Tayrona National Park Colombia, or Parque Nacional Tayrona as it’s called in Spanish, is a beautiful natural park on the northern coast of Colombia, enjoying the heavenly warm seas of the Caribbean. In this ultimate guide to Tayrona Natural National Park you’ll see how to get there, how the hike to the camps is, what to take and details of Tayrona National Park accommodation including hotels, camping and hammocks. Parque Tayrona is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, don’t miss it!
How to Get to Tayrona National Park from Santa Marta
Santa Marta or Palomino make great bases to stay before and after your visit to Tayrona. I chose to stay in Santa Marta beforehand so I could leave my big rucksack there and travel to Tayrona with my small day pack, which is a great idea if you are backpacking. If at all possible, try not to take all your stuff with you, as hiking for 2 hours with 25kg of luggage is no-one’s idea of fun.
We stayed in the Dreamer Hostel in Santa Marta, which was awesome. They run one or two daily shuttles, depending on demand, that go direct from the hostel to the entrance of the park.
Or you can take the public bus from Santa Marta to Tayrona National Park, which runs frequently between Santa Marta and Palomino, just ask the driver to stop at the El Zaíno entrance of the park. Go early during the day if you can, to avoid hiking in the midday sun, and to have plenty of time for a swim!
The shuttle bus from the Dreamer Hostel took around 45 minutes to an hour to arrive get to the Tayrona National Park entrance. At the entrance there are places to go to the bathroom (1000 pesos) or, if you can wait a while, they are free inside the park once you get to Arrecifes. You can also buy snacks, drinks and snorkelling gear at an elevated price but still cheaper than inside the park.
If you started your journey in Santa Marta, and want to continue on from Tayrona to Palomino you can flag down the public bus, or take an (overpriced) taxi.
You can check overland routes for how to get to Tayrona National Park here on Bookaway.
Tayrona National Park Tickets
In peak season, including January, it is recommended to buy Tayrona National Park tickets in advance, as there are a limited number of people allowed inside the park.
The only site I could find to buy Tayrona National Park tickets online was this one: http://www.parquetayrona.com.co/ . It is in Spanish but you should be ok with Google Translate, you simply select the zone (Taquilla Zaino is the usual entrance where we went in), the number of people and the date required. Print off your PDF tickets and take them with you on the day you chose.
In low season, you should be fine to buy tickets at the entrance, but get there as early as you can. Before buying your entry ticket, everyone has to watch a video about the Park (in Spanish with English subtitles), then the attendant will give you a voucher to allow you to purchase your ticket.
The entrance fee is much higher for foreigners than it is for Colombians, and varies depending on the season. As of 2018, in low season, Tayrona National Park entrance fees for foreigners cost $44,500 pesos, and $54,500 pesos in high season.
Once you are inside the park you can stay as long as you like – but if you exit the park you will have to pay the entrance fee again to return. REMEMBER: Every year in February, Tayrona National Park is closed to allow the land to recover from the effects of tourism.
After buying your ticket, guards at the entrance will search your bags – for alcohol and drugs which are both prohibited inside Tayrona National Park. There is beer available inside the park if you can’t bear an alcohol free stay, and obviously, drugs are illegal here as they are in the rest of Colombia so don’t bother!
Tayrona National Park Accommodation
There are several options for Tayrona National Park accommodation, suitable for every budget, including hammocks, camping, hotels and luxury ecohabs. There are no hostels in Tayrona National Park, if you are on a budget, then you will be camping, or in a hammock.
Tayrona National Park Ecohabs
The ecohabs in Tayrona are the most luxurious form of Tayrona National Park accommodation, and they carry the price tag to match. These beautiful thatched-roof bungalows resemble the traditional homes of the indigenous people in this region, but equipped with comfortable beds, hammocks and stunning views of the ocean they are far from basic.
Close to Cañaveral beach, you can take the park shuttle here or arrange a prviate transfer with the hotel. A gourmet restaurant is onsite, and they also offer spa treatments and guided tours within the park, for an extra fee. There are bungalows for 2 people, or 4, and prices start from around $368 USD per bungalow. Read more…
Tayrona National Park Hotels
There are two hotels inside Taryona National Park if you want to enjoy the nature of the park on a reasonable budget, but can’t face camping.
Hotel Jasayma Parque Tayrona is close to the entrance of the park, about 15 minutes walk from the Zaino entrance, and about 30 minutes walk (or a short shuttle bus ride) to the start of the trail to hike into the rest of the park. They have private parking if you come by car, a restaurant onsite, and wifi access, so you can have more comfort here than you might expect – but you still have quite a hike to get to the beaches. Prices start from around 180,000 COP ($62 USD) per room. Read more…
Camping Castilletes Parque Tayrona is further inside the park, close to Cañaveral beach, but still a good hike from the swimmable beaches. The shuttle buses will drop you off close to here. You can camp here, including with an RV or campervan, or private rooms start from around 100,000 COP ($34 USD) including breakfast. Family and Quadruple rooms are also available, and according to the reviews the facilties are basic but generally clean. There is a restaurant onsite, but no wifi. Read more…
Tayrona National Park Camping
You can camp at Arrecifes but the beaches aren’t fit for swimming due to dangerous currents. There is a sign warning of the dangers, and confirming that more than 100 tourists have drowned there – don’t become another statistic. Better options come later, so I’d advise you to continue your hike!
