Nature · Culture
Tayrona Park: Cabo San Juan del Guía
The classic Tayrona hike to the most famous beach on the Colombian Caribbean.
Full dayDifficulty: Moderate
Ask for rates
National natural park
Tayrona National Natural Park
White-sand bays between giant boulders and tropical dry forest, where the Sierra Nevada drops straight into the Caribbean.
- Region:
- Magdalena
- From La Jorará:
- 31 km
Tayrona is what happens when a 5,775-metre mountain ends abruptly against the sea. The result is a string of bays closed off by rocky headlands, white-sand beaches separated from one another by jungle trails, and tropical dry forest running right down to the shore.
It is the most visited park in Colombia, and there is a reason: nowhere else in the Caribbean does the landscape change so fast. In a two-hour walk you go from dense forest with howler monkeys to a beach open to the swell, to a natural pool protected by a reef, to a lookout on the rocks.
It was Tayrona territory too. Pueblito Chairama, up in the hills, preserves the stone terraces and paved paths of a pre-Columbian settlement, and from there run the trails that the region's indigenous communities still use.
The park closes several times a year to let the territory rest, at the request of the Sierra's indigenous peoples. The dates change from year to year and are worth confirming before buying tickets.
What to see and do
Cabo San Juan del Guía
The image everyone associates with Tayrona: two white-sand bays split by a rocky headland with a lookout hut on its tip. It is the furthest point of the classic hike and the busiest. It pays to arrive early.
La Piscina
A bay protected by a natural rock barrier that breaks the swell. It is the best place in this sector for a calm swim and for snorkelling, and it sits fifteen minutes before Cabo San Juan.
Arrecifes
A long, spectacular beach with heavy surf and rip currents. It is not safe for swimming and is signposted as such. You walk it, photograph it and move on: swimming happens further along.
Pueblito Chairama
The stone terraces of a Tayrona settlement in the upper part of the park, reached by a demanding stone trail from Cabo San Juan or from the Calabazo entrance. It is the short, accessible version of what you see at the Lost City.
Dry forest wildlife
Howler monkeys you hear long before you see them, big iguanas beside the trails and, with luck and silence, the cotton-top tamarin: a tiny monkey endemic to northern Colombia and critically endangered.
How to get there
- The main entrance is El Zaino, on the Troncal del Caribe highway, about 34 km from Santa Marta and 31 km from La Jorará.
- From El Zaino an internal shuttle runs to Cañaveral, where the walk begins.
- From Cañaveral to Cabo San Juan is about two hours on the trail, with stops at Arrecifes and La Piscina. You can return on foot or by horse.
- The Calabazo entrance is the alternative for climbing straight to Pueblito and descending via Cabo San Juan: harder going and far less crowded.
- Playa Cristal and Neguanje are reached through the Palangana sector, by a separate entrance.
When to go
- From December to March the sea is calmer and the sky clearer. It is also the busiest season: January and Easter week are the peaks.
- The rainy months, September to November, bring fewer people and the forest at its best, but the trails get slippery.
- Whatever the season: get in early. The walk under midday sun is a different proposition, and the beaches fill after eleven.
- The park closes for several weeks a year so the territory can rest. The dates change: confirm them before booking flights.
What to know before you go
- Not every beach is safe to swim. Arrecifes has rip currents that have caused deaths. Swim only where it is signposted: La Piscina and Cabo San Juan.
- You have to walk. Cañaveral to Cabo San Juan is about two hours on stone and sand trail with no continuous shade. Wear closed shoes, not sandals.
- Carry at least two litres of water per person. There are kiosks inside, but few and expensive.
- Single-use plastics are not allowed in. Sort out your bottle and bag before you arrive.
- Use biodegradable sunscreen: the reef appreciates it and in several sectors it is a requirement.
- Bring a copy of your ID and insurance. Registration at the gate asks for it.
- Going with a guide changes the experience completely: without one you take a nice walk, with one you understand what you are looking at.
Frequently asked questions
What can you do in Tayrona Park in one day?
Get in early through El Zaino, take the internal shuttle to Cañaveral and walk to Cabo San Juan via Arrecifes and La Piscina. Swim at La Piscina or the Cabo, have lunch there and head back on foot or by horse. It is a full day of about eight hours, and plenty to see the classic sector.
Which are the best beaches in Tayrona Park?
For swimming, La Piscina and Cabo San Juan, both sheltered from the swell. For scenery and photography, Arrecifes, though you cannot get in the water. Playa Cristal, in the Neguanje sector, has the clearest water and is reached through a different park entrance.
Can you sleep inside Tayrona Park?
Yes, there are hammocks and camping at Cabo San Juan and a few cabins at Cañaveral, but capacity is limited and basic. Many travellers prefer to stay outside, along the Troncal del Caribe, and enter the park for the day: you sleep better and swap the morning queue for a calm breakfast.
Does Tayrona Park close?
Yes. It closes for several weeks a year at the request of the Sierra Nevada's indigenous peoples, to let the territory recover. The dates are set each year and are not fixed, so confirm them before buying flights.
What we run here
See all experiencesPhoto pending
Active · Nature
Sierra Nevada bike tour
Ride past rivers, beaches, waterfalls and villages between Tayrona and the Sierra.
5 to 7 hoursDifficulty: Moderate
Ask for rates
Where to stay
See all places to stay
La Jorará Eco Hotel · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Casa del Mar
A cabin facing the Caribbean, with the sound of the sea in front and the Sierra Nevada behind.
Cabin1–4 guestsSea view
FromCOP 520,000per night
La Jorará Eco Hotel · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Morro Paraíso
High on the headland, looking out over the Caribbean and the Sierra Nevada rainforest at once.
Cabin2–6 guestsSea view
FromCOP 560,000per night
La Jorará Eco Hotel · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Dorado
A suite on the upper floor of Casa Verde, La Jorará's main house.
Suite2–4 guestsMountain view
FromCOP 438,000per night
Nearby destinations
Our home
La Jorará
Km 62.5 on the Santa Marta – Palomino road: a private beach, a natural mountain-water pool and a fruit plantation, between Tayrona Park and Palomino.
Magdalena · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
7 experiences here
Sierra Nevada river
Don Diego River
A river born in the glaciers of the Sierra Nevada that ends in the Caribbean, with howler monkeys in the canopy and a virgin beach at its mouth.
Magdalena6 km from La Jorará
3 experiences here
The gateway
Santa Marta
The oldest surviving city in Colombia, with the Sierra Nevada at its back and the airport almost everyone arrives through.
Magdalena62 km from La Jorará
4 experiences here