Tayrona?

If you get an early start and begin the walk to the beaches before 9am, there's a good chance that you'll see monkeys. Last time I went to Tayrona, we saw several troupes of Howler and Capuchin monkeys while walking to the beaches. I have seen the Cotton Top Tamarin before, but you probably won't see it on the trek to the beaches from the park entrance. I stumbled upon them when I went into the forest, well away from the beaches. They weren't too happy to see me, and I got the impression that they aren't too keen on being around people.

If you're looking for the "jungle feeling", then Tayrona might not be the best destination. The area of the park by the beaches is pretty crowded and the forest is dry. Sure, you can walk a few minutes on some random trail and get away from the crowds near the beaches, but the infrastructure in the park isn't great and the trails aren't marked or taken care of. Also, the park's popular areas are very crowded and the people running the park don't seem to have too much of an interest in improving the situation. Tayrona is a patchwork of private landowners and the Colombian government has no stake in its day to day operations. The entry fee you pay to enter the park, isn't used on the park itself. Also, there are an odd number of people working and living in the park, who don't care much about preserving Tayrona's natural space. They often run noisy generators, burn things, and the trails are littered with the excrement of their animals.

If you're looking for an alternative to Leticia and the Choco, then I would recommend Mocoa in the Putumayo region. It's a bit out of the way, but it can be easily reached by bus. There's plenty of animals to see and things to do in the area. I saw several species of Monkeys while I was there and got a very close look at a flock of Toucans from the premises of my hostel.

I'm not sure when you're coming to Colombia, but these guys are starting a route to Leticia in the next few months:

https://www.vivacolombia.co

Their fares are often not much more than the price of a bus ticket, and they are a good option for those traveling on a budget.

Thanks so much for the info! I would love to as much hiking in tayrona possible. I have no problems leaving the beach and go more into the forest. I think I will be there atleast 3-4 days. Some people say that cotton top tamarin are common? But you need some luck to spot them you think? even if you leave the beaches.

Mocoa looks really nice. Do you know anything about the flight to Villagarzon? Easy to get to mocoa from there?

I passed through Villagarzon on my way to the Ecuadorian border. I'm not sure about flights to Villagarzon, but I distinctly remember it being about 30 min away from Mocoa. There are pickup trucks that ply the route in between the two towns and getting a ride is pretty easy.

When I saw the Cotton Top Tamarins, there was no mistaking them. As a matter of fact, I heard them before I even saw them. Like I said in my previous post, they weren't too happy to see me, and they definitely let me know it by screeching at me. Other types of monkeys seem to be far more common than the Tamarins and early in the morning, the monkeys are pretty active. Howler and Capuchin monkeys don't seem to be bothered by humans, and they are quite active in the more crowded parts of the park.

3 or 4 days in Tayrona is a pretty long time. The facilities in the park aren't very good and everything is pretty expensive. I know Finca Don Pedro has a wood burning kitchen that you can use to cook with, but all of the other campsites don't. Tayrona is all about maximizing profits, so they want you to buy their food and drink at exorbitant prices rather than cook your own. Also, if you plan on staying a few nights in Tayrona, then you should check out the campgrounds in and around Arrecifes (Don Pedro, Arricifes, etc). The facilites are better, and the campsites aren't as crowded. The hammock camping area in Arrecifes is probably the nicest in the park. You can just make the 20 min walk to La Piscina or the 30+ min walk to Cabo San Juan. Cabo San Juan gets very crowded, and all of the tents are out in the sun with no overhead cover. Furthermore, they try to make you pay 500 pesos to use the bathroom. I'm not cheap, but I don't expect to pay to use the facilities after I coughed up 39,000 COP to enter the park.

I went to Playa Brava (which I think airbn51st recommended). It was great to see monkeys both Cotton Top and Corn monkeys. If you have a 300 mm lens you should get ok photos.
I didn't find it too expensive there, particularly as it was so hot my wife and I could not eat much and shared one portion between the 2 of us.
We - due to time constraints - only spent 2 nights and one full day there. I could spend longer particularly if it is wet and there is more insect life - but you might be less keen on insects than me.
[We were there in the dry season].

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