Tayrona National Park

December 28, 2019 Niklas Hermes-Böhlefeld

“Paradise” on the Colombian Caribbean Coast

Where the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta meets the sea, lies the Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona. At this border, lush green rain forests and mangroves merge with bays of white sand and large grey boulders hugged by the blue Caribbean Sea.

The park itself is immensely popular with foreign and local tourists. Surprisingly, more Colombians than foreigners I met used the word “paradise” to describe this national park. I assume that many of the people from Barranquilla I talked with know this place as their paradise for two reasons: First of all, Barranquilla and its direct surroundings experience two long dry periods every year, which eliminate chances for lush vegetation and leave the city in dull brown and grey tones for most of the year. Secondly, many locals cannot afford to travel to similar parks or islands in other countries and highly appreciate this destination for a possible weekend trip.

“Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona” - key information of the park

Tayrona National Natural Park extends over an area of 150km². Of those, 30km² are maritime area - protecting some of the prettiest coral reefs on the Colombian mainland. It is located about 34km to the northeast of Santa Marta, the capital of the province Magdalena.

Different groups of the indigenous “Tayrona” or “Tairona” people inhabited the area of the “Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta” down to the coastline in the current Tayrona Park. After the Spanish arrived and a conflict escalated, they were displaced to higher elevations. Nowadays, some ruins still remain and the descendants of the indigenous people called Kogi live in the area of the park again. They also have rights to protect their lands from tourism, which they use in 2019 and 2020 for example to protect the ancient settlement “El Pueblito”. Every year the park is also closed one or several times for the eco system and the locals to recover from tourism, the indigenous to hold religious ceremonies and to do major maintenance.

In 2020 the park will be closed:

from February 1 to 29
from June 1 to 15
from October 19 to November 2

(Unfortunately, I haven’t found any official site that publishes closing dates and closed sights. A quick search should give you the latest news though)

Tourism can mean a lot of stress for local flora, fauna and people. Regular rest and recover periods like in the Tayrona National Park are meant to protect nature and culture.

Ticket prices for entering Tayrona Park vary between high and low season. Foreigners generally pay more than Colombians do and vehicles have an extra cost. In 2020, the prices for foreigners (older than 5 years) are 56.000 COP in low season and 66.000 COP in high season (1 € = ca. 3.700 COP; 12.2019). High seasons is from 15.06.-15.07. and 15.12-30.01., during the Easter week “semana santa” and on long weekends. As Saturday is at least half a workday for most people in Colombia, a 2-day weekend thus is a long weekend. Colombians who are 26 or older pay 31.000 COP in high season. Everyone pays per entry. Hence, you can buy one ticket and stay several days or enter again and pay again. In addition, an accident and rescue insurance needs to be purchased. It was 3.500 COP per day in 2019.

The opening hours of the Zaino entrance are from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, but it's possible to stay overnight. At the main entrance “Zaino”, large waiting times can be expected when arriving later than 8:00 am. Meanwhile, the “Calabazo” entrance is much less frequented and thus offers both no waiting time and almost empty paths. According to this guide, Calabazo opens from 6:00 am - 2:00 pm. There is a third entrance called “Palangana“, which is used by vehicles to access the beaches “Neguanje” and “Playa Cristal”. It is far away from the other accessible beaches though and it is not possible to stay overnight there.

Places to visit and things to do

Just to make clear: When you’re on the Colombian Carribean Coast close to Santa Marta the Tayrona Park can be a great destination for a multi-day getaway; for example to immerse in nature, to observe and appreciate flora and fauna or simply to relax in a quiet place. More ideas of what to do see and there are presented in the next section. Personally, I would not fly to Colombia just to see a beautiful place anymore, though. For saving our environment, I want to reduce the amount of flights I take for personal satisfaction and find better reasons for traveling. Check out what exactly I mean in my blogpost Purposeful Travel.

Back to the topic this section is about: What are places in Tayrona Park that can be visited by the public?

