We get off the bus at a faraway stop, with only some stores clustered collectively in hopes of promoting last-minute supplies. I appearance down a street that disappears right into a blur of wooded area vegetation, and head in that direction.
My spouse Emma and I arrive earlier than midday, due to the fact we recognise we’re going to should hike to attain Tayrona National Park. Our backpacks loaded with meals supplies, a alternate of clothes, a tiny tent, and now no longer a whole lot else, we disappear into fifty eight rectangular miles of jungle.
Known domestically as Parque Nacional Tayrona, the park is located alongside the Caribbean Sea withinside the northeastern nook of Colombia. It’s approximately an hour outdoor the town of Santa Marta, in which medicine cartels as soon as held sway however now the tourism enterprise is a bustling business.
Entering Tayrona park appears like taking a step FAR farfar from civilization, with contemporary-day buildings, transportation, and conveniences disappearing as you head in addition into the blanketed area.
At the entrance, passenger vehicles choose up riders, force them in the direction of the coast, and drop them off in which the street ends. From there, it is an hour-lengthy walk to the closest motels in Tayrona National Park– a desire among tenting or, if you are better-funded than us, rustic cabins.
Both my spouse and I are giddy as we get out of the van. We’ve been surrounded via way of means of the hustle and bustle of cities— Cartagena and Santa Marta— for almost weeks now. While seeing the points of interest become outstanding, we yearn to get lower back to nature.
From the entirety we have got read, we recognise we are in for a treat. It’s a whole retreat from the white noise of traffic, the grey gloom of concrete streets, and crowded sidewalks suffering from trinket-hawkers and visitor police. This need to be simply our kind of place…
How to Get to Tayrona National Park
The nearest fundamental town to Tayrona National Park is Santa Marta. It has an airport (Simón Bolivar International Airport) and is positioned approximately 20 miles from the park.
Flights from everywhere in Colombia to Santa Marta need to be very reasonable on Viva Air. Once you are in Santa Marta, there are numerous opportunities for buying to Tayrona, consisting of via way of means of boat, bus, prepared excursion, or apartment vehicle.
Obviously, prepared excursions are the perfect option. A excursion manual will deal with all of the little information of coming into and exploring the country wide park, and imparting history at the park’s history.
An hooked up excursion might be pleasant for people with most effective an afternoon to dedicate to the park. But for nature fans and diehard seaside fans, Tayrona will call for extra time. This faraway slice of paradise is simply too lovely to sum up in a hectic 10-hour day, begging site visitors to linger.
For the ones looking to live for a night time (or 4), taking a trip to the park works pleasant. Boat delivery is a outstanding adventure, however calls for transportation-hopping and strict timing. They provide departures simply as soon as withinside the morning and go back simply as soon as withinside the evening.
Any Santa Marta lodge can set up a trip so one can choose vacationers up, take them (and their luggage) to the park, and drop them off at the pinnacle of the path for much less than. Those identical shuttles will shuffle site visitors lower back to city each day as well.
While riding a apartment vehicle to Tayrona National Park is possible, the routes may contain tolls. And it is clean sufficient to get there with out handling riding in an unusual country. That being said, the path isn’t always all that difficult.
Official parking is to be had in 4 spots across the park, and there are domestically run masses close by as well. So, as lengthy because it isn’t always a completely busy time (together with a holiday), locating a parking area should not be an issue.
To get to Tayrona National Park from Cartagena takes approximately six or seven hours and may be executed through bus. For individuals who are not pressed for time, it is probable really well worth spending a night time in Santa Marta and attending to the park early the subsequent day, rested and ready.
Remember: Visiting Tayrona’s coolest webweb sites goes to require a few trekking proper off the bat.
