We spent the final third of our month in Colombia along the northern Caribbean coast. What we didn’t realize until we arrived is that this is often the only glimpse many tourists to Colombia get. They fly into the hub of very touristy Cartagena and perhaps explore a bit up the coast, if their vacation affords them the time. This is a travesty, given our love for Medellín and the middle of the country, but we trust they’ll be back 😉
Our approach to the Colombian Caribbean coast, and the approach of many backpackers, was to spend most of our time to the north of Cartagena. Below are our recommendations.
Note: We didn’t do the Ciudad Perdida hike, which also leaves from this region. After talking with friends who had been and other travelers along the way, it sounded like 5 days of sweaty humid hiking with little to show for it in the end, so we decided to skip it.
Outline
Cartagena
How much time to spend: 2 nights
One full day exploring the old town of Cartagena within the colonial walls, completed in 1796 to guard against pirates, is probably enough. A couple of sunsets, a nice dinner, and some wandering is all you need time for.
The city is simultaneously charming and over the top. At the end of a year of travel, colonial streets filled with tourists and overpriced boutiques felt tired, but for those hopping off a plane on vacation from their 9 to 5 jobs, we can see the appeal. Cartagena is hot and has a definite laid-back Caribbean vibe. And the sunsets are amazing.
What to do
Most people in Cartagena are there to soak up the sun. In addition, explore the old town and the neighborhood of Getsemani. There is a well-preserved fort called Castillo de San Felipe that can be explored for 25,000 pesos ($9 USD). And you can listen to live music and eat at some fine restaurants.
But aside from this, we didn’t find Cartagena worth much time and definitely wouldn’t recommend devoting a full 4 nights like we did. Our final 2 nights of our year-long trip was in Cartagena and our sole intent was to relax, reflect, and soak up the sun before heading back to Portland. Otherwise we’d have kept this stop to 2 nights max.
Where to stay
Something important to consider when choosing lodging (as always, but especially in Cartagena) is location. Our advice is, decide why you’re there and choose accordingly. We’d stay in Getsemani, just south of the old city walls, were we to come back. It is less touristy and cheaper than old town, but perhaps you’d prefer to focus your energies toward the sun.
There are many hotels along the beaches, an obvious choice given the sun, but many are quite far from old town. We used hotel points to stay 2 nights for free at the Holiday Inn Morros, north of the airport, and 2 nights for free at the Hilton Cartagena Hotel, south of the airport. Both were about 15 minutes from old town by cab, but the southern location is better.
How to get there
Most people arrive on international flights and the airport is close to town. You can also fly domestically from Medellín, Bogotá, and many other airports in Colombia. We flew direct from Pereira, near Salento, on a Saturday evening flight. There are only 2 direct flights per week, the other on Tuesday nights. Taking cabs in Colombia is cheap, although fares from the airport are fixed and slightly inflated.
Tayrona National Park
How much time to spend: 2 nights
We are in the camp of people who feel Tayrona is over-hyped. You’ll meet others who disagree. But our recommendation is to stay only 2 nights, going on a day-hike in the park with your one full day. You can sleep overnight in the park if you want to maximize your time, but the tent and hammock accommodations looked very unappealing to us. Throw in the heat, sandflies, and crowds and we were very happy we decided against it.
We spent 4 days just outside the park (our lodging is below) but one of those days was a re-charge day at the hostel and the other a day-trip to Palomino. So while we technically spent twice as much time as we’re recommending here, only one of those days was spent in the park, which is enough.
What to do
Hike in the park! We started our day at the east-most park entrance (44,000 COP per person) and there was no wait in low season (we read about 2 hour lines in high season). You can stay for up to 4 days in the park on the same entry fee as long as you don’t leave. Vans are then waiting to drive you the couple kilometers to the start of the hike (3,000 COP each) or you can walk it.
We followed the well-trod route up the coast, stopping at La Piscina to swim. The only other safe place for swimming from this entrance is Cabo San Juan (the rip-tide is severe and quite dangerous along the rest of the coastline) but the beach at La Piscina was about halfway to Cabo and we were ready for a break. The beach there was also pretty amazing.
We then continued to Cabo San Juan, hiking up to the thatch gazebo (where our friend managed to snag one of the limited hammocks for the night, first come first served). An alternative to the 2 hour walk back, which we did not do, is to ride out on horseback (40,000 COP each), which shortens the journey to an hour, according to the guides.
In total our day was about 7 hours from the time we left our hostel until we returned, with a little over 12 miles of hiking in-between. This was the biggest suprise; Tayrona is more about hiking and less about beaching.
Where to stay
We can’t recommend Yuluka Eco-Hostel enough. It is about a kilometer west of the main park entrance and it is right along highway 90, the main public transit route from Santa Marta to Palomino.
Our private room with private bath was one of the more expensive places we stayed all year (~$60 USD/nt) but came with breakfast. It was worth it. There’s a small but clean pool, that is refreshing after a day at the park, and the staff is really friendly. We drank beers and ate at their restaurant almost every night we were there, which has a nice view of the hills at sunset. It is fairly isolated, with only small shops nearby, but we enjoyed being somewhere green and relaxed.
How to get there
Note: people will tell you the trip from Cartagena to Tayrona takes 4 hours in total. It took us 9. So leave before noon and be flexible.