9 Piedras Trail

If you enter the park through the Zaino entrance, you can take a shuttle bus for 3.000 COP for several km on a road. The bus will lead you to the beginning of the Cañaveral area from where you can start walking on a trail to most of the popular beaches, which I will describe shortly in the following sections.

Where the bus is dropping you (at a car park) you can turn right and walk a bit until you will find the start of the “9 stone” trail. It is a quiet path leading you through the jungle, to the coast, along the beach, through mangroves and above ponds. I was really hoping to spot a caiman when walking above the ponds, but I wasn’t lucky. The stones are described to have a spiritual meaning and at some spots there are also small explanatory texts or lookout points.

9 similar rocks that have a meaning in Kogi culture are along this trail

Two big advantages of the trail are that it is in comparison little frequented and that it offers some nice viewpoints with hidden beaches.

Cañaveral beaches

These beaches are the first ones to find after entering through the Zaino entrance and walking towards Cabo San Juan. They are not safe for swimming and furthermore serve as a nesting area for loggerhead and leatherback turtles. You should watch out for signs that are both prohibiting swimming and entering the beaches themselves. You can still enjoy the looks and take pictures from the main path though. Close to the “ecohabs” accommodation in this area lies a small beach called “Piscinita”, where swimming is allowed.

The Cañaveral and Arrecifes beaches are mostly for visual enjoyment, but not safe for swimming

Arrecifes

Arrecifes refers both to a tiny settlement with restaurants, accommodations, lockers (bring your own lock), toilets and a sector of long beaches. They are among the largest beaches in Tayrona Park. Following the trail ten minutes further towards Cabo San Juan, you will arrive at Arenilla Beach - the first one along the “Arrecifes trail” where you can swim.

La Piscina

This is a major beach directly along the trail where swimming is allowed. A natural line of boulders protects the beach from the otherwise strong currents and large waves. It turns this beach and its waters into an area that will remind you of an actual swimming pool due to its very calm waters. The “pool” is divided into different zones for swimming, scuba diving and other water sports. Corals and fish live along the boulders.

“La Piscina” is a beach that is naturally protected by a row of boulders outside

Cabo San Juan del Guía

The path from the Zaino entrance to Cabo San Juan del Guía or just “el Cabo” should take less than 2h if you’re walking directly without taking too many breaks and detours. It would be a fairly easy trail with few and short inclines if it wasn’t for the heat and humidity. Due to the climate, it can be tough and you should make sure to stay hydrated and take breaks if you feel like you need it.

Cabo San Juan del Guía is the “place to be“ in Tayrona Park. During the day, it will get crowded, especially on the weekends and public holidays in Colombia.

This twin bay is the most famous and popular spot in the park. Divided by a little peninsula in the center topped with a wooden cabin, it is one of the most unique beaches I've seen so far. Visitors can stay overnight in cabins, tents, hammocks on the mainland or even hammocks in the cabin on the peninsula. A restaurant, shop and some vendors sell everything necessary.

The cabin on the peninsula is a great addition to create interesting photos. It took me ages to find this exact sunrise photo spot though - it was almost the last picture I took on this morning.

Nudist Beach

Walking westwards for about 10 min from Cabo San Juan lies a nudist beach that is much less frequented than all the beaches between the Zaino entrance and el Cabo. You are allowed to take of all your clothes here, but you don’t have to. Hence, you may also come here to enjoy a quieter beach if you don’t mind other people being naked. In case you do not want to stay with naked people, I would suggest you to walk some 10min further to another beach with even less and no naked people.

Tip: When I was walking the short path towards the nudist beach lots of mosquitos bit me. Maybe put on some repellent even when you’re walking through this area during midday.

By the way, it felt surprisingly liberating to just walk into the water naked. You should still not properly go swimming here, though.

I had the nudist beach in Tayrona Park all to myself when I got there. The other beach you can see in the distance is not for naked people.

El Pueblito

This ancient village is currently closed as it is a sacred place for the Kogi people.

