Tayrona.
We flew from Bogota to Santa Marta on a quick hour and a half flight and stayed in Los Cocos Beach at Villa Maria. Tayrona presents a variety of climates and geography that range from arid landscapes, lush rain forest to 900 meters above sea level and is the second most visited national park in Colombia.
Villa Maria.
Los Cocos Beach.
A MUST DO is the hike through Tayrona National Park. Honestly, it was much harder than we expected, but only took us 1.5 hours to get to Cabo San Juan instead of the average 2-2.5 hours. After all of our city and country adventures, the beach was much needed, and the water so warm and clear. But hot, hot, heat! The first two beaches aren’t great for swimming due to the strong rip currents, but the last two beaches are a perfect oasis. 95 degrees and 90% humidity, who wouldn’t want to jump in the turquoise Caribbean water??
[Note: They have campsites in the park and I would recommend doing this for a night, if you’re young and ready to be up close and personal with 30 of your new closest friends 😛 We didn’t do it this time, but perhaps we’ll try it next time!]
Pro:
- Gorgeous beaches, warm and crystal clear water
Con:
- MOSQUITOS! – Wear lots of insect repellent
- Strong rip currents – Not all beaches are swimmable
Tip:
- Plan to get to the park entrance early (8-9am) to give yourself enough time at Cabo San Juan. Otherwise, you’ll have to turn around as soon as you get there in order to make it back in time for the last bus. Also, if you’re up for an adventure, keep walking 10-15 minutes past Cabo San Juan and check out the nudist beach :-0!! No, we didn’t go 😛