Beaches of Tayrona National Park, Colombia

| by Aracely | 8 Comments » | Colombia, South America

Camping in Tayrona Park

El Cabo Beach in Tayrona National Park (Hammock Hut)

Due to decades of civil conflict Colombia escaped most travel maps.  Today, however Colombia is beginning to shine; backpackers and vacationers are heading to this diverse country and loving every bit of it.  Colombia offers its visitors colonial and modern cities, outdoor adventures, coffee plantation tours, and pristine beaches.  Among Colombia’s must see natural landscapes is Tayrona National Park located on the Caribbean coast, an hour from Santa Marta and 5 hours from Cartagena.

Best Beaches in Colombia

Arrecifes Beach

The park entrance fee is $15.50USD, which allows you to explore the park up to 5 days.  As a national park it is a protected area that covers 150 kilometers of land and 30 kilometers of maritime.  There are 4 popular areas to visit within the park and these include Cañaveral, Arrecifes, La Piscina and El Cabo.  Keep your eyes open for howler and titi monkeys.  While walking through the park’s forest at 6am we spotted a family of titi monkeys moving across the land high in the tree tops.

Cañaveral

Cañaveral is the only place which can be reached by car.  There is a small convenient store, bathrooms, and a parking lot where most people begin their hike towards the more interesting areas of the park.

Best Beaches in Colombia

Arrecifes Beach

Arrecifes

After an hour walk through a wide jungle path visitors will arrive to Arrecifes, the first beach.  Arrecifes’ waters have strong riptides and the water temperature is much cooler than in Playa Blanca, near Cartagena, but the scenery is beautiful.  There are Eco-Cabanas for high scale accommodation, hammocks for rent and camping available for budget travelers.

La Piscina

A short walk north from Arrecifes is the beach of La Piscina, an area for swimming only.  The water is crystal clear with a natural, isolated setting.

Best Beaches in Colombia

El Cabo Beach in Tayrona National Park

El Cabo

Following the well marked path for another 40 minutes is El Cabo beach.  This is a large picnic and camping site located next to the ocean.  A restaurant serves all 3 meals at set times, but we considered them a bit pricey.  There is also a small convenient store that sells basic goods and snack items.  There are two lodging options in El Cabo; hammocks and tents.  If you don’t have a mosquito net, you can rent one for your hammock.  High on a rock that jettisons out into the ocean, you can rent more expensive hammocks in a more picturesque setting, called the Hammock Hut.  From El Cabo visitors can walk 60 minutes to El Pueblito, a smaller archeological site similar to Ciudad Perdida.

For budget travelers

If you are traveling on a budget, avoid taxis when traveling to the park and bring your own tent and camping gear.   We suggest cooking your own food.  You will be surprised how much money you can save avoiding the expensive restaurants available in the park.

Click here to see more PHOTOS of Tayrona National Park.

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Tags: beaches, blogsherpa, Colombia, South America

Written by Aracely

Co-founder of TwoBackpackers.com. Aracely has been traveling, writing and taking photos since 2024, when she departed on his first year long travel backpacking journey. When she isn't seeking new adventures, Aracely is usually building Excel models as a financial analyst professional. Visit my website

8 Responses to “Beaches of Tayrona National Park, Colombia”

  1. Kyle says:

    Parque Tayrona is one of my favorite places in the world. Beautiful!
    .-= Kyle´s last blog ..Get Your Fingers Away from my Bum-hole! =-.

  2. Connie says:

    Great post! It’s always nice to see that people are traveling to Colombia and blogging about the country.
    .-= Connie´s last blog ..Tcherassi Hotel and Spa in Cartagena =-.

  3. Brian says:

    Like the info. Cool that you can camp out at the beach. I would have expected that.

  4. adam says:

    Everyone who goes to Colombia always seems to rave about it. I’ll have to get there sometime.
    .-= adam´s last blog ..Hula Hooping & Comfort Zones =-.

  5. Sean Janelle says:

    Wow, I love this. I takes me back there myself. Hiking to the beaches, jumping in the blue water, picking up the fallen coconuts – I love those beaches and Tayrona as a whole. Thanks for sharing and resurfacing my memories!

  6. marta says:

    fantastic beach! A reason more for travel to Colombia

  7. Larry says:

    I went last year; and it is cheap!!! look for the walking vendors selling chocolate bread OM NOM NOM!!! bringing your own drinking water or filter is a must

  8. Joy says:

    I was in Parque Tayrona Christmas Eve and Christmas Day of 1996 when I was 18 years old. Thanks for bringing back great memories with those pictures.

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