Another 20 minutes’ hike later you will reach La Piscina. Translated as the Swimming Pool, as the name suggests you can swim here, grab some snacks and drinks, and even take a snorkelling tour. Keep going and, eventually, you will reach Cabo San Juan, which has the prettiest beaches, and is the most popular campsite. Here there are tents and hammocks to rent, or you can bring your own tent for camping.
Tayrona National Park Hammocks vs Tents
When we arrived at Cabo San Juan campsite we were told we could only check in at 1.30pm, so be prepared to queue in busy times. The rules seem to change regularly though, so I’d still advise arriving as early as you can.
The best hammocks, up in the hut overlooking the beach are $25,000 a night, but these go first, and are often full with people staying for 2 nights. Normal hammocks in the ‘cow shed’ shelter in the middle of camp are $20,000 a night, and hiring a 2-man tent is $25,000 per person.
The tents get very hot very quickly, and have dubious mattresses inside – I’d say the hammocks were the best option but there are no mosquito nets provided, so bring your own if you don’t want to feed the pesky mozzies.
We stayed for 2 nights, the first night in the cow shed, then in the morning we asked to upgrade to the beach hut. Waking up to the sound of the waves and a gorgeous sunrise was definitely worth it!
The Tayrona National Park Hike to the Camps
The colectivo ride from the entrance to the beginning of the hike is definitely worth it for $3000 pesos, but after that, there are no more roads, so you have to continue on foot or hire a horse to ride. If you have a lot of camping gear you can also hire the horse to carry that for you! They cost $40,000 to Cabo San Juan, $30,000 to La Piscina or $20,000 to Arrecifes.
Be prepared to sweat! The hike is pleasant, but it gets hot and humid. The first camping point you come to are the ecohabs which are expensive, and not near a beach where you can swim. Arrecifes is next, which has camping, tents and hammocks to sleep in, which took us about an hour to get to.
This part of the hike is up and down, some climbing over rocks, some walking along wooden footpaths. After Arrecifes the path evens out into a flat, sometimes sandy, path which is mostly shaded by the forests of palms and tunnels through mangroves.
One of the highlights of the Tayrona National Park hike for me was just before the Arrecifes camp when we came across a Kogi man selling freshly squeezed orange juice – best juice ever!! Tart, but cold and much needed after our hike.
Safety & Security in Tayrona National Park
The only safety issues I came across were strong currents on some of the beaches, and problems with thieves at night. Pay attention to the safety notices before you swim, and don’t risk getting swept away in the dangerous beaches.
When you go to sleep at night, keep a small bag with you in your hammock, preferably strapped to you, to keep your valuables safe. Someone we met had left everything in a bag below his hammock, and someone sneaked off with his cash and camera while he was sleeping, so do watch your stuff carefully and make sure you have travel insurance to cover your belongings.
Tayrona Natural National Park Packing List
You will need your passport to register to enter the park, and to reserve your hammock spot. I also read that there may be checks for yellow fever certificates, so bring that with you as well. Obviously out here there isn’t any internet and no phone signal, so if you have a separate camera you may not need to bring your phone.
Bring plenty of water with you as it’s expensive to buy inside the park, or a bottle with a water filter like the LifeStraw. There are showers and taps to wash your hands & clean teeth so you can fill up your filter bottle here.
Snacks are a good option too. Food here is OK, better than I had expected actually. In the morning there was a lady walking around with a box of freshly baked pastries, and the on-site restaurant offers food for breakfast, lunch & dinner, and juices. The price for the food wasn’t bad considering the location – spaghetti and tomato sauce for $10k pesos, chicken or meat with rice $18-20k pesos, and fish and prawn dishes around $25k.
Essential items are toilet roll, biodegradable sunscreen and insect repellent – and a padlock for the lockers. Check the lockers carefully as some on the top level have open tops, and others have holes in, so choose your locker wisely.
A mosquito net is also a very good idea, especially if you are in one of the hammocks.
If you plan to take Tayrona National Park hike to Pueblito (the indigenous settlement), bring closed-toe shoes or walking boots with you. Otherwise comfortable sandals for the hike to the campsite and flip flops are all you need.
