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Tayrona National Park (Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona) is visited from Santa Marta for beaches such as Cabo San Juan, Playa Cristal and Gairaca. Its main entrance, El Zaino, is 32 km from the city on the Troncal del Caribe highway.
2026 closure: from October 19 to November 2, 2026.
Santa Marta
Each day tour goes to a different beach and enters through a different sector of the park: choose the beach first, then the tour.
Cabo San Juan del Guía is a strip of sand with palm trees between two coves, with large boulders on either side and a hut on a rocky islet. You reach it on foot from Cañaveral, by way of Arrecifes, Arenilla and La Piscina; that's the route of the Cabo San Juan tour.
Playa Cristal is a beach of pale sand with a tree-covered point. You reach it by boat, because the footpath from Neguanje isn't open to visitors. The Playa Cristal tour makes that crossing by boat from Playa Neguanje.
Playa Gairaca lies in a bay with a reef close to shore, and you enter through the Palangana sector. The Gairaca beach tour spends the day at that beach.
Between beaches, part of the way is on foot along trails through the forest, some with stretches of wooden boardwalk. Since the March 2026 reopening, the Kogui Trail, between Cañaveral and Cabo San Juan, has been closed to the public until it is repaired, and the Cañaveral–Arrecifes stretch operates with intermittent passage. Wear shoes with good grip for the trail and bring sandals for the sand.
According to Parques Nacionales Naturales, Colombia's national parks service, Cabo San Juan del Guía has a natural pool suitable for swimming and free diving, Playa Gayraca allows swimming and free diving, and Neguanje also allows swimming; beaches flying a red flag are closed to swimming. Conditions change from day to day: at Arrecifes, as at any other beach in the park, ask at the entrance or ask your tour guide whether you can swim that day, and stay out of the water if the waves are strong. On boat rides, wear your life jacket the whole time.
There is no entry to Tayrona National Park on those dates.
If your trip falls then, look at these other places:
Tayrona National Park closes every year from February 1 to 15, June 1 to 15 and October 19 to November 2, in periods agreed with the Indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada (Resolution 005 of 2024, in Spanish). In 2026 it also closed from February 17 to March 4 because of public safety risks; as of September 25, 2026, Parques Nacionales reported that the park remained open and running normally.
Before you set your date, check on the official Tayrona National Park page (in Spanish) whether the park is open on your dates. Closed dates are already blocked in our booking calendar. The dates of each closure and what changed in 2026 are in our guide to Tayrona National Park tickets, prices and closures.
El Zaino, the main entrance, is 32 km from Santa Marta on the Troncal del Caribe highway, about 45 minutes, and leads to Cañaveral, Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan del Guía. Through Palangana, at km 5 of the highway, you reach Playa Gayraca, Neguanje and, by boat, Playa Cristal. Tayrona has no advance reservations: entry tickets are sold daily at the ticket office of each sector, and all three tours already include them.
To go on your own by bus, taxi or boat, with the hours of each ticket office, read how to get to Tayrona National Park from Santa Marta. Bring your passport or ID, because your rate depends on it, and proof of a yellow fever vaccine given at least 10 days earlier, which is required to enter natural parks in high-risk municipalities such as Santa Marta (Ministry of Health Resolution 691 of 2025).
Pets, speakers, single-use plastics, drones without a permit, liquor and hallucinogens aren't allowed in Tayrona, according to Parques Nacionales. There is an induction talk and registration before you enter. Take your trash with you and stay on the marked trails.
1 dayThe Cabo San Juan Tayrona tour picks you up at your lodging in Santa Marta at 7:00 a.m. and enters Tayrona National Park at El Zaino. From Cañaveral you hike about 2 hours past Arrecifes, Arenilla and La Piscina to Cabo San Juan del Guía, with free time to swim. It costs COP 223,000 per person, park entrance fee included.
Next date: Mon Oct 12
Per person
1 dayThe Playa Gairaca tour leaves the Expotur Eco office in Santa Marta at 8:00 a.m. and enters Tayrona National Park at Palangana. It includes a regional lunch, basic snorkeling from the shore, a beach tent and a stop at the Siete Olas viewpoint, returning around 5:00 p.m. It costs COP 280,000 per person, for 2 or more travelers.
Next date: Mon Oct 12
Per person
1 dayThe Playa Cristal tour leaves Santa Marta around 7:30 a.m., stops at the Playa Siete Olas viewpoint and continues to Playa Neguanje, where a boat ride of about 15 minutes takes you to Playa Cristal, in Tayrona National Park. There is time to swim and snorkel in calm water; you return around 5:30 p.m. It costs COP 200,000 per person.
Next date: Mon Oct 12
Per person
4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor6,458 reviews of Expotur Eco, the operator. Checked on October 7, 2026.
Book with 7%7% deposit of the total. An advisor confirms within 12 hours at most.
All Tayrona Park tours
Santa MartaThe 3-, 4- or 5-day trek through the Sierra Nevada to Teyuna.
Ciudad Perdida: travel guide
Santa MartaWaterfalls and coffee in the Sierra Nevada, in one day from Santa Marta.
Minca: travel guideTayrona National Park is on Colombia's Caribbean coast, northeast of Santa Marta. Its main entrance, El Zaino, is 32 km from the city on the Troncal del Caribe highway, about 45 minutes, according to Colombia's National Parks; through Palangana, at km 5 of the same highway, you reach Gairaca and Neguanje. The three day tours to the park leave from Santa Marta.
The beaches of Tayrona National Park include Cabo San Juan del Guía, Arrecifes, La Piscina, Playa Cristal, Gairaca and Neguanje. The day tours go to three of them, one beach each: Cabo San Juan, on foot from Cañaveral; Playa Cristal, by boat from Neguanje; and Gairaca, through the Palangana entrance. All three can be booked with Punta Gallinas Tours, with the park entrance fee included.
Yes, you can swim at some beaches in Tayrona National Park. According to Colombia's National Parks, Cabo San Juan del Guía has a natural pool suitable for swimming and free diving, Playa Gayraca allows swimming and free diving, and Neguanje also allows swimming. Beaches flying a red flag are closed to swimming, and conditions change from day to day: ask at the entrance or ask your guide before you go in.
Pets, speakers, single-use plastics, drones without a permit, liquor and hallucinogens aren't allowed in Tayrona National Park, according to Colombia's National Parks. There is an induction talk and registration before you enter. Bring your passport or ID, your yellow fever vaccination card, water, sunscreen and shoes with good grip for the trails.
Yes. After Tayrona, continue by road to Riohacha, with Palomino as a possible stop. Punta Gallinas Tours trips to Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas leave Riohacha at 8:30 a.m., so it's best to reach Riohacha the day before and sleep there. The 3-day Punta Gallinas tour costs from COP 900,000 per person in groups of 6 or more.
Next trip
Desert and sea in northern Colombia. Tours leave from Riohacha by 4×4.