Playa Brava

Starting at the Calabazo entrance you may reach Playa Brava in 2-3h. It is a quiet beach, but it is not safe to swim here. In the beginning, you need to ascend about 400m on partly steep and narrow paths, making it exhausting in the Caribbean heat. As a reward, you will receive some views over the surrounding valleys with the Caribbean Sea in the background. The best thing about taking the Calabazo entrance is walking on narrow and secluded paths though. I barely met any tourists there, mostly locals and workers - and even just a hand full of them.

Once you reach Playa Brava, you will encounter a large open area with some palm trees and huts close to the empty beach. There are few daily visitors coming here if at all. The employees I met told me that howler monkeys would often come with coconuts to the area during the afternoon so that the employees could open the coconuts for them. As I continued towards Cabo San Juan after a short break at the place I never saw them, but I did hear them several times. They sound like wind howling through the hills.

Other beaches accessible by boats or buses

All of the so far mentioned beaches are easily reachable by walking from the Zaino or Calabazo entrance. This area is just the eastern tip of the National Park though. There are several other bays with beaches and small villages closer to Santa Marta. Unfortunately, these beaches are further away from the main road and normally people take cars, motorcycles or - most commonly - boats to get there.

Other heavenly beaches like Playa Cristal and Bahía Concha are popular daytrips from Santa Marta by boat. It is possible to reach these two beaches by bus in case you do not like boat trips. I heard that the boat trips particularly to Playa Cristal are only for those that do not fear the sea or bumpy boat rides. Apparently, the boat ride there is exceptionally rough and many people tend to get seasick or are just very happy upon safe arrival. Maybe this is why the beach is also called “Playa del Muerto“ - the beach of the dead. On the other side, the underwater life is told to be vivid, which makes these places great for snorkeling.

Nature and wildlife

Tayrona Park is a great spot for any wildlife enthusiast. From birds to reptiles, amphibians, insects, mammals, fish and corals, you can find everything in this “paradise”.

The animals that certainly get most of the attention are the monkeys. There are three species of monkey in Tayrona Park: the loud howler monkeys, the shy capuchins and the endangered cotton-top tamarin monkeys. Howler monkeys are the easiest to notice by their loud howling, capuchins and tamarin monkeys do not make it as easy to find them. Following the right tips there should be a fairly good chance of seeing a monkey. This guy seems to have been very lucky with seeing wildlife in Tayrona.

Caimans are a much less common sight but blow everybody’s mind when they walk on a crowded beach like el Cabo. Depending on your excitement to see one at the beach you’re lying at, it fortunately or unfortunately doesn’t happen that often (according to vidoes taken of caimans in Tayrona just every 3 years or so).

A small population of jaguars, the basilisk/ Jesus Christ lizard that can run on water, many different iguanas, agoutis that look like small capybaras are just few of the other interesting animals that live in Tayrona Park. The most interesting birds living here may be the blue-knobbed Currasow, brown Pelican, rufous-tailed Jacamar, keel-billed Toucan and the lance-tailed and white-bibbed Manakin. Birdwatchers will surely get happy here and could also visit the mountains of the Sierra Nevada including the “El Dorado” reserve close to Minca.

Another great way to see wildlife in Tayrona is focusing on the underwater world. By snorkeling or scuba diving you can see a lot of wildlife in a small area and time frame. The coral reefs in Tayrona Park are among the most beautiful ones in Colombia. At most of the beaches where you can swim you can also rent snorkeling equipment or just bring your own. The town of Taganga just on the boarder of Tayrona Park is also home to multiple diving schools that commonly drive to reefs in front of Tayrona Park. More diving schools exist in Santa Marta itself and Rodadero. My favorite dive sights were “Salidero“ and “El Torin” at the southern tip of the “Isla de la aguja”. Huge brain corals, moray eels, lobsters and generally a good diversity in fish and corals along with a comfortable drift velocity created the best dive I had in Colombia, which even reminded me of the Ningaloo reef in Western Australia.

