Colombia was once known as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. However, over the past 15 years it has completely turned itself around by implementing new laws, infrastructure, and other safety measures that have increased tourism and allowed travelers from all over the world to experience the beauty of Colombia for themselves.
There are countless routes through the massive country that backpackers and luxury travelers have been following for years, but we think this is the best itinerary to spend 1-2 weeks along the northern coast of Colombia.
Cartagena – city walls, street food, and history
2-4 nights
How to get there:
We started off our trip by flying into Cartagena. Taxis from the airport into the center have a fixed price, and you can find one right outside of the main exit. If someone who is not your driver comes over and tries to take your bags to put them in the car, simply say no thank you. They will demand a tip for helping you, even though it was unwarranted. We learned this the hard way.
Although the prices can sometimes be fixed for airport taxis, make sure that you always ask what the price will be before getting into the taxi. Oftentimes the drivers will start with a very high number if they can tell that you are a tourist, so it is better to know what you are paying for beforehand.
What to do:
On your first day in Cartagena, consider a walking tour of the walled city to understand some of the history behind the colonial center. From there, walk over to Getsemani, a neighborhood famous for its street art and hipster vibe.
The best place to see the sunset is from the top of the city walls, and Cafe del Mar is one of the most popular places to grab a drink at the end of the day. However, with great views usually comes high prices. We opted to buy beers from a street vendor instead, and stood near the wall to watch one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen.
If you came to Cartagena for the beaches, you might be disappointed. Although it is a coastal city, the beaches here are not the nicest, and restaurants can be overpriced and touristy. We recommend staying in the city center during your time here, and if you are craving a beach vacation consider booking a day or overnight tour to one of the popular island destinations. Islas del Rosario, Islas del Encanto, and Playa Blanca are all within a few hours from the city.
Where to stay:
In terms of accommodation, there are plenty of great hostels and hotels in the city center. However, I recommend finding one with air conditioning. We were constantly sweating during our trip because of the high temperatures and humidity, and you will be very grateful for the air co if you want a good night of sleep while traveling. We stayed in a dorm at Viajero Hostel and it was pleasant and affordable. You can find a Viajero hostel in most major cities in Colombia, and we had good experiences at all of them.
Tayrona National Park – monkeys, beaches, and jungle!
2-3 nights
How to get there:
Now’s your chance for a nice beach day! From Cartagena, we took a 4 hour shuttle bus to Santa Marta through the company Marsol. Tickets were around $17 USD per person. We heard that some of the other bus companies stop in Barranquilla for over an hour, making the journey closer to 6 hours (for $14 USD tickets), so we opted to pay a bit more in order to save some time.
The shuttle bus dropped us off at a station/taxi company in Santa Marta, and the nice men who had driven us asked where we were going next. We said Tayrona, and they immediately ushered us into a taxi and gave us a price (which was WAY too high). Again, make sure you confirm the price of taxis before agreeing to a ride. After going back and forth with them for 15 minutes, we were able to communicate that we only wanted a short taxi ride to el Mercado Publico, where the bus for Tayrona leaves every 15 minutes and costs only $2.50 USD. Although the taxi ride would have been quicker and maybe more comfortable, we were happy to save some money and take the bus with the other backpackers and locals.
There is one main road that travels from Santa Marta all the way across the north coast. Buses are constantly running between Santa Marta and Palomino, a beach town 2.5 hours east, and you can tell the driver where you are trying to go and the driver will let you out. We stayed in the Journey Hostel, and since there are usually multiple tourists on the same bus the driver knew to stop to let us out.
Where to stay:
The Journey Hostel is an experience in itself. We stayed in a 6-bed dorm room that was more of a hut than a dorm, with beautiful views of the mountain. You can also opt for the air conditioned dorm, but it was actually quite nice to feel the breeze at night, and there are mosquito nets to keep any bugs out. We also found it easy to meet other travelers at Journey due to the family dinners and various activities at night like salsa dancing, so we would really recommend this hostel.
What to do:
Although it is possible to stay inside of Tayrona National Park for a night, be prepared for the bugs, humidity, and most likely uncomfortable sleeping arrangement (tent or hammock). If you are used to camping, you might love it, but if not there are plenty of hostels similar to Journey that you can stay at outside of the park. In fact, it was only a 5 minute bus ride from our hostel to the park entrance!
Next to this, do not forget to check out the Cascadas de Valencia! These waterfalls are beautiful and full of locals. Do you dare to jump of the cliffs or climb all the way to the top?!
Palomino – relax on the beach and tube down the river
2-3 nights
How to get there:
To get here, hop on the same bus that runs from Santa Marta to Tayrona. It passes every 15 minutes. The ride to Palomino is approximately 40 minutes from the entrance of Tayrona Park.
