Tayrona National Park in 5 days
Between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Caribbean, Tayrona strings together pale sandy coves wedged between granite boulders and dense forest, reachable only on foot or by boat. The park caps daily visitor numbers, bans swimming on about half its beaches and closes three times a year to recover, which is precisely what has kept it intact.
The plan, day by day
Day 1
- Morning
Cabo San Juan del Guía beachhalf a dayTwo white sand bays split by a rocky point topped with a hammock hut; only the sheltered western bay is really safe for swimming.
- Evening
A night in a hammock at Cabo San Juanan eveningHammocks under palm roofs and in the hut on the rock between the bays; basic washrooms, no power at night, waves for an alarm clock.
Day 2
- Morning
Pueblito Chairama ruinshalf a dayA Tayrona village of stone terraces, circular platforms and paved stairways in the rainforest, an hour's steep climb from Cabo San Juan.
- Late afternoon
La Piscina natural poolabout 1 hA rock barrier breaks the swell to form a clear, shallow pool between Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan, good for swimming and snorkelling.
Day 3
- Morning
Cañaveral beachabout 45 minThe park's first beach, huge and lined with rounded granite boulders; swimming is banned because of dangerous rip currents.
- Afternoon
The trail from El Zaino to Arrecifesabout 2 hThe main trail runs east along the coast from Cañaveral, through rainforest, over boardwalks across marshy ground and along stretches of deep sand.
Day 4
- All day
Playa Cristala full dayA small western beach with the park's clearest water and a reef you can reach from the shore, ten minutes by boat from Neguanje.
Day 5
- Morning
Neguanje Bayhalf a dayA large sheltered bay in the quieter western sector, reached by road from Santa Marta, with safe swimming and boats to Playa Cristal.
Plan this trip
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