Colombia has a large coastline that’s lined with beaches. If you talk to any Colombian, they’ll tell you that Tayrona National Park is the best and is absolutely beautiful. Having visited, I agree with their statement, but a visit to Tayrona National Park isn’t just a beach day. You need to be prepared for some hiking before you can enjoy that time on the beach.
So here’s everything I think visitors should know before visiting Tayrona National Park.
Why Should You Visit Tayrona National Park
The main reason why everyone visits Tayrona National Park is to enjoy the beaches. Whether that’s relaxing on the beach with a good book or splashing in the ocean, there are three great beaches within the parks boundaries for you to enjoy yourself.
How Much Does it Cost to Visit Tayrona National Park?
Unfortunately, the entrance fee to Tayrona National Park isn’t the only cost associated with the park, so let’s cover everything you’ll need to pay for on your visit.
Entrance Fee
The most obvious fee is the entrance fee for Tayrona National Park. While it’s cheaper for Colombians, it comes with a price tag of 87,000 COP for foreigners during the high season and a reduced rate of 72,000 COP in the low season (see more about when to visit Tayrona National Park for a break down of the seasons). Compared to many other entrance fees in Colombia, this can come as a bit of a sticker shock. The good news is that fee is good for however long you stay in the park. So, if you plan to stay overnight inside the park, you only have to pay that entrance fee once.
While much of Colombia prefers cash, you are able to pay your entrance fee with a card at the ticket office. Though based on the charge on my card (which came out to about 95,000 COP), there’s a slight fee if you pay with card.
Once you’ve paid your fee, you’ll be given a wrist band.
Mandatory Insurance
We already talked about the entrance fee, but let’s talk about the mandatory insurance. When I visited, I had to pay for the mandatory insurance before I could purchase my entrance fee. There were people sitting at desks and you had to pay 7,000 COP (in cash) for the mandatory insurance. I believe this cost is per day spent in the park, which is why it’s not included with the park’s entrance fee.
This insurance is to cover you if something happens to you inside the park. Hopefully, you don’t have to worry about using it, but it is a mandatory fee that you must pay. Like with the entrance fee, you’ll be given a wristband to show you paid.
Shuttle (Optional)
The last piece that I want to mention in the costs section is the shuttle. The shuttle is optional and you don’t technically have to pay for it. However, it costs 6,000 COP per person, one way and I highly recommend taking it.
The shuttle is a large passenger van and takes you from the Zaino entrance (the most popular entrance) to the starting point of the hiking trail. This distance is five kilometers, which isn’t a ton, but there’s really nothing special about it. Save your feet and just pay the 6,000 COP (12,000 total if you ride each way) and take the shuttle. It’s well worth it.
Total
So in total, at a minimum, you’ll want to budget 79,000 COP for a visit during low season and 93,000 COP for a visit during high season. If you want to take the shuttle, which I highly recommend, that brings you up to 91,000 COP for low season and 105,000 COP for high season. It’s not a cheap day by Colombian standards, but I think it balances out nicely with some of the more inexpensive activities in the country.
Remember that these are just the fees to get into the park and reach the trailhead. This does not account for food, water, and transportation to and from the El Zaino entrance.
Reaching the Best Beaches Tayrona National Park
So you’re in the park, you’ve paid the fees, and now you’re ready to go to the beach. Well unfortunately you need to be prepared for a hike. It takes some trekking to reach the first beach, and if you want to reach the best beach, you need to be prepared for an even longer journey.
Trailhead to Arrecifes Beach
Once you get dropped off at the trailhead, it’s about two miles of hiking to reach the turn off for Arrecifes Beach. I logged 250 feet of elevation gain along these first two miles. In my opinion, this is the toughest part of the day. That’s not to say that it’s a difficult stretch of trail, but with the heat and humidity, you’ll likely work up a sweat. It took me about an hour to reach to reach the turn off for Arrecifes Beach.
I will say that after the first 1.25 miles, the trail flattens out and it gets a lot easier. So if you’re wondering what you got yourself into for a beach trip, know that once you get past that first bit, it’s pretty easy the rest of the way.
At the turn off, you have a choice to make. You can follow the sign that says “Access to Playas” which will take you out to Arrecifes Beach. Or you can head to the left, past Panderia Bere, for the hike through the jungle and skip most of Arrecifes Beach. I did both. The hike to Arrecifes Beach is fine, but you’ll be walking along the beach through loose sand, so it can be slow going. Plus, if I’m honest, this is the least impressive of the three beaches at Tayrona National Park. If you’re going to skip any beach, skip this one.
Note that if you hike through the jungle and skip Arrecifes Beach or if you walk along the beach, you’ll eventually meet up with the main trail again.
