Tayrona Park is the most visited National Natural Park in Colombia, it is located 30 kilometers from the center of Santa Marta, Magdalena department. It is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta on the shore of the Caribbean Sea and in it you will find a chain of more than 30 exotic beaches that are very different from each other.
In this article you will discover all the options to visit this wonderful place, advice and suggestions. There are 3 sectors in the Tayrona park: The Bahía Concha, Palangana and Zaino sectors.
How to get to Bahía Concha from Santa Marta
Bahía Concha is closer to the city, you can go on a Tour, on public transport but there are very few buses that arrive or you can go by taxi.
If you come from another city, you have to get to Santa Marta any way and take a taxi or public transport in the fifth avenue that is close to the hotel area.
As it is so close and so easy to get to, I recomend you first to get to your hotel to stay and then travel to Bahía Concha.
You can also get to Bahía Concha by boat and you can even visit several beaches such as: Granate, Bahía Concha, Chengue etc.
Ask about the different boat plans: Paseos en lancha al Tayrona
Tour: $ 100.000 pesos
Bus: $ 2.200 pesos
Taxi: $ 60.000 pesos.
Entrance: 35.000 pesos.
How to get to Gairaca, Playa del Amor, 7 olas beach, Neguanje and Playa Cristal (Palangana´s area)
The Palangana sector is the second entrance where you can reach the aforementioned beaches, on the Map you see the slope of the road that passes bordering the beaches of: Gairaca and Neguanje because the 7 olas beach (7 waves) passes through the upper part of the mountain and can only be seen from afar in a viewer, these beaches can only be reached by tours or a private car because there is no ground transportation.
How to get to playa del Amor:
This is a very beautiful virgin beach that can only be reached by boat either leaving Neguanje, Taganga or Gairaca, arriving in Gairaca there are fishermen who take you there if you pay for the trip but there is nothing organized or safe and like these beaches They are virgins, they are completely alone and you go at your own risk.
As there are no tours scheduled for this sector, you have to make it private. You can contact the maritime and land transport company Tayrona Tour, they put together a cheap package to this beautiful place by land and by boat.
How to get to Neguanje & Playa Cristal
To get to Playa Cristal you first have to get to Neguaje and you can only take a taxi or a tour.
The taxi costs $ 200,000 approx. and leaves you in Neguanje, arriving first at the entrance control and you will have to pay the entrance.
From there you hire a boat that will take you to Playa Cristal for around 10 minutes and it costs $ 100,000 up to 12 people, the problem is that if there are not 12 people they will still charge you the same, you return in the same way.
Taxi to Neguanje: $ 200.000
Boat to Playa cristal: $110.000 hasta 12 pax.
Organized Tour: $ 140.000.
Entrantrada: $ 42.000 colombians $ 72.000 foreign high season.
$ 35.000.000 colombians $ 64.500 foreign low seasos
How you ger to Playa Cristal by boat.
The boats leave from Taganga to Playa Cristal every day at 10 in the morning and return at 4:00 p.m, the estimated time is 30 minutes and the costs $ 130,000 pesos, you do not have to pay entrance because it already comes in the price, there is a package that they make you with the transport included from Santa Marta ask at the agency: Transporte Marítimo Tayrona.
Tour: $ 140.000 pesos incluye entrada, guía, transporte.
Entrance: $ 42.000 colombians $ 72.000 foreigh in high season, $ 35.500.000 colombians $ 64.500 foreigh in low season
How to get to San Juan by bus from Cartagena, Bogotá, Medellín or any other city in Colombia.
Tayrona Park is in the northern part of Santa Marta on the main road that leads to Riohacha so you have to take a bus that goes to Riohacha from any city that you are in Colombia but it is most recommended that you arrive at the terminal of Santa Marta and from there take another bus to Riohacha so you will have many more options.
The estimated time is 1 hour more or less in the kilometre 30 and you need to ask the pople if you are close to tayrona andbe ready to get down.
How to get to Cabo San juan by car.
If you are traveling with car, you would enter to Santa Marta first and you would have to look for the main road that connects the Caribbean coast called the Troncal del Caribe heading north towards La Guajira but you have to be aware until you reach kilometer 30 where you will see the entrance of the Park Tayrona on the left side, you can park the car outside and leave it in a parking. If you enter with the car, you pay for the car 40,000 pesos.
