>Tayrona National Park is the crown jewel of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Here, the jungle meets the sea, creating a breathtaking landscape of golden beaches, turquoise waters and huge mountains covered in lush green forests.
I recommend staying in Tayrona in one of the EcoHabs or camping areas so you can spend a couple of days exploring the many hiking trails, hidden waterfalls and archeological sites in the national park.
This is one of the best places in Colombia to see wildlife in their natural habitat but you will need to get away from the crowds in Cabo San Juan to see the animals here. You may spot monkeys swinging through the trees, colorful birds soaring above, and even jaguar tracks in the sand.
You can also snorkel in coral reefs teeming with marine life, swim in natural pools, or simply relax under swaying palm trees in the Caribbean breeze.
Ecotourism in Tayrona focuses on conservation and sustainability. The park is closed 3 times a year for 2 weeks of February, June and October so that the local indigenous people can perform rituals and national park authorities can clean the park.
In Tayrona National Park, you can stay in eco-friendly lodges that blend into the environment, support local communities, and enjoy organic, locally sourced food. I recommend learning about local indigenous Kogis, Arhuacos, Wiwas, and Kankuamos peoples and their deep respect for the land while you are visiting the area.
Best Hikes In Tayrona National Park
The most popular hike in the park is the initial 2 hour walk in to Cabo San Juan but if you’re going in high season you may be shocked by just how crowded this area gets.
However, from the Cabo San Juan area, you can access many excellent hiking trails up to the mountain lookouts and to faraway beaches which are much less crowded but you will likely need to spend the night in the park to have time to see everything.
If you’re looking to escape the crowds, I’d recommend Colinas de Calabazo, which is accessed by a different entrance but it’s a very challenging full day hike.
While most people do the 4-5 day trek to La Ciudad Perdida to experience an ancient archeological site, there’s actually another significant archeological site in Tayrona National Park called El Pueblito.
Most people who visit Tayrona National Park miss El Pueblito so it’s a great hike to escape the crowds. You can find the trail in the jungle near Cabo San Juan and it goes about 2.5 kilometers on an ancient indigenous trail with only a small elevation gain of about 250 meters (it takes 3-4 hours round trip).
The El Pueblito hike is challenging so I’d recommend camping in the Cabo San Juan area and starting early to avoid the heat.
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Added By Kyle Pearce
I'm a serial entrepreneur, autodidact and a passionate advocate for community-driven experiential learning outdoors.
I have been running unplugged nature retreats for the last 7 years that integrate embodied mindfulness, experiential learning and community building practices for improving mental health and developing ecological awareness.
I started the Nature Retreats website to spotlight ecolodges, retreat centers and ecotourism projects following sustainable tourism practices that benefit local communities and protect biodiversity.
When I’m not unplugged in nature, you’ll find me plugged into the matrix running Social Creators, an AI-powered marketing automation platform that helps experience creators sell their group coaching, workshops and retreats.
Jennifer Brennan
a week agoHighly recommended. This is such a beautiful piece of heaven. Forests are full of wild life. Beaches are clean and clear, beautiful to swim in. Horse riding, kayaking, walking, trail climbing, native residents gathering coconuts, there is so much to see and do.
Rozina McHugh
2 weeks agoAmazing! I am speechless at how beautiful it was.. we did the easy route and it was still challenging. But so worth it!! There’s food and drink vendors everywhere. Loads of restaurants and shops - all cash. You can pay entry fee on card at the entrance where the easier route starts
José Paulo Pereira
2 weeks agoGreat park with exquisite views of fauna and flora and with good beaches. The entrance for the park is quite busy with big queues and expensive to be honest. Definitely worth the visit.
Arnold Taller
2 months agoObviously a stunning place, very very worth the trip - some inconsistent info out there so sharing our experience: - entered at Zaino, spent only the one day there, overnight in the park seems like it would be a lovely experience though - park opened at 7am, we arrived by 7:30am which was absolutely the right time to beat the crowds - not a flip flop situation - nice hike through jungle on good paths but definitely a big hike - we saw plenty of wildlife! Fantastic time
Olivia Kathryn
7 months agoWe loved the hike/beaches here. We did the hike to the furthest beach. The hike is beautiful with palm trees, beaches, and animals along the way. We hiked in, spent some time on the beach, and hiked back in 4 hours. We were rushing a bit because we hired a taxi to wait for us, and we had gotten there later in the day. We only got 30 minutes on the beach. If I were to do it again, I'd take my time and spend more time at the beach. I'd say give yourself at least 6 hours to hike and spend time on the beach. There are many restaurants along the way on the beaches and in the jungle. There are also ice cream and water vendors along the way, in the jungle! The beaches are beautiful. It was wonderful, I would definitely recommend doing this.