Arrecifes Beach to Piscina Beach
From Arrecifes Beach to Piscina Beach, I logged 0.95 miles on the jungle trail with minimal elevation. It was about the same distance using the trail along the beach, but I walked a lot slower because of the loose sand. It’s your choice, but I recommend taking the jungle trail and skipping the walk on Arrecifes Beach. The last two beaches are much nicer.
Piscina Beach to Cabo San Juan
Finally, you have Piscina Beach to Cabo San Juan. It’s the last beach and it involves a tiny bit more effort. While Arrecifes to Piscina is pretty flat, there is one hill on the way to Cabo San Juan. It’s another 0.95 miles with 80 feet of elevation gain before you finally reach Cabo San Juan.
Find a place for your things and head into the water to cool off.
Total Hiking Stats
I hiked from the trailhead straight to Cabo San Juan, walking along Arrecifes Beach. On this hike, I logged 4.5 miles, 377 feet of elevation gain and 361 feet of elevation loss. It took me 1 hour and 50 minutes to hike this. This includes a few stops for pictures and to let other hikers pass (people were coming in both directions even at 8:00 am).
On the way out, I hiked from Cabo San Juan to Piscina Beach. This came in at 0.95 miles with 79 feet of elevation gain and 91 feet of elevation loss. It took about 23 minutes, but there were more people on the trail at this time.
From Piscina Beach to Arrecifes Beach, I followed the jungle path. This came in at 0.95 miles with 30 feet of elevation gain and 23 feet of elevation loss. This was 21 minutes of hiking.
Finally, from Arrecifes Beach to the trailhead, I logged two miles. I had 250 feet of elevation gain and 250 feet of elevation loss and it took me 52 minutes.
Food in Tayrona National Park
To cut down on costs, I recommend bringing your own food and snacks into the park. Stop at a supermarket in Santa Marta or Palomino before you visit and pick up cheap snacks. That’s not to say that there aren’t food options within the park, but many are significantly more than what you would find outside. Remember, once you’re in the park, you are a captive audience and they can charge whatever they want.
For a budget option, look for the sandwich sellers. At Cabo San Juan, there was with a stand selling sandwiches out of a cooler. It cost 15,000 COP for a ham and cheese sandwich, but it was warm. That’s a lot, but compared to a nearby restaurant that wanted 60,000+ COP for a basic plate of rice and meat, these sandwiches are the budget option. I also saw a man with the same sign walking down the beach at Piscina Beach, so you can find budget options in a few places.
Along with food, bring your own water. Tayrona National Park is hot and you’ll want to stay hydrated, especially after the hike in. Like with food, you’ll find water for sale, but it’s at a high mark up. One place I saw was selling bottles of water for 8000 COP (for context, the expensive mini mart I passed in Cartagena sold it for 5900 COP). These vendors typically also have soda and beer.
Should You Stay Inside Tayrona National Park
This is a personal preference. Plenty of travelers stay inside the park, either at a cabin, in a tent, or on a hammock on the beach. These options aren’t cheap, but they can be offset by the fact that you get two days in the park but only have to pay the entrance fee once.
Plenty of people will day trip to Tayrona National Park from either Santa Marta or Palomino. For anyone planning this, I recommend trying to get an early bus. It’s nearly 45 minutes from Santa Marta and 45 minutes from Palomino and you want to make the most of your time.
Lastly, there are nearby hostels and hotels that sit just outside the entrance. These can be great options for those who want to stay closer to the park (and avoid the nearly two hour round trip bus ride), but don’t want to stay in the park.
I chose the last option and stayed at a hotel that was a 25 minute walk from the Zaino entrance. They advertised as 1 kilometer from the El Zaino entrance, but it was more than double that. Not a big deal and the hotel was nice, but it’s a reminder to keep an eye out and measure it on GoogleMaps.
If you choose the last option, I’d highly recommend staying at a hotel that also has a restaurant. There are a few restaurants along the side of the road leading to Tayrona National Park, but when I tried to go around 5:00 pm (after arriving from Cartagena), most of them were closed which was unfortunate.
What to Bring to Tayrona National Park
So you’ve decided to visit Tayrona National Park. Here’s what you need to bring.
Sunscreen – The sun is strong in Colombia and it’s always a good idea to use protection. While there were plenty of vendors in Tayrona National Park, I don’t recall seeing anyone selling sunscreen.
Bug Spray – While some parts of the country are worse than others, I’d still recommend having some bug spray. I didn’t notice much when I was in Tayrona National Park, but I did find two bites on my legs after I got back (and I used bug spray).
Bathing Suit & Towel – This should go without saying, but it’s a beach trip. Make sure to pack your swim gear. I wore mine under my hiking clothes, but you can use the bathrooms to change at the beaches.