If you leave your car outside you will have to take a transport inside the park that will take you to the parking lot, where you start a walk of 1 hour and a half until you reach ¨Arrecifes¨, the first beach of the Park and then you walk 40 more minutes to Cabo San Juan passing through Arenilla beach and the Natural Pool.
You must also pay mandatory insurance
Car fee: $ 40.000 pesos
Parking out side: $ 15.000 pesos el día.
Transfer inside: $ 7.000 pesos
Insurance: $ 6.000.
How to get to Cabo San Juan by bus from Rodadero, Taganga or Santa Marta.
From Rodadero and Taganga you hae 3 opcions: Orgnized tour, Taxi or Local bus.
Organized Tour :
This tour departs from Rodadero, passes through Santa Marta and will pick you up to your hotel in a bus with air-conditioned and returns you to the same place, people who are in Taganga should by their own means get to Santa Marta.
The tour included: Transportation, entrance, guide service, insurance.
Precio: $ 150.000 pesos
Travel agency to take the tour: Tayrona Tour Colombia
Taxi:
The Taxi takes you to the entrance of the park, but if you pay him the entrance of the taxi he has to leave you inside which is another 5 kilometers from the entrance. if not, you have to walk or take a transport inside that costs $ 7,000 pesos.
Taxi from Taganga: $ 180.000 aprox.
Taxi from Santa Marta $ 160.000 aprox.
Taxi from Rodadero $ 160.000 aprox.
Local Bus:
By inter-municipal bus you have to get to the public market at 11 kra 9 street either by taxi or by bus from the place you are, from there you take the bus to Palomino, they leave every 15 minutes.
They stop everywhere since on the way there are many farms and the people who live or work there and some times pople carry bags with a lot of market, chickens etc …
The route is about 1 hour and a half until kilometer 30 but do not worry that the driver screams when it is at the entrance of Tayrona Park, you get off and cross the street, you arrive at the ticket office and pay your entrance, then you take a car that It will take you to the point where you start walk during 1 hour and a half until you reach ¨Arrecifes¨, the first beach in the Park, then you walk 40 more minutes to Cabo San Juan passing by the Arenilla beach and the Natural Pool.
Local Bus: $ 10.000 pesos
ar inside the Parque: $ 7.000
Entrance: $ 42.000 colombians $ 72.000 foreigh in high season, $ 35.500.000 colombians $ 64.500 foreigh in low season
How to get to Cabo San Juan by boat.
By boat you avoid walking and you avoid the entrance to Tayrona Park, The boats leave from Taganga and take you directly to Cabo San Juan, the estimated time is 1 hour and 10 minutes, the waves are a bit strong but very safe , the boats are big.
They leave at 10:00 and return at 16:00 every day, there is an office that controls boat departures and sometimes has cheaper prices than others:
You can also take the Transport back only or you can go by boat and return by land.
Transfer round trip: $ 160.000
Transfer one way: $ 80.000
Note: you can stay to sleep in the Park and we will pick you up the next day
How to get to Cabo San Juan direct transport (Vans).
This transport leaves from Taganga and passes through the historic center of Santa Marta, they are 7 passenger vans services, they take you to Tayrona Park, they wait for you at the entrance until you pay and then it takes you to the point where you start the walk to the beaches.
Price: 45.000 pesos
Departure: 7:30 Taganga 8:00 Santa Marta.
Estimated time: 1 hora.
Prices Park Tayrona
accommodation Parque Tayrona
Recomendation:
- Guides Parque Tayrona
It is not very necessary to hire a guide in Tayrona Park because the paths are easy but if you like to be more relaxed, there are guides who can assist you very well and know the history of the indigenous people who live in Tayrona.
Tayrona Tour Colombia: Guides inside the Park
Puedes llamar a: 315 568 6343 Luis Escobar.
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Que llevar al Parque Tayrona
Linterna.
Repelente.
Sombrero o gorra.
Gafas de sol.
Elementos de aseo si te vas a quedar.
Ropa suave ya que es muy cálido el clima.
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Cuantos días estar
La mayoría de las personas van por un día pero no alcanzan a conocer todas las playas, hay muchos hospedajes dentro del Parque Tayrona, desde campings y hamacas hasta habitaciones muy lujosas, aquí te dejo un lugar para que veas las variedades que hay:
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Que mas visitar en Santa Marta
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Actividades en Santa Marta
- Buceo en el Tayrona
- Tubin Palomino
- Trek a la Ciudad Perdida
