Magdalena · Tayrona · Colombia
Experiences and local guides in Santa Marta
Tayrona park, the Lost City trek, Minca in the Sierra Nevada, diving at Taganga and tubing in Palomino: Colombia's wildest Caribbean.
Nature
Santa Marta sits between the Caribbean and the Sierra Nevada, the world's highest coastal mountain range, rising from the beach to 5,700 m in 40 km. Tayrona park mixes jungle, giant boulders and turquoise beaches; Minca, at 600 m, is coffee farms, waterfalls and hummingbirds; and deep in the sierra lies the Lost City, the Tayrona Teyuna, with stone terraces in the mist.
Activities
- Lost City trek, 4 days and 46 km through the jungle with local guides and Wiwa and Kogui communities
- Tayrona park: hike from Cañaveral to Cabo San Juan, beaches, snorkelling and a night in a hammock
- Minca: Marinka and Pozo Azul waterfalls, coffee and cacao farms, birdwatching
- Diving and snorkelling at Taganga, tubing down the Palomino river to the sea, kitesurfing at Palomino
- Sierra Nevada: trails to Cerro Kennedy, Arhuaco villages and Tayrona culture
When to go
December to March is dry and windy, with clearer seas; July and August are a second dry season. April to June and September to November bring afternoon rain and fewer people. Tayrona closes a few weeks a year for ecological rest (usually February, June and October).
How to get there
Simón Bolívar airport (SMR) is 16 km away, with flights from Bogotá (1 h 30), Medellín and Miami. Buses from Cartagena (4 hours) and Barranquilla (2 hours). Tayrona is 45 minutes by bus to the El Zaino gate; Minca 40 minutes by shared taxi; Palomino 1 h 30. The Lost City trek leaves from Santa Marta with transport included.
Nature, activities, experiences and guides with links, to read offline.
Activities in this destination
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Local operators identified in Santa Marta (4)
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