[pipdig_banner image=”https://martinemakesmemories.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_5555-4.jpg” pipdig_banner parallax=”yes”] Leave the cities for adventure and nature. For this you have to visit Tayrona National Park. A visit to this park should not be missed during your trip. Hike for hours through the jungle with beautiful views, enjoy the poor or even no WiFi connection and sleep in a hammock! Tayrona Park brings out the adventurer in you. However, it is important that you prepare well because not all facilities are present. Below we provide information and useful tips!

TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK

Most tourists and travel organizations do not skip Tayrona National Park during their visit to Colombia. Not a bad idea, because this is one of the most beautiful national parks of Colombia. The park is also very popular with the Colombians themselves. So you will not be the only one during the hike and you will not have the beach to yourself. Despite this, it is certainly worthwhile to visit the park. Preferably several days! This way you can hike further into the park and possibly go into the jungle with a guide.

THE START

Tayrona Park has 2 entrances. Calabazo and El Zaíno. The most used entrance is El Zaíno. This is the official entrance where you can buy tickets from 8 a.m. One person per travel group must purchase the tickets. The others can sit on the wooden benches and watch a movie about the park. The ticket price for foreigners comes to 57,000 COP (€ 16.20) per person. How long you stay in the park is up to you. Once you have the tickets, you need to put a strap on your wrist. They have different colors per day, so they know how many days you have been in the park. Strip on? Go! To start you can walk to the main path in 1 hour or take the shuttle bus for 3000 COP (€ 0.85) per person. This is definitely recommended. Here is nothing to see yet. It is one long boring road and is actually a waste of your time and energy. The monkeys can be spotted from the start path. The asphalt road stops and here the real work begins. Wooden paths have been laid on some parts for extra support. You have to hike through densely forested areas, climb stairs and you will come to the large boulders that are characteristic of Tayrona Park. Here is a cabin where you can enjoy the beautiful view and rest in the shadow. After this pit stop you walk down slowly again and you reach a stretch of beach. Soon you will come to camping Arrecifes. The directions are well indicated during the hike.

CAMPING ARRECIFES

When you arrive Arrecifes campsite you have walked about 1.5 hours. It is nice that you can discover the rest of the park and know that you have already reserved your sleeping place for the night. We therefore advise you to ask immediately after arrival at camping Arrecifes if they have a availability and check in for the night. You cannot reserve the overnight stays before your visit to Tayrona Park. Camping Arrecifes rents tents and hammocks. We have chosen a hammock to make our experience even more adventurous. We’ve paid 34.500 COP (€ 9,80) p.p. for a night in a hammock. You can get a key for a locker against a deposit of 10,000 COP (€ 2.83) per locker. The campsite also has clean toilets and (open) showers. There is also a restaurant where you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner. For one main course you will pay around 30,000 COP (€ 8.50). In the evening there is a cozy campfire.

CAMPING CABO SAN JUAN

Walk for another hour from camping Arrecifes and you will arrive at camping Cabo San Juan. Here you can rent a tent or a hammock too on the floor or at the top of the cabin. There is a toilet block and a restaurant. You also have a main course here for 30,000 COP (€ 8.50). We have not chosen this campsite, since it is directly adjacent to the beach. As a result, you are bothered by a cold wind at night and the tents can get pretty wet. The advantage of this campsite is that it borders directly on the beautiful beach ‘La Piscina’. You can reserve a hammock or tent for camping Cabo San Juan via this website.

LA PISCINA

The beach next to the Cabo San Juan campsite is called ‘La Piscina’. This is the beautiful, well-known bay of Tayrona National Park. At La Piscina there is no strong current so you can swim here without to worry. The bay is characterized by the large rocks in the sea, the palm trees and the tower where you can have a nice view or spend the night in a hammock.

HOW DO YOU GET THERE?

Are you coming from Cartagena? Then take the Marsol bus service. With a small bus you will be brought to Tayrona Park for 50,000 COP (€ 14.00). It takes about 4.5 hours. From Santa Marta you take the bus from the Expreso Brasilia company to Palomino via Rio Hacha. Get off at Yuluka Eco Lodge at Trompito Bajo Km 28 via Rio Hacha. Show this address to the bus driver and he will stop at the right place for you.

STAY FIRST NEARBY THE PARK

It is nice to stay 1 or 2 nights close to the entrance prior to your visit to Tayrona Park. This way you can recover from your trip, enjoy the wonderful nature and you can be full of energy the next day at 08:00 at the entrance to Tayrona Park. You can also leave your luggage at all these hostels. Super nice! We have chosen for Eco Hostal Yuluka. This is a nice hostel with nice houses, with a stone bathroom (with bath), a relaxed pool and a wonderful restaurant. All this in the middle of the beautiful nature. It is advisable to book the nights at home, because this hostel is very popular!

SOME TIPS

❀ take your passport and yellow booklet with you ❀ don’t forget to bring a sheet and pillow ❀ there is no ATM at the park so bring enough cash! ❀ a flashlight can be useful ❀ make sure you have enough water ❀ put on good walking shoes for the hikes ❀ leave your suitcase / backpack at your hostel from the previous night