If you like snorkelling, bring your own mask if you can. It is possible to rent sets here, or buy them at the entrance (although I’m not sure about the quality!). There is also a snorkelling tour that goes from La Piscina where there is coral and tons of fish, and you might also see turtles and rays if you are lucky. I didn’t do that tour, but others recommended it.
Do Not Bring:
Pets, surfboards, alcohol, drugs, musical instruments. Dogs are not allowed inside Tayrona National Park.
Getting Back from Tayrona National Park
Instead of taking the bus, you can choose to get a boat back from Cabo San Juan to Taganga near Santa Marta. To get the boat from Taganga to Cabo San Juan it costs $50k pesos, or $45k to go back. It takes about 50 minutes according to the ticket sellers, and they are hawking tickets from all day at the beach, so you will find them easily!
For hiking back to the El Zaíno entrance, the footpath is officially open from 8am to 5pm, so make sure you leave enough time to get back before dark.
I walked the flat part of the path back to Arrecifes, and we called at La Piscina for orange juice and arepas for sustenance! If you are going to Pueblito I recommend not going on the day that you have to hike back to the entrance – you will be tired! We made that mistake, and I got a horse the rest of the way back from Arrecifes to the entrance, to cut out the hardest bit of the path.
You can learn more about the hike to el Pueblito here.
From the entrance to the park, you can take a bus back to Santa Marta, or continue on to Palomino, further along the coast. We were so exhausted we took a taxi to Palomino, often there are drivers hanging around outside.
Visiting Cartagena? I prefer to travel independently, but if you are looking for tours, check out these options from GetYourGuide:
Have you been to Tayrona National Park? Do you have any other tips to share? I’d love to hear them!
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Hmm are you planning to go back to Santa Marta after Palamino? I left my big pack at a hostel in Santa Marta & took a smaller bag with me for the two days in the park then a few days in Palomino, and I spent a night in Santa Marta again before continuing. Apart from that, I guess you’d have to take it with you although it’s not ideal, and hire a horse to carry it in the park! I’m not aware of any safe areas to leave it at the entrance, although that may have changed since last year…. good luck!
Just wondering what people do when they have to bring all their “gear” with them. I’d be leaving from Santa Marta and was planning on going to Palomino afterwards. What do I do with my big ass pack 😀
Incredible pictures. That sun though, just magical! This is sure a kind of vacation I would enjoy a lot. Never heard of this place and glad you are exposing it to me!
love the way you tell about this place. It’s amazing information the places with wonderful pics. I’ve never gone there before. Noted it!
Wow, I thought it was just a usual park that I’m used to amble around, but this one is pretty amazing. That sunset moment while seeing the calming sea is beyond compare. I like how you captured all your photos, very stunning!
This is a great guide to Tayrona. I just love the color of the water in the first picture. I have not been to that part of the world yet. How many pesos to a USD?
Ahh those hammocks look great, I can imagine snoozing in one of them. I don’t think I’ve heard of Tayrona National Park or seen any pictures of this place before, but I’m sold now! I have no idea what prices in Colombia are like, would you say 25k is a lot for a hammock or a tent?
Tayrona National Park sounds spectacular – I love hearing about new national parks I haven’t discovered yet! Thanks for the tips on the strong currents of the beaches – I think the dangers of swimming are something people (travelers) largely underestimate, but it should be taken seriously. I wouldn’t mind it being hot and humid if I could dip my feet in the water every now and then :D!
I have seriously been DYING to go to Colombia lately and almost did but ended up changing my plans. I’d love to sleep in those hammocks…what a view! Not going to lie though the prices are a littttle steep. Looks amazing nonetheless.
A good hot and humid hike is just what everyone needs now and again. I’d enjoy it if I were there, that’s for sure. I love national parks. So much to see and do and in a protected state, that’s always a good way to state safe too.
O wow! This looks like my kind of vacation. As soon as I saw the photo of the hammocks I was sold! That view is just priceless. Of course I will be careful and avoid the swim 🙂
Some friends of mine who have relatives in Columbia did a big trip there this year and now I keep seeing so many incredible photos and experiences like yours from this beautiful country. I hope to make it there one day soon!
I have heard such good things about Colombia lately but more about the jungles. I had no idea the beaches were so awesome too. It is up there on my bucket list for sure!
I think I’d love to wake up to the sound of waves crashing on the beach – only problem being in this hammock type I’m not sure I’d get much sleep. The mozzies just LOVE me and I can see them getting past the netting which they have done in the past.
A stunning hidden gem!
Very informative I feel like I could visit think I had been before.
I would love to sleep in one of those hammocks in the park! What a view.
Thanks for mentioning the issues with theft – it is sad that this happens anywhere, but knowing that it happens gives an extra level of caution.
Wow! Worth it even just to sleep on these hammocks! Though these prices are a bit ouch! 😀
I haven’t heard of this place but it looks awesome! Makes me want to visit Colombia even more! Love the tips and great photos.