Tayrona National Park is one of the best places to visit in Colombia and an ideal destination for solo travelers. In this protected park, you can relaxedly stroll through the jungle, spot wildlife or sunbathe at some of Colombia’s best beaches at the foot of the majestic green Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range.
Tayrona Park makes an easy day trip from Santa Marta, but I recommend to spend at least one night in or close to Tayrona, so you won’t be in a rush and have enough time to admire all the natural wonders of this amazing haven of biodiversity.
Parque Tayrona is perfect for hiking along jungle, beach and mountain trails, swimming (at selected spots), camping, as well as snorkeling and diving around coral reefs. Visitors can explore ancient relics of the indigenous Tayrona people, enjoy breathtaking views, and experience the tranquility of pristine nature.
Photo by Travelhapp, Tayrona National Park
Photo by Travelhapp, Beaches, Tayrona National Park
Tayrona Park features some of the best beaches in Colombia, in my opinion. There are more than 30 beaches inside the park! Please always watch out for signs whether you can swim or not, the sea can be wild in some areas!
Here are some of the nicest beaches:
Photo by Travelhapp, Tayrona National Park El Zaino Trail to Cabo San Juan
Tayrona National Park is a haven for both amateur and expert hikers, offering lush jungle, scenic sea views, and access to paradisiacal beaches.
The two most important park entrances for hiking are El Zaino and Calabazo. The trails from Calabazo are less crowded and more demanding compared to El Zaino.
If you feel more comfortable with some people around, the main El Zaino trail is a great, scenic option.
The most popular hiking trail starts at El Zaino, the main entrance to Tayrona park. The trail takes you through lush jungle, wooden boardwalks, and open coastal paths with beautiful views.
Along the way, you’ll pass beaches like Arrecifes, La Piscina, and end at the iconic Cabo San Juan de Guia, a paradisiacal beach with turquoise waters and hammocks for overnight stays.
The hike from Calabazo to Playa Brava leads you through scenic jungle and mountain paths to a serene and quiet beach. You can spend the night at Playa Brava and continue the next day to Cabo San Juan, if you are in a good condition. Hotel Teyumakke (Google Maps) is a favored option to stay at Playa Brava. (Make sure to book well in advance, it can fill up quickly.)
The entrance fee to Tayrona Park varies depending on the season and your country of residence. For example, in 2024 foreigners who do not live in Colombia pay 87.000 COP (around 22 USD/EUR) in high season.
You can buy your tickets directly at the park’s entrances. It’s valid for a single entry (and exit) only. You may be required to show your passport. The yellow fever vaccine is officially recommended for visiting Parque Tayrona but when I visited I was not asked for a proof of vaccination.
The park usually opens at 8 AM and closes at 5 PM.
Photo by Travelhapp, Tayrona National Park Beach
Many dive shops in Santa Marta and Taganga offer dive trips and courses in Tayrona National Park. I got my open water license in 2011 during my first solo trip to Colombia, taking a course at Playa del Amor inside Tayrona. No electricity, living in tune with the rhythms of nature – one of my best memories in life…
If you don’t like crowds, it’s a good idea to avoid weekends, bank holidays, as well as easter, christmas and Colombian school holidays when visiting Parque Tayrona. (Check out details in my article on the best time to travel to Colombia.)
Be aware that Tayrona National Park is closed for 2 weeks around February, June and October each year, so that nature can have time to recover. Check the official park website for up-to-date information on seasonal closure and daily opening hours.
Personally I like low and mid season months for visiting Tayrona, for example the second half of January or the first half of December. This is usually also dry season and there is a pleasant breeze in the Santa Marta area. However, if you happen to be in Colombia in a different month, still go to Tayrona! It’s always worth it.
Tayrona Park features a tropical climate and is quite hot and humid all year round.
Photo by Travelhapp, Tayrona National Park
It’s super easy to get to Tayrona Park by public transport. Just take a bus towards Palomino or Riohacha from Plaza del Mercado in Santa Marta and you’ll be at the El Zaino entrance of Tayrona Park in about an hour. The entrance is directly besides the main road. The bus ticket should cost around 10.000 COP.
Taxis are generally quite cheap in Colombia. To get an idea of the current fee from Santa Marta to Tayrona National Park by taxi view the price estimates on Rome2Rio.com. Make sure to agree upon the fee beforehand. Mototaxis are usually a bit cheaper than normal taxis.
A more adventurous option, if you don’t easily get seasick, is to go by boat. Boats run between Tayrona and the small fishing village of Taganga, about 5 km from the center of Santa Marta. Taxis and buses between Taganga and Santa Marta are cheap. Some of the boat captains have quite an audacious racing style, so it’s nothing for the faint of heart… If you do decide to try the boat, we’d recommend to take it on your way back from Tayrona Park, so you can enjoy the sunset on the sea.
To get from Minca to Tayrona Park by bus, you have to take the bus to Plaza del Mercado in Santa Marta first and then take a bus towards Palomino or Riohacha (see above). Alternatively you may consider hopping on a moto-taxi in Minca.
Visiting Tayrona National Park alone is totally feasible since it is very easy to get there from Santa Marta and the park is protected. It’s an ideal destination for solo travelers. The main challenge is avoiding the crowds. So, it’s better to go outside of weekends and public holidays.
I went alone, hiking along the El Zaino trail, and the only thing I regret is not having spent the night…
In case you would enjoy some company, you can join our Colombia Solo Travelers Facebook Group to search for other solo travelers near you that would like to tag along.
Make sure to bring along sunscreen and insect repellent, your swimwear and comfortable walking shoes, enough water for the hike, and some cash to buy food or pay for your accommodation for the night.
Photo by Travelhapp, Tayrona National Park Trail
There are several camping and hammock areas inside Tayrona National Park, if you want to sleep directly at the beach beneath the stars, for example at Cabo San Juan, Arrecifes and Cañaveral. Inside the park you can also find Tiny Houses Unique Tayrona (Google Maps) and the luxory Ecohabs Bamboo Bungalows (Google Maps).
Additionally, there are several nice hotels and eco-lodges near the Zaino entrance outside of Tayrona National Park, for example Quetzal Dorado Eco-Lodge (Google Maps) and Serrano Tayrona Lodge (Google Maps).
Walk 30 minutes from the El Zaino entrance and you will find a small hidden paradise called Frana Lodge (Google Maps). The friendly Austro-Colombian couple Franz and Ani built this place with their own hands, together with local people. They can tell you a lot of interesting stories about this adventure. You may easily see more birds and monkeys from the terrace of Frana Lodge than in Tayrona National Park itself, not talking about the variety of fruit and vegetables growing on this fertile piece of land… Franz and Ani are also extremely knowledgeable about Colombian music! For more information about rooms, prices and availability just send them a message via Instagram.
Photo by Frana Home lodge near Tayrona National Park, terrace with a view
The coastal areas of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta were inhabited by the Tayrona (Tairona) indigenous people before the Spanish arrived and drove them away from their sacred land. They fled to various locations in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, giving rise to four indigenous groups that still live there today: the Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuacos, and Kankuamos. The Kogui today still act as protectors of the Tayrona National Park, making sure it does not get destroyed by tourism.
The Tayrona culture was highly advanced, and the remains of their great architectural and engineering works are still visible at impressive sites such as the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida).
While hiking in Tayrona Park, you can find signs with information about the worldview of the Tayrona people.
Enjoy exploring Tayrona Park with its amazing nature and rich culture!
Last Update: November 26, 2024