In the following gallery, you can see pretty much all the interesting animals that I saw during my 1.5 days in Tayrona. I’d love to have seen more, especially monkeys, so that’s why I wrote a recommended itenerary at the end of this post. As I do not own a camera yet that I can use underwater and because I was focusing on appreciating the nature in the moment, I did not document anything underwater.

I do not know all the names of the animals I photographed, help me out if you know more ;-)

How to get here

From Santa Marta

The easiest way to get to the Zaino or Calabazo entrance is taking the public bus that operates between Santa Marta and Palomino. It leaves from the central market in Santa Marta downtown at the corner between Carrera 9 and Calle 11. If you look like a tourist, normally someone should shout out to you and ask you whether you want to go to Tayrona Park. The first bus leaves around 6 am and departs about every 30 minutes, but there are no fixed departure times. It takes ca. 60 minutes until the Zaino entrance. In case you stay further outside the city center of Santa Marta, in Rodadero or in Taganga, you can take a public bus to the market for 1.700 COP or a taxi for less than 10.000 COP. The bus from Santa Marta to the Zaino entrance costs 8.000 COP. As it is a public bus, you can jump on at different places along the route, too, for example at the Centro Comercial Buenavista or the Rumbodromo Mamatoco. Just remember to tell the bus driver or the guy who collects the bus fare which entrance you want to take.

In order to take the bus back to Santa Marta or Palomino from Tayrona Park, you should make sure to leave the park around 5:00 pm as the last buses leave around 6:00 pm and there’s no exact schedule.

Boats run daily and directly from Taganga to Cabo San Juan. They depart between 10 and 11:00 am and return between 4 and 4:30 pm One way costs 50.000 COP and you need to make sure that your luggage stays dry in the sometimes rough sea.

From Palomino/ Costeño Beach

The same bus that you can take from Santa Marta to Tayrona, you would also take from Palomino - just in the other direction. It takes about 50min and costs 7.000 COP, hence similar to the drive Santa Marta - Zaino entrance.

The easiest option to go to Tayrona Park is to stay in one of the hostels at Costeño Beach or even in walking distance to the entrance. From Costeño you can easily take a mototaxi to get to Tayrona Park as along as you don’t mind sitting on the back of a motorcycle without a helmet.

When not to go

Most importantly, you should try to follow this one major tip: If possible, do not go on the weekends, public holidays or in general during vacation time in Colombia, hence the high season. Apparently, it gets super crowded. In case you end up going in this period, you may need to purchase your entrance ticket online a few days earlier. I would suggest that you ask at your accommodation or contact someone from the park to receive clarity whether you can purchase a ticket at the entrance or have to buy it online in advance.

Otherwise, you should note that April to May and September through November are the rainy periods. According to this website of locals, these periods are better for seeing a caiman, but they’re definitely more wet and the landscapes won’t look as pretty.

And don’t forget to check out the times of the year when the park is closed.

Rain season can be severe on the Colombian Caribbean Coast (like here in Barranquilla)

Swimming

You can safely go swimming only on some beaches in Tayrona Park. Most beaches are not naturally protected by rocks or a bay and all of these have signs that you should not go swimming there. The currents of the Caribbean are told to be strong here - able to carry away even experienced swimmers. In case you miss or don’t want to listen to the signs there will probably be a person telling you not to go swimming. Cabo San Juan and la Piscina are the main beaches where swimming is secure.

Where to stay

Most people stay overnight at Cabo San Juan and for a good reason. Only when you’re there in the late afternoon and early morning you can enjoy the beautiful twin bay without all the daytime visitors. Moreover, you get the chance to experience an amazing sunset or sunrise if you’re lucky. The coolest place to stay is the cabin at the central peninsula, where you can watch the sun rise from your hammock. A disadvantage of sleeping here is that it might actually get chilly at night during the wind. However, the wind is also helpful as it keeps the mosquitos away. On the mainland, more hammocks, tents and some private cabins offer accommodation for visitors with different desires.