Water – It’s overpriced inside the park, so pick up some water and bring it along with you to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Snacks – Like with water, the food is overpriced inside Tayrona National Park. Even if you plan on eating inside the park, supplement your meals with cheaper snacks from outside the park.
Cash – While you can pay for your entrance fee with a card, you’ll need cash for everything else in the park, including the insurance and shuttle. Plus if you want to buy water, food, or anything else, plan to bring cash. As a reminder, there is no ATM in the park (or near the entrance), make sure to pick up enough cash in Santa Marta before you arrive at Tayrona.
Passport – You always want to keep your passport safe, but you’ll need to show it when you enter Tayrona National Park, so don’t leave it at your hotel.
How to Get to Tayrona National Park
There are a few ways to get to Tayrona National Park and it all depends on where you’re coming from. The easiest way is to get a bus from either Santa Marta or Palomino. The same bus connects both Santa Marta and Palomino, with Tayrona National Park situated between the two cities.
From Santa Marta, go to Mercado Publico on the corner of Calle 11 and Carrera 9. Look for the blue, green, and white buses heading for Palomino. The cost varies depending on who is collecting the money. On my way to Tayrona National Park (and getting off a Trompito Village at km 28), I paid 9,500 COP. On my way back to Santa Marta, I paid 12,000 COP (10,000 for my ticket and 2,000 for my bag). Reviews of the bus stop on Google state 10,000 COP plus 4,000 COP per bag.
So I guess it varies, but plan to spend about 10,000 COP, plus an additional small charge for a bag. If it’s cheaper than that, then it’s just a bonus.
From Palomino, you’ll also want to look for the blue, green, and white buses. These buses connect Santa Marta with Palomino and stop off at Tayrona National Park.
When to Visit Tayrona National Park
Seasonality is important when it comes to visiting Tayrona National Park. While the season can affect your price, it can also affect your ability to visit.
First and foremost, Tayrona National Park closes annually at the request of the local indigenous peoples to cleanse the environment. Typically, the park closes on the following dates (though it’s always best to confirm because they can change)
- February 1 to February 15
- June 1 to June 15
- October 19 to November 2
If you plan to visit during these times, reconsider your travel itinerary.
Outside of these times, it’s important to pay attention to seasonality. During high season, you’ll pay the higher entry fee and you can expect to have more tourists.
High Season includes
- June 15 to July 15
- December 15 to January 30
- Holy Thursday to Easter Sunday
- Holiday Weekends
If there’s a date that hasn’t been mentioned, it’s in low season and you’ll pay the lower entrance rate.
My Experience at Tayrona National Park
I arrived early, having read that the line to get into the park can be quite long. I arrived at 8:00 am, right as the Zaino entrance opened and was shocked to find a very small line. There were several visitors, but nothing like what I was expecting. This made for an enjoyable introduction to the park as I shared the trail with few people.
I planned to hike all the way to Cabo San Juan and then stop at the other beaches on my way back. Due to a wrong turn, I ended up on Arrecifes Beach early, but kept walking until I joined up with the main trail again. I arrived at Cabo San Juan around 10:00 and while there were people there, it wasn’t bad. I was able to find a place to sit and relax (after a dip in the ocean to rinse the sweat off).
The relaxing didn’t last long as more and more people entered the park and eventually Cabo San Juan felt incredibly busy. By noon, I was thinking about packing up and starting my trek back. I would have loved to stay, but by that point, so many more people had come and it wasn’t as enjoyable. Keep in mind that I was visiting during high season (although it was on a Tuesday, not a weekend), so your experience may be different if you travel in low season.
I stopped at Piscina beach, which while nice, isn’t as picturesque as Cabo San Juan. However, I found this beach much more calm. Sure there were other visitors, but it had a much chiller vibe than the chaos that was Cabo San Juan. I hung out here for two hours before deciding that it was time to head out of the park and back to my hotel.
So my recommendation is to follow what I did. Get there early and head straight for Cabo San Juan. When it starts feeling too busy, start working your way back to the entrance and stop at Piscina beach for some more relaxing before leaving the park.
Final Thoughts
Tayrona National Park is beautiful and while I’m not necessarily a beach person, I’m really glad I visited. Yes, it takes a bit of work to reach the beaches, but I think that helps to make them that much more beautiful. And hopefully with this guide, you’re prepared for your own visit to Tayrona National Park.
Continue Your Adventure
Colombia: Start planning your trip with my Colombia Travel Guide which includes a realistic travel budget, my top travel tips, safety information, a nine day itinerary, and so much more.
More Beach Vacations: For another great beach destination, outside of Colombia, consider a visit to Costa Rica and Manuel Antonio National Park.