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Brief travel guide to Taganga

(This is an "approved guide", which means that we think it is very accurate and up to date. It's a "brief" guide which means that we think it can use some more detail - leave comments! Written December 2006.)

Taganga is a beautiful small village in a bay at the sea, at 15 minutes from Santa Marta. There are a bunch of good hostals, and you can get your diving certificate here for about US$ 200 (4 days).

It's a much nicer place to stay than Santa Marta, so if you arrive in Santa Marta you migh as well jump on a bus (15 minutes over the hill) and come straight here.

Things to do.

Apart from just hanging out, taking a diving course is the most popular activity. Taganga's beach itself is ok, with a bunch of restaurants, but closeby are some nicer deserted beaches (Playa Grande is a 15 minute walk, or take a boat).

Diving courses to get certified are about US$ 200. It takes 4 days and includes 6 dives. Some schools:

Centro de Buceo Poseidon (Calle 18 No 1 - 69, poseidon at atgc.net.co, http://www.poseidondivecenter.com) speak English, German and Spanish and do all sorts of diving courses, including divemaster courses.

Calipso Dive Center (HTTP://www.calipsodivecenter.com).

In Literarte (ask around) there is a big book exchange, a good chance to get stocked on books which is generally hard to do in Colombia.

Places to Stay.

Please leave comments on these hostels or any hostels we've missed.

La Casa de Felipe (http://www.lacasadefelipe.com, Carrera 5A No 19 - 13, tel 316 318 91 58, info at lacasadefelipe.com) offers diving courses, laundry, internet and communal kitchen. Dorm beds are 10000 pesos, double rooms 27000 (US$ 13). The French owners Jean-Philippe ("Felipe") & Sandra are friendly and they've been here for a long time. The hostel is a few blocks up the hill from the beach.

Casa Blanca (Carrera 1 No 18 - 161, tel 421 92 32, barbus85 at latinmail.com, ) is close to the beach and always full. !0 rooms are 15000 pesos (US$ 6) per person.

Techos Azules (tel 421 91 41, cacabelofreddy at yahoo.com.mx), a new hotel uphill from Casa Blanca. Fairly fancy rooms with private bathroom and balcony are 18000 pesos per person (US$ 8).

The (in)famous hostel Miramar from Santa Marta has opened a new hostel in Taganga called Ramarim ("Miramar" backwards, Calle 12 between carrera 3 and 4, tel 423 32 76). You can sleep in a hammock for 6000 pesos (US$ 2.5), probably the cheapest place to stay in Colombia, or get a dorm bed.

Pelikan Hostal (Carrera 2 No 17 - 4, tel 075 421 90 57) is another decent option.

Comments.

This is a brief guide, we need more detail. Please share your experience with these or other places and things to do in the comments!

By Peter (Moderator) on Dec 21, 2006, 10:37 in Travel tips.

Jebediah says on Jan 1, 2007, 17:45:

Tarjeta De Buseo I got my diving card from Calipso. Great people, had no problems whatsoever!

Taganga was an amazing place! Much nicer than Santa Marta.

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jan 10, 2007, 18:10:

Aparta-hotel (Cra 2 No 17 - 04, tel (5) 421 90 57) is another option. No info on prices and such..

Poor but snappy

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oldbongo says on Jan 11, 2007, 09:35:

when oldbongo was there.. in 1972...he strung his hammock at the beach and there were no hostals, restaurants, or people, other than 5 little boats and a
very few folks. santa marta gold was the main menu, and turtle steak for desert. only problem was the damm sand fleas.
now it's satellite bars and neon...........no thanx.

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Carolina-Med says on Jan 12, 2007, 12:28:

Best place in the world Despite a little dirt on the beach, Taganga is one of the best places to go... Amazing sunsets, friendly locals, and waaay much better than El Rodadero. When you get there, there's only one thing to worry about, the fact that once you're there you don't wanna leave! It happened to me, I went there to stay overnight and ended up staying for a week! Techos Azules, great place to stay, the only thing I didn't like was the fact to climb all day up and down the hill to go to the beach, (specially if you've had some beers on one of the many huts along the beach) but the rooms are really cool. I stayed for 2 nights at "La ballena Azul", that's more like an hotel, but not as expensive as you might think, maybe it was the fact that I went there on "low season"....

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bioramirez says on Feb 6, 2007, 13:31:

Divanga: Another great place to stay in Taganga The things that Carolina said about Taganga are the truth, you get to Taganga and you just don't wanna leave. i stayed at the hostel Divanga (used to be The french house), and is really nice and affordable, the rooms are really nice and clean; there's a nice terrace with hamacas where you can relax with some music and a drink. Besides the breakfast is delicious and the owners (Lucie and Christoph) are really good people. Sorry about my english¡¡¡
Well, if you're going to Colombia and you really wanna spend a good time you should go to Taganga.

Lorena Ramirez R.

Lorena Ramirez R.

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p e r says on Feb 27, 2007, 13:49:

Money in Taganga
Hi!

Does anyone know if there is a ATM or even better a bank in Taganga? I guess COP cash is the best way there and in Parque Tayrona. Any thoughts?

Thanx!

/Per

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Mr. Hollywood says on Feb 27, 2007, 14:11:

Been there, loved it I stayed at the Ballena Azul and had a very good experience. They even accidentally overcharged my credit card and went to the trouble of calling me up in Bogota and arranging to send me a refund. It was for an amount I wouldn't have even noticed but appreciated their honesty.

I dove a lot with the Poseidon dive center, which is right across the street from La Ballena. Great team of people and some really lovely dives. Price couldn't be beat, either.

One thing I heard from a dive instructor there was to beware some of the bargain basement dive schools in Taganga, which come and go quite regularly. Apparently the common scam is to charge about half-price for "PADI Certification" classes. You do the class trainging and take the test and everything but the school never actually files your PADI certification because they don't have it themselves. So you basically wasted your money and time on a fake class.

There was a restaurant on the land side of the beachfront street that had GREAT hamburgers and stuff. Can't remember the name but the owner was from Bogota and had just packed it in and moved to Taganga.

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NELHENAO says on Apr 22, 2007, 10:22:

vacation in taganga I was there in Taganga during september for 3 nights, with my parents. We came very tired from my cousin's wedding in Cartagena.Its really difficult to relax at the beach in the Bocagrande beaches with all the street venders and hawkers. We were pleasantly surprised to see how much nicer people are in Taganga. We had the chance to take a boat to the small coves away from Playa Grande. The cove called El Remanso was specially beautiful. My last day I took the boat to Granate, inside the Tayrona National Park. I truly wish I would have another opportunity to get to explore the other bays in the National Park. We stayed at the hotel "La Ballena Azul". The prices were reasonable and the food very good. Next time I will definitely have to stay for a 1 week or more.

nelson henao

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webmanco says on May 4, 2007, 19:01:

Taganga

La doña

Lanchero

Locales

De regreso

Al agua

Cienaga

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

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White Rhino says on May 18, 2007, 15:55:

Taganga Can people here describe the diving more? How far from shore are the dive sites (I get sea sick)? How good is the diving?

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quantum says on May 24, 2008, 14:52:

Have read and heard some weird close encounters with cops in Taganga. Are they flukes or is it really getting to be a problem? Can anybody give me a Taganga update? And is Tayrona Camp Israel at the moment? Gracias........

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