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ParqueTayrona

TravelGuide > ParqueTayrona

Parque Tayrona is a beautiful park next to the sea, with white sand beaches, where you can sleep in a hammock and relax (there's not much more to do). It's very popular with travelers.

Getting there.

There are a few ways to get to Parque Tayrona.

The easiest way is to book with one of the hostels - both Miramar and Casa Familiar make bookings.

Or you can just take the bus yourself: go to Calle 11 with Carrera 11 in Santa Marta and get the bus that says "Tayrona" on the front, it's 4000 pesos. The bus will drop you off at the entrance of the park.

The entrance fee to the park is 25000 pesos (US$ 14) - you'll need to show your passport. A jeep from here to take you further in the park to Canaveral costs 2000 pesos per person, or you can just walk (1 hour).

From where the jeep drops you off you can easily walk to Arricifes in less than an hour. Or you can rent a horse to go there for about 15000 pesos.

Things to do.

There's not much more to do in Tayrona than to relax, swim a bit, explore the park and the beaches and make friends :) In the park, you can walk up the hill through the jungle to El Pueblito, a small village.

Be careful where you swim, many of the beaches are not safe. Especially the Arrecifes beach has strong currents and is not safe for swimming.

Tayrona is very safe and generally not affected by any guerilla/paramilitary problems in the Sierra Santa Marta.

What to bring.

You don't need malaria pills in the park. You do need a yellow fever vaccination but it's not usually checked. You need to bring your passport.

Bring mosquito repellent and snorkeling gear if you want to go snorkeling.

Food and drinks are somewhat more expensive here (beers at 3000 pesos, breakfast 7000), so you might want to bring a bottle of rum or even something to cook and some rice and lentils. (Officially you are not allowed to bring in any alcohol into the park and sometimes bags are checked at the main gate.)

Places to Stay.

Most travelers sleep in hammocks in Arrefices, a short walk from Canaveral. Just walk there and you can't miss it. Hammocks are under a roof and cost about 8,000 to 10,000 pesos per person (US$ 5), or you can bring a tent (3,000 pesos per person). (http://www.paraisotayrona.com)

You can bring food to cook there (make a small fire), or there are a few places with food (meals are about 15,000 pesos).

If you walk beyond Arrefices until Cabo de San Juan (Cape of St. John), you'll find stunning beaches, a campsite with 2 small beaches safe for swimming. You can rent a hammock for 10000 pesos (US$ 5) a night, or bring your own tent. There are basic showers and toilets and a small shop. Breakfast around 6000 pesos.

If you go beyond Cabo de San Juan you'll find a nudist beach.

Alternatively, you can rent some fairly fancy cabanas (huts) with great views from Ecohabs, a cabana with 2 beds is about 70000 pesos (US$ 30). You have to book these in advance in Santa Marta (http://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co, tel 423 07 04).

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