is what it sounds like. This can be accessed directly from San Juan del Cabo (45 minute hike) or you can hike to Pueblito and then continue on the path to Playa Nudista (it’s a loop). The beach here is quiet and well… breezy! Be sure to bring plenty of sunscreen!
Other things to do include: Rodadero, Tayrona Gold Museum, Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, and Simón Bolívar Park.
Accommodation:
Dreamer Hostel: If you spend a night in Santa Marta, you have to stay here! The common area is both spacious and exposed to open air. It has hammocks, a pool, and a bar/restaurant. The breakfast is well worth the additional price - it’s a huge buffet!
In addition to it being an amazing hostel to stay at, it also makes a great “home base”. You can leave your large bag in a locker here while you explore Tayrona (and/or Minca). There’s no need to lug around your large travel bag when going to either destination. Plus, when you leave (whether it’s from Minca or Tayrona), you’ll likely have to go through Santa Marta anyway.
The most popular accommodation in Tayrona is a hammock at San Juan del Cabo - these were 40,000 COP/night (between $12-$13 USD). I highly recommend! You can also camp in the area, too.
If sleeping outside isn’t your thing, there is also a Dreamer Hostel in Palomino stocked with beds/rooms.
Transportation:
Tayrona is 40 minutes by bus from Santa Marta and costs 7,000 COP. Buses run from Santa Marta to the entrance of Tayrona leave every 20 minutes. The park opens at 8am so I advise getting there right as it opens (or a bit earlier) because accommodation is first come, first served and booked at the entrance to the park.
Once accommodation is booked, you will receive a map. You’ll have two options for getting to San Juan del Cabo.
Option 1: Hike; this will take you 2.5 hours. The first half of the hike is along a road and the second half is through the park. The first half is nothing to call home about, but walking through the park was lovely!
Option 2: Take a bus half-way and then hike the rest. This will take you 1.5 hours. The 20-minute bus will take you along the road mentioned above and drop you off at the end. You will then have to hike for an hour through the national park. There is no transportation that will pick you up at the entrance and take you to San Juan del Cabo (although instead of hiking, you can take a horse).
Note: All buses from Santa Marta will run in and out of Terminal de Santa Marta.
Cartagena is 5 hours by bus (via Barranquilla) from Santa Marta and costs 30,000 COP if you book via your hostel. If you book online, you’ll have to buy two separate tickets. Santa Marta to Barranquilla (2 hours; 18,000 COP) and Barranquilla to Cartagena (2.5 hours; 20,000 COP).
Medellín is 16 hours by bus from Santa Marta and costs 170,000 COP. The flight is slightly over 1 hour and costs between 125,000-350,000 COP on LATAM, Avianca, or Viva Air.
Bogotá is 17.5 hours by bus from Santa Marta and costs 220,000 COP. The flight is 1.5 hours and costs between 175,000-225,000 COP on LATAM or Viva Air.
