Where Punta Gallinas is
Punta Gallinas is in Alta Guajira, in Colombia, and is the northernmost point of mainland South America. To reach Punta Gallinas, tours and private transport take the same route: they leave Riohacha, cross Uribia, stop in Cabo de la Vela and continue from there through the desert to the point.
Before reaching the point, the route skirts Bahía Portete, Bahía Honda and Bahía Hondita. From Punta Gallinas, the tour visits the Taroa dunes and Punta Gallinas lighthouse, which the tours leave for the morning after arrival.
Punta Gallinas Tours tours leave from Riohacha, not from Santa Marta. If you are in Santa Marta, the first step is to get to Riohacha; the Santa Marta to La Guajira guide explains how to combine both destinations in one trip. Since departure is at 8:30 a.m., the practical choice is to sleep in Riohacha the night before.
Step by step: how to reach Punta Gallinas from Riohacha
The route from Riohacha to Punta Gallinas has three sections. The first is by road; the other two are on desert tracks in a 4×4. On a tour, it is done over two days: day 1, from Riohacha to Cabo de la Vela, arriving at lunchtime; day 2, from Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas, arriving around 2:00 p.m. We give you the driving hours without stops and the kilometers for each section when quoting by WhatsApp.
Tour itinerary data as of October 5, 2026. Source: Punta Gallinas Tours.
Section | Road type | Tour stops along the way | When the tour passes |
|---|---|---|---|
From Riohacha to Uribia | Road | Manaure salt flats and Uribia | Day 1, departure from Riohacha at 8:30 a.m. |
From Uribia to Cabo de la Vela | Desert tracks, in a 4×4 | Cabo de la Vela: Playa Arcoíris, Pilón de Azúcar and the Cabo de la Vela lighthouse | Day 1, arrival at lunchtime |
From Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas | Desert tracks, in a 4×4 | Bahía Honda and Bahía Hondita, along the shore | Day 2, arrival around 2:00 p.m. |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
From Riohacha to Uribia
This is the road section. On the tour, the 4×4 first stops at the Manaure salt flats, the largest salt complex in Colombia and the first stop on the three tours. Then it continues to Uribia, known as the Indigenous capital of Colombia.
If you go on your own, leave Riohacha with all the cash you will need: on the Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas route there are no ATMs or digital payments.
From Uribia to Cabo de la Vela
The paved road ends in Uribia. From there, the route to Cabo de la Vela is in a 4×4 on desert tracks. The 3- and 4-day tours reach Cabo de la Vela at lunchtime on day 1 and spend the afternoon at Playa Arcoíris and Pilón de Azúcar (the 3-day tour also includes Playa Dorada), until sunset at the Cabo de la Vela lighthouse.
The first night is spent in Cabo de la Vela, in a chinchorro hammock at a Wayuu ranchería. If you prefer a bed, it costs COP 30,000 per person per night, subject to availability.
From Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas
On day 2, you leave Cabo de la Vela heading north, again on tracks and in a 4×4. On the 4-day tour, the vehicle leaves Cabo de la Vela around 8:00 a.m. and reaches Punta Gallinas around 2:00 p.m., after skirting Bahía Honda and Bahía Hondita. On the 3-day tour, the route also skirts Bahía Portete and arrival is also around 2:00 p.m.
We give you the driving hours without stops and the distance in kilometers between Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas when quoting by WhatsApp. In Punta Gallinas you have lunch, the afternoon is free and the night is spent in another Wayuu ranchería.
The Taroa dunes are also reached by 4×4 from Punta Gallinas. On the 3-day tour, they are the first stop on day 3, early, before Punta Gallinas lighthouse. That same day, the tour returns to Riohacha, with lunch in Uribia, and arrives around 3:00 p.m.
Why you can only get there in a 4×4
From Uribia toward Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas, there is no paved road: the route is done in a 4×4 on desert tracks. That is why the tours use 4×4 vehicles with air conditioning and local driver-guides.
The trip is long and rustic. There are many hours in the vehicle spread over several days, nights in a chinchorro hammock and no ATMs along the way. If you get carsick, keep your personal medication with you, not in your suitcase.
The tour also includes medical assistance insurance during the route. Before traveling, also check your country’s travel advice for Colombia.
Option 1: 3- or 4-day tour
This is the simplest way to reach Punta Gallinas: the vehicle, route, itinerary meals and where to sleep are already arranged. If you want to see dates, start with the Punta Gallinas tour from Riohacha.
3-day tour (with Cabo de la Vela). Day 1 leaves Riohacha and reaches Cabo de la Vela; day 2 reaches Punta Gallinas around 2:00 p.m.; day 3 visits the Taroa dunes and Punta Gallinas lighthouse and returns to Riohacha around 3:00 p.m. It includes two nights in chinchorro hammocks in Wayuu rancherías, with 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners (breakfast on day 1 is not included if you leave from Riohacha). It costs from COP 900,000 per person in groups of 6 or more, and COP 1,650,000 per person if 2 people travel.
4-day tour (Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas). It follows the same route and adds a third night in Punta Gallinas. Day 3 includes the Taroa dunes, Punta Gallinas lighthouse and sunset at Punta Agujas beach, and day 4 returns to Riohacha after breakfast. It costs from COP 955,500 per person in groups of 6 or more, and COP 1,874,250 per person if 2 people travel.
Both are private tours: the price per person depends on how many people are in your booking, with taxes included. For 1, 3, 4 or 5 travelers, see the tour prices with the full table by group size.
Option 2: private transport without a tour
If you do not want a tour package, the 4×4 transport to Punta Gallinas takes you in a private 4×4 between Riohacha, Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas. You decide where to sleep and what to eat, and you pay for it yourself, in cash. It is quoted by WhatsApp or through the form on the service page.
This works if you already have your lodging plan or if you want to build the trip at your own pace. If it is your first time in Alta Guajira and you prefer to have meals, the chinchorro hammock and the route arranged, the tour is simpler.
Data as of October 5, 2026. Source: Punta Gallinas Tours.
What it covers | 3- or 4-day tour | Private 4×4 transport |
|---|---|---|
Vehicle | 4×4 with air conditioning throughout the route | Private 4×4 between Riohacha, Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas |
Meals | Those in the itinerary (on the 3-day tour, 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners) | On your own, in cash |
Where to sleep | Chinchorro hammock in Wayuu rancherías; bed for COP 30,000 per person per night | On your own, in cash |
Price | From COP 900,000 per person in groups of 6 or more (3 days) | Quoted by WhatsApp or form |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Can you go in your own car?
In a car that is not a 4×4, no: after Uribia there is no paved road and the route is on desert tracks. In your own 4×4 vehicle, you can do the route, but we do not recommend it without someone who knows the tracks. For any unexpected issue, count only on the cash you bring from Riohacha.
A middle option is to drive your car to Riohacha and continue from there on the tour or with private transport. Ask your lodging in Riohacha where to leave it while you travel.
Before you leave, review what to pack: cash, a flashlight for the night in the ranchería and sun protection. If you have decided to go with a tour, on the Punta Gallinas 3-day tour you choose the date and book with 7% of the total; an advisor confirms the booking within 12 hours.
