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Palomino is a laid-back beach town on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It’s located in the department of La Guajira, and the nearest major city is Santa Marta.
Introduction to Palomino
Before you get too excited about Palomino, you have to understand that the beach is not what it used to be. A series of storms from 2016 to 2018 have eaten up 30 meters of beach, while a total of 70 meters have been lost since 2000. There’s not much beach left to enjoy, and the prognosis for the future isn’t good.
Still, there are a handful of good places to stay, mostly hostels, and a variety of restaurants in the town’s dirt streets. Even without the beach, you can have a rejuvenating experience in Palomino.
Where to Stay in Palomino
There are many good places to choose from for your stay in Palomino. The grand majority are hostels geared towards backpackers, and a few are located right on the beach.
Makao Beach Hotel
We decided to stay at Makao Beach Hotel, a lovely property with just nine rooms and one of the few full-service hotels in the area.
The hotel has three air-conditioned rooms on the ground floor and six rooms with fans on the second floor. My room on the ground floor was very comfortable and the A/C made a huge difference.
Makao comes complete with a restaurant and bar opening onto a small stretch of beach, and a small retaining wall protecting it from the strong waves. The hotel also offers an excellent massage service and breakfast is included in the room rate.
Where to Eat in Palomino
There are plenty of restaurants in Palomino, but I ended up eating at the hotel almost every meal.
Makao Beach Hotel
The restaurant at Makao Beach Hotel serves a good variety of food, from seafood to burgers and pastas to desserts. Over three days and two nights in Palomino, I had all but one meal at Makao. All of the food was very good.
Los 7 Mares
For my only meal outside the hotel, I can highly recommend Los 7 Mares, which is on the main road to the beach. They offer excellent gourmet Caribbean dishes.
I started with the azul profundo, which is a combination of octopus and mussels on a patacón. For my main dish, I had the costeño, which is a delicious seafood stew served with coconut rice and plantain chips.
Map of Palomino
