Tayrona National Park (Taganga)

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The national park Tayrona in the north of the country is one of the most popular places in Colombia. The park consists of the high mountains of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the jungle and a part of the Caribbean coast consisting of mangrove forests and sandy beaches. The eastern part of the park is the most beautiful and most visited. Here are beautiful bays with white sandy beaches but also dense jungle and opportunity for camping and other types of overnight stays.

Once it was the Tayrona country until the Spaniards came here in the 16th century and saw it as an El Dorado. The Indians were exterminated and their gold melted and shipped to motherland Spain.Taganga is a beautifully situated very popular "beach hippie village" with a busy promenade and many tourist attractions including diving and snorkeling. 

Santa Marta - Taganga: walk to the intersection of Calle 15 / Carrera 5 in Santa Marta and wait until the minibus with "Taganga" comes racing past the window. The ride costs about 1200 COL and lasts for fifteen minutes. The way back is even easier since all minibuses that pass by will go to Santa Marta.

Santa Marta - Tayrona NP: in SM it’s a bit of a search to find the busstop which is on Calle 11/Carrera 11 on the busy market. Here is a bus "Cotra Oriente" that goes towards the park of Tayrona. The price is 6000 COL, it takes about an hour and goes regularly. At the small town El Zaino you get out and walk towards the mountains on your left (other side of the road). There your bag is checked and you have to pay the 37.500 COL entrance fee (for foreigners).

You get a band for on you’re wrist and you can take a bus here (2000 COL) to the village of Canaveral. You can also walk. From there it is either on horseback or on foot.

Exito - food in the supermarket? That is very normal in Colombia (and other countries) and it is extremely popular and crowded. It is a bit more pricey than in the "local" restaurants but the quality is a so much better. In addition, it is a lot nicer to eat here with the AC on.

A buffet is on-going and you can buy, e.g. choose between lasagne, pasta bolognesa or meat with rice. Prices range from 8,000 to 10,000 COL per meal. The restaurants are usually somewhere in the supermarket. Search and you will find.

• Name: Finca El Paraiso

Address: Arrecifes

Price: 10,000 (own tent)

Phone nr. : 3173121945

Email: www.paraisotayroa.com

Content:

This campsite is the closest to the beach of the campsites in Arrecifes and has several options for sleeping; you can take a hammock in a hut with a thatched roof and surrounded by a mosquito net or in a permanent tent under a thatched roof. There are also cabins and you can also set up your own tent. It has a good restaurant and plenty of toilets and showers, even if there is no privacy.

The staff is friendly and it is located between the popular Cabo and the entrance. The biggest advantage is that it is much quieter (and cheaper) than the popular Cabo with its many (party) youth.