Minca
When they say the location here is 'above Minca' they're not kidding – just getting to this fantastic place is an adventure and ensures that only the…
Must-see hotels in Santa Marta & Around
Santa Marta
A superb hotel that could almost be recommended as a city highlight, the Farol hides a wealth of little luxuries behind its plain red facade. The large,…
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
Finca Barlovento may be the single most beautiful spot in the area, and it's located just outside PNN Tayrona right on the beach at Playa Los Naranjos…
Santa Marta
This fabulous hostel in the town center takes some beating. A clever and stylish multilevel conversion of an old mansion, it has superb-value dorms and…
Palomino
Like a backpacker hostel relocated to a tropical beach setting, Tiki Hut is paradise on a budget, a beautifully designed place set around a large pool,…
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
This gorgeous place very stylishly caters for discerning backpackers who want to explore the park without giving up all comforts. It's very rustic but…
Barranquilla
You can’t beat a grande-dame hotel, and El Prado is so storied it’s virtually a cliché. Polite bellboys dash out to carry your bags, copious palm trees …
Minca
This extraordinary place is perfect for isolating yourself in the mountains above Minca. It has a self-contained hippyish feeling, with a spectacular…
Santa Marta
Although it's housed in the former mansion of a drug cartel family, there couldn't be anything less shady about this bright and breezy hostel. Ask for a…
Palomino
Matuy is the quintessential 'anti-resort' resort, where the 'disconnect' is taken literally: there's no electricity in its 10 inconspicuous cabins shaded…
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
Located a few kilometers east of PNN Tayrona, this recently constructed beach villa with its gabled thatched roof and exquisite tropical garden is a self…
Santa Marta
A very high-end, self-contained and intelligently designed hostel, the Dreamer has rooms clustered around one of Santa Marta's best swimming pools. Even…
Palomino
Compared to Palomino's other backpacker-oriented places, Aité is a bit more grown up and manicured. Set on a secluded hillside with closely cropped grass…
Palomino
Aiming for the romantic crowd, La Sirena is a collection of beachfront eco-cabins with a healthy, holistic vibe. Employing the local building materials …
Palomino
The football pitch, outdoor gym, yoga classes and surf school suggest that this large beachfront complex is run by a bunch of fitness fanatics, but it…
Palomino
Like a resort for backpackers, the Dreamer has a kidney-shaped pool, a large, florid garden and a restaurant that knocks out good pizzas. The supersocial…
Taganga
Run by French resident Lucie, who has spent 20 years in Taganga and is a passionate campaigner for the town, this charming and colorful place has 13 rooms…
Santa Marta
The 'Crazy Breeze' is the choice of a young, festive crowd, who pack out the 100 or so beds. Dorms sleep four to 10, and there's an array of private rooms…
Minca
This fantastic place is all about creating an environmentally friendly project that gives back to its community. Housed on a former cattle farm, Mundo…
Camping Cabo San Juan del Guía
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
Most backpackers end up at this campground, which has the air of a music festival in high season. There are two gorgeous swimming beaches as well as a…
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
This group of 14 rustic-chic cabañas is a five-minute walk from the car park that marks the end of the drivable road into Tayrona national park. Each two…
Taganga
Feeling like a bit of the old, mellower Taganga, this French-run hostel is the best budget option hereabouts. It's also very secure, though be sure to…
Minca
Located on a remote mountain ridge with stunning views in all directions, Oscar's offers a pleasant compromise: unlike other out-of-town hostels in Minca,…
Minca
On a steep hillside with views toward the Caribbean and Santa Marta, this long-standing hotel was recently taken over by a Santa Marta hotelier who has…
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
Of the three places to stay and eat in Arrecifes, this is the best. It's reached via a 600m split off the main trail just before Arrecifes. The spacious…
Santa Marta
Lovely Aluna has nicely proportioned dorms, cozy private rooms and spacious, breezy communal areas. The well-equipped kitchen has lockers, and the best…
Minca
This delightfully situated boutique hotel enjoys gorgeous mountain views and the rushing river at the end of the garden. Sweet Harmony is a touch of Santa…
Santa Marta
If you're what the relaxed and attentive live-in owner calls 'a retired backpacker,' then this cute nine-room spot – with pebble-lined walls and floors,…
Barranquilla
This charming Italian-run hostel is probably the best value and certainly the most sociable place to stay on Barranquilla's otherwise lackluster…
Minca
This 13-room place is the closest thing Minca has to a formal hotel. It has large, simple rooms in a colonial-style building that was once a convent,…
Santa Marta & Around
Just a block from the museum, this surprisingly delightful place offers four spacious rooms, two of which have their own bathrooms and two of which share…
Santa Marta
The fabulously stylish lobby, which combines colonial architecture and modernity, immediately gives you a taste of this sleek boutique hotel. Rooms are…
Santa Marta
With pleasant, spacious black-and-white rooms and a large roof terrace that boasts bar, pool and Jacuzzi, this is an excellent boutique spot to lay your…
Minca
This rustic place looks like one giant tree house. It has wonderful valley views, and a young and friendly management team who'll offer you a glass of…
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
The only campground reachable by road in the park, Castilletes sits on 1.5km of beach that's also the park's most popular spot for sea-turtle nesting. It…
Palomino
One of Palomino's more rustic hostels, the Breeze lives up to its name: it gets a constant cool wind coming off the sea. The dorms and private rooms, all…
Barranquilla
It's fastidiously clean, and has bright communal areas and a small pool, but the Casona is let down by its rooms: most are small and dark, with windows…
Minca
On one of the highest points in the town itself, this hostel offers views of both sea and mountains. It also has three dormitories (all bunks have…
Minca
With its prime location practically on top of the Rio Gaira and its well-appointed rooms full of the Italian-Colombian owners’ art, Sierra’s Sound is a…