From old town Cartagena take a taxi (18,000-25,000 COP) to the bus station, which took us about an hour in traffic. You can buy your bus ticket to Santa Marta on the spot in the station. We took Berlinas but the other recommended company is Brasilia. Tickets are 26,000 COP each.
Our bus stopped in Barranquilla and took about 5 hours to arrive, a lot longer than the stated 3, due to traffic and road construction. The bus drops you at the bus terminal in Santa Marta.
Take a taxi into town and ask the driver to drop you at the station for the Palomino bus, which travels the road along Tayrona park. The company that operates this route is called CootransOriente and the buses are green, white, and blue. If you’re staying at Yuluka, get off at kilometer 28 or just ask them to stop at Yuluka (7,000 COP).
Palomino
How much time to spend: 3 nights
In full disclosure, we didn’t stay any nights in Palomino. but we’re writing this because we wish we had. Instead we day tripped from Yuluka (the hostel above), about an hour by bus each way. This was also a fine option.
Olivia and I differ on our preference for this part of the itinerary, so I’ll explain both our perspectives. I enjoyed spending 4 nights in one place, I loved Yuluka as a hostel, and the hour bus ride to Palomino was totally easy. Olivia loved Palomino, really enjoys staying on the beach, and felt that Palomino had more to do (which is true).
So we’re recommending to stay 3 nights here and only 2 nearer to Tayrona Park.
What to do
Most time in Palomino will likely be spent at the beach, which is beautiful. There are many hotels and restaurants along this stretch, or you can just find a piece of beach and spread out your towel. Vendors walk up and down selling ice cold beer (3,000 COP) and even vegan falafel sandwiches (7,000 COP). We have no complaints about full-service beach days.
We also did yoga at La Sirena Eco Hotel & Retreat. They have 9am and 5pm classes in high season, and only the 9am classes in low season. It costs 25,000 COP per class and the space is lovely.
Beyond this there are day-trips to waterfalls, mountain biking, tubing, and other excursions. The food scene is veggie friendly. And it seems there is night-life potential, at least for some beers and a game of pool.
Where to stay
The only place that came recommended to us, and where we did yoga, is La Sirena. We will definitely stay here when we come back. It is right on the beach, the thatch roofed rooms look rustic but comfortable, and the restaurant is all-veggie. It is a bit more expensive than Yuluka, but by the looks of it is worth it.
How to get there
From Santa Marta, hop on the same CootransOriente bus we wrote about above and it is a straight 2 hour shot (12,000-14000 COP). Palomino is the final stop.
Minca
How much time to spend: 3 nights
Minca is really great. It is tiny, no more than 2 streets in town, but is easy to get to and so lush. Even now I struggle to put my finger on why we enjoyed it so much (although I think our lodging had a lot to do with it). It just feels peaceful and remote.
While the day trips are average, the general setting makes it worth a 3 night stay. This was the amount of time we spent and it felt just right.
What to do
There are several possible hikes around Minca that all involve the same loop that starts and finishes in town. No guide is required. Along the route, heading counter-clockwise you will see Cascadas Marinka, Casa Elemento (with its huge hammock that we heard over and over again is over-hyped), La Victoria Coffee Farm, and Pozo Azul. The full loop is 25 kms and can be done in a day, but we split it into two.
The first day we hiked to Cascadas Marinka (1 hour each way) and quite enjoyed the super cold water. There’s an upper falls and a lower falls and it wasn’t too busy when we arrived around 11am (4,000 COP entry).
Our second day we hiked the opposite direction to Pozo Azul, about 45 minutes from town each way. There is more water here but we also found way more people. There’s no entry fee.
We never made it to Casa Elemento (by choice) or La Victoria Coffee Farm (due to fatigue) but we did stumble across a lovely juice shop/pizza restaurant called La Juguería. It is about 3/4 of the way to Pozo Azul and was super hip, with some clothing for sale as well.
Bird watching is also a big thing. You can take a 3 hour tour and see 40+ species. Some fellow-hostelers did this and found it interesting enough. If you’re into birding, it is some of the best in South America. Otherwise, it sounds like a lot of birds.
Lastly, if you’d prefer to just settle in Minca but also want to see Tayrona National Park, you can arrange day-trips from Minca directly. It would involve a bit more transit time but it actually isn’t that far (~2 hours each way).
Where to stay
Casa Loma!!!!! We stayed all our nights here. Way up the hill from town, a significant climb with your pack the day of arrival, it has a truly tropical feel. Our private thatch-roofed hut was far more rustic than Yuluka, with little more than a bed, mosquito net, and balcony overlooking nature, for about $30/nt. All rooms have shared bathrooms.
But the best part about the hostel is the view at sunset and the way it encourages community among travelers. There’s no wifi and the dinners, which are all veggie, are served community style. Really good food and one of our favorite lodgings of the year.
How to get there
Minca is about 45 minutes south of Santa Marta. The colectivo buses are run by a company called CootransMinca and leave from the same place in town that the but from Palomino dropped us off at. They leave when they are full, every 15 minutes or so (7,000 COP). They drop you in the center of Minca town and the walk to Casa Loma up the hill was about 15 minutes (straight up).
Closing Thoughts
Overall, the north Caribbean Colombian Coast is a must-see part of the country. But it isn’t the only part of Colombia. We loved Medellín and Salento too (Bogotá and Jardín were ok). We recommend spending 10-14 days here but focusing most of your time outside of Cartagena. The beaches are nicest in Palomino and Tayrona is worth at a day, but not more. And don’t miss Minca.