View from the cabin on the peninsula at Cabo San Juan

So where can you book the hammocks, tents or cabins at el Cabo? - You can’t, it all follows the system: “First come, first serve”. Hence, only the people that arrive early enough (like before noon at el Cabo or before 9 at the Zaino entrance) can hope to reserve a hammock in the popular cabin on the peninsula. Even the other hammocks and tents often sell out. It is possible to book and pay (in cash) for the accommodations at el Cabo at the Zaino entrance, but not at the Calabazo entrance. If you want to stay at el Cabo and especially in a hammock in the cabin, you should reserve your sleeping spot at the Zaino entrance.

With 50.000 COP, the hammocks in the cabin cost a bit more than the ones on the mainland (40.000 COP). All of the hammocks are hanging below a roof, but are in a “building” without laws. Each hammock has its own locker; bring your own padlock. 2-person-tents are also 40.000 COP per person and the private cabins cost 200.000 for two persons. The tents do get very hot and humid during the day and when they’re covered with plastic rain covers the air inside becomes stifling. Furthermore, the tents have mattresses inside where everyone sleeps on. Thus, if you plan to sleep in a tent, it is a good option to bring a liner and/or a very thin sleeping bag. There are showers available for all overnight guests during specified time slots in the morning and the afternoon.

Between the Zaino entrance and el Cabo, a few more campgrounds exist, all with a similar basic standard as el Cabo. But if you want to stay inside a National Park like Tayrona and do not want to spend too much money, about 10€ for a basic accommodation shouldn’t be too bad. Many of the higher standard accommodations along the Arrecifes trail and inside Tayrona Park are Ecohabs. They, and a few more accommodations in other areas of the park, can be booked online, but not Cabo San Juan. There is also an accommodation right next to the Zaino entrance: Castilletes Camping. This could be an option if you plan to stay for several nights as it is still far away from the swimming beaches.

At Playa Brava, there is another remote accommodation available, which is called Teyumakke. In order to get here, you can take the Calabazo entrance or walk from Cabo San Juan. As I described before, it is a beautiful and quiet spot, which should be great for relaxing, enjoying nature and just doing nothing. When I was there, the nearby waterfalls were dry, but there must be a time of the year when you can see the water falling down that created them.

Mind that accommodations close to Tayrona Park, but not inside, also include “Tayrona” in their marketing.

Accommodation in huts directly next to the “Playa Brava” beach

How to sleep in a hammock and why you should try it

Sleeping in a hammock both sounds cool and scary when you think about it. It’s easy to fall asleep in a hammock on a sunny afternoon, certainly after a long night or hike. But sleeping a whole night in a hammock, is that even comfortable or can I fall out?

From my experience, it is nearly impossible to fall out of a hammock while sleeping, unless you start properly sleepwalking. However, it is difficult to find a good night’s sleep in a hammock that is similar to the one of a bed. It could also be better than you’re expecting if you follow these tips though:

Sleep diagonally
- if you do so, the hammock won’t hang down as much in the center and your body will be more flat
Bring a pillow or a neck pillow
- elevating your head a bit more above the feet certainly helped me sleep better
Rather wear warm clothes than use a blanket
- in case it does get too cold. Unlikely in Tayrona, but if you sleep in a hammock at a higher altitude in Minca this can make a big difference. Or are you good at managing a good sleeping position AND a blanket inside a hammock?
Be tired
- this shouldn’t be a problem after hiking in the Caribbean sun though

And why should you want to sleep in a hammock? Maybe it just sounds exciting, interesting or even romantic to you. I mean who wouldn’t want to sleep a night in a hammock in a “paradise” on the Caribbean Coast? By the way, many hostels outside of the park also offer accommodation in hammocks. Especially in the desert of “La Guajira” this is almost the only choice as long as you don’t want to pay for a much more expensive private room.

