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Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona

Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona is a magical slice of Colombia's Caribbean coast, with stunning stretches of golden sandy beach backed by coconut palms and thick rainforest. Behind it all rise the steep hillsides of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world's highest coastal mountain range. The park stretches along the coast from the Bahía de Taganga near Santa Marta to the mouth of the Río Piedras, 22mi (35km) east, and covers some 30,000 acres of land and 7000 acres of coral-rich sea.

The park gets extremely crowded in high season (December and January), and vicious currents mean that most of the gorgeous beaches aren't suitable for swimming, though you can take a dip and snorkel (with great care) at a select, safer few. Despite this, Tayrona is an immensely attractive place and one that's rewarding and exciting to wander.

Explore Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona

Cabo San Juan del Guía
Cabo San Juan del Guía is a beautiful cape with a knockout beach. It's also by far the most crowded area of the park, although lack of road access deters…
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Pueblito
From Cabo San Juan del Guía a scenic path goes inland and uphill to the small indigenous village of Pueblito, providing some splendid tropical-forest…
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Playa Cristal
This gorgeous boat-in beach on Bahía Neguange used to be known as Playa del Muerto (Beach of the Dead) – little wonder they decided on a name change. It's…
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Cañaveral
Cañaveral is as far as you can go in the park by road. From the car park a trail leads west to Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan del Guía. The beaches in…
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La Arenilla
La Arenilla is an attractive beach in a tiny cove framed by massive boulders, with chunky sand and glints of fool's gold dancing in the water. It has a…
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La Piscina
As you might guess from the name, La Piscina boasts calm waters that are reasonably safe for swimming and snorkeling. Snorkeling gear costs COP$30,000 per…
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Castilletes
The longest beach in the park and the first place you can turn in for the night, Castilletes can be found some 4km from the El Zaíno park entrance, just…
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Arrecifes
Coming from Cañaveral, it's a pleasant walk 2.5km west along a trail to Arrecifes, where there are budget lodgings and eating facilities. Bear in mind…

Cabo San Juan del Guía
Cabo San Juan del Guía is a beautiful cape with a knockout beach. It's also by far the most crowded area of the park, although lack of road access deters…
P
Pueblito
From Cabo San Juan del Guía a scenic path goes inland and uphill to the small indigenous village of Pueblito, providing some splendid tropical-forest…
P
Playa Cristal
This gorgeous boat-in beach on Bahía Neguange used to be known as Playa del Muerto (Beach of the Dead) – little wonder they decided on a name change. It's…
C
Cañaveral
Cañaveral is as far as you can go in the park by road. From the car park a trail leads west to Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan del Guía. The beaches in…
L
La Arenilla
La Arenilla is an attractive beach in a tiny cove framed by massive boulders, with chunky sand and glints of fool's gold dancing in the water. It has a…
L
La Piscina
As you might guess from the name, La Piscina boasts calm waters that are reasonably safe for swimming and snorkeling. Snorkeling gear costs COP$30,000 per…
C
Castilletes
The longest beach in the park and the first place you can turn in for the night, Castilletes can be found some 4km from the El Zaíno park entrance, just…
A
Arrecifes
Coming from Cañaveral, it's a pleasant walk 2.5km west along a trail to Arrecifes, where there are budget lodgings and eating facilities. Bear in mind…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona.

See
Cabo San Juan del Guía
Cabo San Juan del Guía is a beautiful cape with a knockout beach. It's also by far the most crowded area of the park, although lack of road access deters…
See
Pueblito
From Cabo San Juan del Guía a scenic path goes inland and uphill to the small indigenous village of Pueblito, providing some splendid tropical-forest…
See
Playa Cristal
This gorgeous boat-in beach on Bahía Neguange used to be known as Playa del Muerto (Beach of the Dead) – little wonder they decided on a name change. It's…
See
Cañaveral
Cañaveral is as far as you can go in the park by road. From the car park a trail leads west to Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan del Guía. The beaches in…
See
La Arenilla
La Arenilla is an attractive beach in a tiny cove framed by massive boulders, with chunky sand and glints of fool's gold dancing in the water. It has a…
See
La Piscina
As you might guess from the name, La Piscina boasts calm waters that are reasonably safe for swimming and snorkeling. Snorkeling gear costs COP$30,000 per…
See
Castilletes
The longest beach in the park and the first place you can turn in for the night, Castilletes can be found some 4km from the El Zaíno park entrance, just…
See
Arrecifes
Coming from Cañaveral, it's a pleasant walk 2.5km west along a trail to Arrecifes, where there are budget lodgings and eating facilities. Bear in mind…

Guidebooks

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