How to Get There
Information on entering Tayrona National Park by bus, horse, ferry, or taxi, admittance and bus fares, trail conditions, times, etc.
Getting to Tayrona
There are 3 ways to enter the park. The most common way is through the Tayrona National Park main entrance at El Zaino. Entry costs 35.000 COP for foreigners and 13.000 COP for Colombians. You can catch a bus from Santa Marta at Calle 11, CRA 11 near the market. Click here to view a map showing the bus pick up location to Tayrona. This bus will cost you 5.000 COP and take you as far as the park entrance. There you will show your passport, pay the entry fee, and will possibly have your bags searched. From this point it is 4km to the parking area of the park. Vans will be waiting at the gate to take you to the parking area for 2.000 COP. From this point you can walk to a number of the parks beaches and villages, or you can rent horses for 16.000 COP / horse to take you and/or your gear to Arrecifes.
A second way to enter the park is by boat. Ferry's are available from Taganga at around 11AM and 2:30PM which will take you to Cabo San Juan, one of Tayrona National Park's most popular beaches. (Return trips are available as well, leaving around 1PM and 4PM) These boat trips cost 40.000 COP. The ride takes about an hour, and while it is a bumpy, wet ride, it is probably not the sort of ride that would cause sea-sickness. Make sure to arrive early, as the boats will leave whenever they fill up.
Visitors are also able to enter the park by car or taxi on the east side of the park to reach Bahia Concha. Bahia Concha is a beautiful beach, but trails to the rest of the park are not maintained so expect to be limited on where else in the park you can travel.
You should also be aware that the trail from Cañaveral and the van drop-off point to Arrecifes can be EXTREMELY muddy. Hiking boots might be an idea, but if you are trying to keep your pack weight down, you might be best to simply take off your shoes and ride out the sludge the old fashion way.