When you’re going to Tayrona Park and Cabo San Juan you could even fall asleep in a hammock to the sound of the ocean and wake up with the sun rising above it. If this didn’t sound exciting or convincing for you, maybe you should skip the hammock and go for a tent or private cabin. After a few nights in hammocks, you will most likely look forward to a normal bed, too.

What I missed out on

I have seen a fair bit of the park including some secluded paths and places, but would have loved to experience more of this beautiful place. Not seeing monkeys (what nearly everybody else does) and neither other small mammals did actually make me sad. This could be the main reason why I want to tell people how to make it better with this post.

So when you’re following this guy's tips and apply what I heard from other people, one of the most helpful tricks to spot monkeys is walking in the early morning or late afternoon. As I started walking at 8:00 am from the Calabazo entrance this might have already been too late and on the second day I preferred to spend some time at the still little visited twin bay and nudist beach. Most of the people I met told me that they saw monkeys when walking from the Zaino entrance towards El Cabo in the morning (before 11:00 am). Apparently, there is a higher chance to see monkeys on this path then. But only during the morning or late afternoon; as I didn’t see any monkeys when walking there during midday - which is also a bad idea considering the heat and sunburn-potential.

My main problem was that I only took off one day at my volunteering at Calle 11 hostel in Rodadero. Thus, I had to be back at the bar at 6:00 pm on the second day. Do it better and plan at least two full days for Tayrona if you can. Having your accommodation right next to the entrance would also allow you to stay longer inside the park and leave with the dusk, hence having another good chance to spot wildlife.

Sleeping at El Cabo is awesome, but I would have also loved to spend one night at one of the not so popular beaches - to enjoy the solitude and just relax in nature. If you do not like walking the same path twice, I would suggest walking further to Playa Brava.

Another big thing I regret is not having slept in a hammock at the cabin. I entered through Calabazo and walked to el Cabo via Playa Brava in a fairly good time, but it was still too late to get a spot. This is the second big reason why I want to tell you how you could do it better in the upcoming section.

Although I did not sleep in a hammock in the cabin and did not see any monkeys either, I still had a good time

Recommended Itinerary

In order to get most of the park I would suggest you to spend at least two full days inside of the Tayrona National Natural Park. My personal suggestion after reflecting about what I missed out upon would be three days, but obviously you can stay longer if you want to experience more. What I am going to describe for you are a short 1-day and a 2-day itinerary.

As a very basic 1-day itinerary, I would suggest you to start as early as 7:30 at the Zaino entrance, walk quickly to el Cabo to get there before most other visitors and then enjoy the area. In the afternoon, you can take more time to walk back the same way with some detours, maybe also for the “9 Piedras Trail“. Another option would be to take the path via Playa Brava to Calabazo in case you seek some solitude.

For the 2-days trip, I would also suggest to start at the Zaino entrance in order to book a hammock in the cabin at El Cabo directly. Having a fixed reservation you can relax and take your time to experience everything on the way to Cabo San Juan you would like to see and do: the “9 Piedras Trail”, Ca and Arrecifes beaches and take a swim in the midday sun at “La Piscina”. You could even skip the bus at the entrance and hope for some monkeys in the surrounding forest. The horse paths may not be made for pedestrians, but you could try short detours for a better chance of wildlife as these paths are less frequented. A friendly Spanish could help you in case someone is annoyed to see you there, though.

Upon your arrival at Cabo San Juan you can take another swim after locking away your valuables and hope for a nice sunset on the western beach. In case you’re unlucky or hoping for a good sunrise, too, you should set your alarm about 30 min before the scheduled sunrise. Only by getting up before sunrise you can hope to see amazing colours like in the following picture.

