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One of the most beautiful natural areas in Colombia is Tayrona National Park (Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona). It sits just outside of Santa Marta, covering 150 km² of land and coastline with trails, incredible beaches, coral reefs, and several species of plants and animals.
Getting There
It’s a little time consuming to do Tayrona by public transport from Santa Marta, but there are day trips available. Some tours offer beach days, others offer a couple hours of hiking to a beach, and others offer only nature hikes.
The beach tours available are typically to Playa Cristal (no hiking), and La Piscina and Cabo San Juan del Guía (hiking). I’ve done both of them.
It’s also possible to go by boat from Santa Marta or Taganga directly to some of the beaches for the day. The ride is very choppy and takes about 90 minutes.
Accommodation
If you’d like to stay close to the park entrance and do the park on your own, rather than all the way in Santa Marta, there are plenty of great places to choose from. If you don’t mind splurging, I can highly recommend Villa María Tayrona. It’s a short drive from the entrance to the park and has some amazing bungalows as well as a private beach.
Ecohostal Yuluka
For more of a budget stay, I can recommend Ecohostal Yuluka. This eco-friendly hotel is located right in the jungle and just 10 minutes from the park entrance. It only has a handful of small bungalows, each with a fantastic bathroom. Beds are equipped with mosquito nets and some rooms have air conditioning.
The hosts, Wilmar and Nellys, do their best to make sure you’re comfortable. They can also help book tours for the many activities in the area. The staff is laid back and friendly. There’s a swimming pool to cool off after your visit to the park.
A shuttle leaves the hotel every morning at around 8am to take visitors to the entrance of Tayrona National Park. For a little bit extra, the driver will take you all the way to the parking lot where the trail begins and even agree to pick you up at a set time in the afternoon. You can organize this with the hotel.
The only drawbacks: wifi is spotty or nonexistent, and the only restaurant in the area is at the hotel.
