Since arriving in Colombia, there has been lots of talk
about places to visit along the coast and throughout this vast country. One of
those places, Parque Tayrona, has been mentioned numerous times by various people
– and for good reason! I kicked off my Semana Santa vacation by visiting this
popular tourist destination with 4 other friends (Jessi, Derek, MC, and
Janice). In planning this trip, we found it very difficult to find accurate,
up-to-date information. So in an attempt to help other travelers and future
visitors to this national gem, I'm going to help out by giving more of a
logistical recap of our trip. (Accurate as of April 1, 2015)
Getting there:
Getting to Parque Tayrona is not that hard of an endeavor.
Once I Santa Marta, the coastal city closest to the park itself, take a taxi to
the mercado area. The bus leaves from Calle 11 and Carrera 11. You can also
just ask the taxi driver to take you to “la parada para los buses a Parque
Tayrona.” This taxi ride should cost $5000.00 pesos (approximately $2.50). Once
there, take the Parque Tayrona bus.
There should also be a placard in the front window that says
something about Tayrona. Also, ask any of the attendants or people on the street
and they will be able to also help you out. The bus ride, which is 1-1.5 hours,
depending on traffic, cost $6000.00 pesos (approx. $3.00). The bus will drop
you off at the entrance of the park.
Admission into the
Park:
Once you get off the bus, you'll see a bunch of shops
selling various items (drinks, food, camping supplies, etc.). Walk past these
and to your right will be a little amphitheater where they do an orientation
that is required before entrance to the park is allowed. Trust me, you have to
attend this orientation. My friends and I attempted to skip this and had to get
out of line for tickets to attend. The orientation lasts for about 15 minutes.
The park ranger basically goes over the history of the park and basic rules of
what's allowed and prohibited while inside the park.
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| Welcome map at the entrance of the park |
After the orientation, the park ranger will hand out little
tickets with the number of people in
your group. In order to buy your tickets into the park, you MUST have this ticket. If you
are traveling with more than 2 people, I would suggest that you pool all of
your money together and send one person to buy your tickets. For foreigners,
the price of admission is $39500.00 pesos (approx. $20.00). Plastic bags are
not allowed in the park, so avoid bringing them with you at all.
Environmentally safe bags are available at the entrance if you do have plastic
bags with you.
Entering the Park:
Once you have bought your ticket and have shown the receipt
to the guard at the main gate, there are two options to get to the parking area
(no cars are allowed beyond that point). One option is to walk. The walk itself
takes about an hour and is fairly stress-free. It's a nice little jaunt through
the beginning part of the park. If walking is not your cup of tea, then you can
take a van (called a colectivo) for $3000.00 pesos (approx. $1.50). The
colectivo will drop you off at the parking area and then it's about a 5 minute
walk to the start of the trail that leads you into the main part of the park
itself.
Lodging Options
Once you reach the parking lot, there are ways that you can
reach the various camping sites and beaches. One option is to walk. The hike to
Arrecifes (the first campsite option) is about 1.5-2 hours, depending on how
fast you hike and how many breaks you take. It's a beautiful hike that has some
pretty spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. The other option is to take a
horse along a different path. This costs about $16000.00 pesos (approx. $8.00)
and takes about 45 minutes to reach Arrecifes. The other camp site, San Juan de
Cabo, is about another 45 minute walk from Arrecifes. This site is a little
more popular than Arrecifes because it is right on the beach and water.
We stayed at Arrecifes and had a really pleasant experience!
There are three lodging options: camping, hammocks, and EcoHuts. In order to
camp at Arrecifes, it costs $20000.00 pesos (approx. $10.00) a night per
person. They do not have any equipment that you can rent there, so be sure to
bring your own tent and sleeping bag. The hammocks cost $300000.00 pesos
(approx. $15.00) a night per person and should be reserved ahead of time to
guarantee that there are enough for your group. The EcoHuts (small,
economically and environmentally cabins) are another option, but I'm not sure
on the price of those. The same options are also available at San Juan de Cabo.
There is a restaurant at both Arrecifes and San Juan de
Cabo,
it the food is pricey (at least
from the perspective of s current Peace Corps volunteer where funds are limited).
Prices ranged from $16000.00 pesos (approx. $8.00) to $46000.00 (approx. $23.00)
for entrées. However, they do offer freshly made fruit juices for only $4000.00
pesos (approx. $2.00) that are delicious! If you are traveling on a budget, I
would suggest bringing food with you to eat. Near the beach at La Piscina,
there are some arepa stands that offer some reasonably priced options as well.
Things To Do:
La Piscina: This
little stretch of beach is a pleasant place to relax, catch some sun, and enjoy
the cool water of the Caribbean Sea. There are a couple of restaurants and
arepa stands nearby, so if you get hungry/thirsty, there are places to satisfy
those needs.
San Juan de Cabo: This
second camping site is situated right in the beach, which makes a popular spot
for most visitors. It tends to be more crowded than Arrecifes, but provides the
same amenities and options. One extra thing that you can do here is snorkel.
There is gear that can be rented for this if interested.
El Pueblito: This
small, traditional indigenous village is situated high in the Sierra Nevadas
that surround Parque Tayrona. The hike to the village is about 2.4 km long and
is a strenuous one. The majority of the hike is spent scaling boulders and discerning
between poorly marked paths. The village itself is a collection of about 5-6
traditional huts. There are a few people that make this place their home. The
hike down was a lot easier. There is a back trail that is devoid of boulders
and only takes about 45 minutes to complete. Definitely recommend that for the
trip back down.
All in all, this was a great trip. The breathtaking views and relaxing time on the beach were a perfect way to kick off the Seaman Santa vacation. The rest of the week was spent back in my pueblo getting ready for the upcoming school week. More to come about the last few weeks, which have proven to be unpredictable!