Staying overnight at Cabo San Juan is already worth it for sunrises (or sunsets) like this one. While a sunset did not happen for me due to heavy rain, I was rewarded for getting up at 5:20

After enjoying and documenting the still rather empty twin bay, you can have breakfast. As far as I remember, the restaurant opens at 7:30. If you bring your own breakfast, you could also start walking to the nudist beach or keep going further towards Playa Brava. Generally, you should know whether you prefer to spend some more time at El Cabo, go back to some of the beautiful places you’ve been to on the walk from the Zaino entrance or continue on a secluded path with much less people towards Calabazo.

If I were to visit again, I would continue walking towards Playa Brava on the second day. The path is a lot different, but also more difficult and exhausting than the well-built one from the Zaino entrance. Maybe you are luckier to find wildlife here. Another reason why I would plan to arrive in Playa Brava on the early afternoon is that I would hope to see some howler monkeys there during the afternoon. The workers showed me videos of the monkeys coming there regularly during the afternoons and that is something I would certainly like to see. Latest around 4 pm you should start walking towards the Calabazo exit as it will probably take you 2-3 h. If you plan to stay this long, it is also helpful to have your accommodation for the next (and the last night before entering the park) close to the entrances.

Between El Cabo and Playa Brava I walked through a dry river bed. In the rain season this path may not be usable

In case you want to spend another night in the national park at a quiet place, just stay at Teyumakke at Playa Brava. It looked very nice to me, has a spacious area and the menu looked good, too. The other opportunities for more nights would be between El Cabo and the Zaino entrance.

For scuba diving you should head to Taganga simply because most diving schools are there and it’s closest to the dive sites in Tayrona Park. This was not an option for me though as I really enjoyed volunteering and staying at Calle 11 hostel in Rodadero.

What to bring

At least 1-2l Water (My intention was to carry all I would need for 1.5 days, but carrying it made me drink more)
Sunglasses
Sunscreen (better 50+ as rhe Caribbean sun is very strong, especially during midday - keep reapplying the protection after swimming or sweating too much in order not to get sunburned)
- Or (and) long clothes for protection from the sun; that’s the way Colombians do it
Insect repellent (You might have a yellow fever vaccination, but the local mosquitos can spread more diseases)
Long, light clothes (for dust, dawn and night time - they might work better than the repellent)
Comfortable walking shoes (running shoes or sneakers)
Flip-flops
Sport or light hiking clothes
Swimming shorts/ suit
Torch or headlamp (for the night time)
Passport, proof of yellow fever vaccination (for the control at the entrance)
Towel
Basic Toiletries (to wash off all the sweat and salt from the day)
Food (you can either bring yourself food, buy some at the accommodations or a few shops on the paths)
Cash (enough for the transportation, entrance, accommodation, food, drinks and some extra - I took 200.000 COP for 1.5 days and I brought all meals except for the dinner)
Light hoodie, sweater or blanket if you plan to sleep in a hammock in the hut at Cabo San Juan del Guía
If you’re aiming for a tent: a liner or very light sleeping bag in order to sleep on a clean surface
A Camera or good phone to document the beautiful nature and wildlife
Power bank (as far as I remember there were no opportunities to charge your phone or camera)
Travel diary to write down all you’ve done and seen during the day (a habit that helps me remembering my experiences better and could serve as a souvenir for yourself)

When walking at an average temperature of more than 25°C and a humidity of more than 85% I prefer to put on shorts and heat gear. For the paths in Tayrona, running shoes or just sneakers are also sufficient.

And what not to bring

Alcohol
Plastic Bags
Your whole luggage - leave it in your hostel/ hotel or in lockers at the Zaino entrance

Timeliness and feedback

I based this article on my personal experience of visiting the park in late August 2019. The prices for the tickets are already updated for 2020, but every other specific information is subject to change during the next years. Please let me know, in case you know about adjustments in accessible areas of the park, closing dates, prices or other major changes.

Like on all my other posts, I would highly appreciate any feedback, maybe considering what you like or dislike, what you appreciate or miss and generally whether you like my style and would read similar guides on other places you want to go to or just read about. Feel free to tell me about anything I could do better by commenting below or sending me a message via the contact form. Thank you!