The first thing most backpackers will tell you about Palomino is that it’s a sleepy beach town, and the perfect place to unwind and relax after a vigorous day of hiking in the heat of Tayrona. You can really stay here for any number of days, but if you like to keep your schedule busy while traveling there are really only a few main things to do in this town. We stayed 3 nights and felt that it was a good amount of time.
What to do:
So what are the main things to do in Palomino, Colombia? It’s simple: surfing or tubing. The water conditions weren’t great while we were visiting, so instead of surfing we opted for watching this dog catch some waves instead.
There are plenty of little bars along the beach that are perfect for grabbing a drink at sunset. As for tubing, if you walk down the main road of town you will pass at least four tubing offices, and you can ask to join a group that is already going, or create a group of your own. We paid $50,000 COP per person ($12 USD), which included transportation by mototaxi to the river, and an experienced guide that floats along with you. Don’t expect an adrenaline adventure – this is definitely more of a relaxed activity. However, you can bring some drinks if you want to add some excitement.
If you have been craving some quality seafood, Palomino is the place to be. Our favorite restaurant in the town is called La Cevicheria, and it’s a tiny place in the center of town run by a local family. The ceviche here was some of the best I have ever tasted, and it was only $17,000 COP ($4 USD), which is hard to beat. For a fancier meal, check out 7 Mares. They offer crazy cocktails with infused liquor and an extensive menu. Finally, for a nice coffee and vegetarian meal, visit Holss cafe. We went a few times while in Palomino because it was right around the corner from our hostel, and the food was delicious (not to mention the wifi was great).
Where to stay:
One of the reasons we think Palomino seemed so quiet is because there are SO. MANY. HOSTELS. It felt like everywhere we turned there were huge hostels with tiki huts and pools, and we even saw a few new ones that are currently being built. We decided to stay at Bella Flor Hostel since they have consistent wifi (even if the power goes out, which is often, they have a generator to ensure wifi connection is stable) and we were working remotely while here. The hostel staff were amazing, and it helped that there were six puppies running around while we were there! Another popular option is The Dreamer’s Hostel, which has more of an upbeat vibe with a big pool and bar, and is just steps from the beach. You really can’t go wrong with accommodation in Palomino.
Minca – bird watching, waterfalls, and sunsets
2-3 nights
Minca is a nature-lover’s heaven. The town is surrounded by mountains, and the bird watching here is some of the best in the world.
How to get there:
To get to Minca, take the same bus from Palomino or Tayrona, depending on where you were last, to the Mamatoco roundabout in Santa Marta. You should be able to find this location on google maps, but you can always ask the driver if you are unsure. From the roundabout, you can either take a taxi or walk down the street to the bus company’s office and hop on a shuttle to Minca. They leave every 30 minutes, but you might have to wait depending on if the bus is already full.
What to do:
So how should you spend your time in Minca? There are several hikes you can do, including shorter walks from town to Pozo Azul waterfall, longer walks to the Marinka Waterfalls, or even an overnight trip to Los Pinos to catch the beautiful sunrise over the mountains.
Even if you aren’t an early riser, we strongly recommend a birdwatching tour while in Minca. Colombia is home to 20% of the world’s bird species! We hired a local guide and went with a small group of people from the hostel, and ended up seeing 29 species of birds in the span of two hours (including two types of toucans!).
Another activity in Minca is visiting La Candelaria coffee and cacao farm for a cacao tour. We paid $30,000 COP per person ($7 USD) for a 1 hour tour including a full tour of the plantation, lessons on how to make the cacao, chocolate bar and hot cacao tasting, and even a cacao face mask! One thing to note is that the hike to La Candelaria is VERY steep and took over an hour and a half from town (the google maps location is not correct – you will have to walk for at least 30 minutes past the pinned point).
Where to stay:
We spent two nights in Minca, and the sunsets both nights were some of the best I’ve ever seen. Casa Loma hostel is definitely the place to be during sunset, as they have a bar with sweeping views of the mountains and even the ocean past Santa Marta.
We enjoyed our stay at Casa Loma, especially since it is one of the hostels closer to town (despite the 300 steps you have to walk up to get there), whereas other hostels in Minca are a moto taxi ride away. One aspect of this hostel that we haven’t heard many people talk about is the AMAZING cafe and co-working space they offer.
Below the reception area, there is a beautiful structure where you will find much faster wifi than in the main hostel, as well as a full yoga studio. We ordered a coffee and a hot cocoa, and what we received went above our expectations. The coffee came with a full lesson on how to make french-press coffee, and the hot cocoa came with a cloud of spun sugar floating above it that slowly dripped into the chocolate. You MUST visit the cafe at Casa Loma while in Minca.
Colombia is full of beautiful cities, incredible nature, and unique wildlife. The north coast is the perfect place to start your trip, and we hope this post has convinced you to book that flight!
Traveling to Latin America? Check out our guide to Panama here!