How much is the Playa Cristal tour?

The Playa Cristal tour costs COP 200,000 per person, with the Tayrona National Park entrance fee included. That is the rate for foreign visitors; Expotur Eco publishes COP 160,000 per person for Colombians, so if you are Colombian, say so when you request the booking. The price covers the transfer from your hotel, the boat from Neguanje, the coordinator and insurance.

How do you get to Playa Cristal?

By boat from Playa Neguanje, inside Tayrona National Park: the footpath from Neguanje to Playa Cristal is not open to visitors, according to Colombia's National Parks. By road, you enter that sector at Palangana, at km 5 of the Troncal del Caribe highway. On the tour, the boat ride takes about 15 minutes.

What does the Playa Cristal tour include?

The Playa Cristal tour includes the round-trip transfer from your hotel in Santa Marta, the boat from Playa Neguanje to Playa Cristal and back, a group coordinator, the Tayrona National Park entrance fee and travel insurance during the tour. It does not include lunch, drinks, beach chair rental or snorkel gear.

Can you snorkel at Playa Cristal?

Yes. Playa Cristal is a small bay with calm, shallow water, good for swimming and snorkeling close to shore, according to Expotur Eco. Snorkel gear is not included in the tour, so bring your own if you have it. Always respect the authorized swimming areas and the beach flags.

Are there restaurants at Playa Cristal?

Yes. According to Expotur Eco, Playa Cristal has local restaurants serving fish, coconut rice and other regional dishes, plus rental of chairs, tents and shaded areas. Lunch is not included in the tour, so bring cash in Colombian pesos for food and drinks.

Can you swim at Playa Siete Olas?

No. Playa Siete Olas is the first stop on the Playa Cristal tour and works as a viewpoint: according to Expotur Eco, swimming is not allowed there because of strong currents. It is a good spot for photos of the Tayrona coastline before the tour continues to Playa Neguanje.

Is the boat ride to Playa Cristal safe?

The boat ride to Playa Cristal lasts about 15 minutes and is organized by the tour coordinator. Wear your life jacket the whole time and respect the boat's capacity: those are the measures Colombia's National Parks asks for on boat trips in Tayrona. Keep your phone and documents in a dry bag.

Can children come on the Playa Cristal tour?

Yes. According to Expotur Eco, Playa Cristal is a calm beach with gentle waves, suitable for families; even so, keep an eye on children, especially where the boats load. Expotur Eco does not publish a minimum age and charges the per-person rate for every traveler.

How much do I pay to book the Playa Cristal tour?

7% of the total. That deposit books the Playa Cristal tour, and the rest is paid by the day before the tour at the latest, as Expotur Eco requires. Your booking is confirmed once an advisor reviews it and confirms what time you will be picked up.

What is the cancellation policy for the Playa Cristal tour?

No penalty if you cancel or change the Playa Cristal tour until 5:00 p.m. (Colombia time) on the business day before departure. After that, the penalty is 20% of the total, and there is no refund once the tour has started. If you are booking from another time zone, work out that deadline in Colombia time.

Playa Cristal Tour from Santa Marta: Boat & Snorkel

Q: How much is the entrance fee for Playa Cristal?

Playa Cristal is inside Tayrona National Park, so you pay the park entrance fee: in 2026, COP 81,000 in low season and COP 96,500 in high season for non-resident foreigners, and COP 36,500 and COP 43,000 for Colombians aged 25 or over, according to Colombia's National Parks. On the tour, the entrance fee is already included.

What you will see

A boat ride of about 15 minutes from Playa Neguanje to Playa Cristal
Snorkeling in calm, shallow water
The Playa Siete Olas viewpoint, above the park's coastline
Tayrona National Park entrance fee included
Transfer from your hotel in Santa Marta

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1
Siete Olas viewpoint, boat from Neguanje and a day at Playa Cristal
- Departure 7:30 a.m.
1. 7:30 a.m.Departure from Santa Marta a.m.
2. Playa Siete Olas viewpoint (no swimming because of strong currents)
3. Through the park to Playa Neguanje
4. Boat ride of about 15 minutes to Playa Cristal
5. Playa Cristal: swimming, rest and snorkeling in shallow water
6. Boat back to Playa Neguanje
7. 5:30 a.m.Back to Santa Marta by vehicle or bus, arriving p.m.
You leave Santa Marta around 7:30 a.m.; in high season the time may vary slightly. The first stop is Playa Siete Olas, a viewpoint over the Tayrona coast: there is no swimming there because of strong currents, but it is the stop for photos.
The route continues through the park to Playa Neguanje, where the group boards a small boat for a ride of about 15 minutes to Playa Cristal. You have the day to swim, rest and snorkel in calm, shallow water. In the afternoon the boat takes you back to Neguanje, and the vehicle or bus drives you to Santa Marta, arriving around 5:30 p.m.

Upcoming departures

Monday, October 12Back the same dayOn requestChoose
Tuesday, October 13Back the same dayOn requestChoose
Wednesday, October 14Back the same dayOn requestChoose
Thursday, October 15Back the same dayOn requestChoose
Friday, October 16Back the same dayOn requestChoose
Saturday, October 17Back the same dayOn requestChoose

On request: you pay nothing until the team confirms the date.

Dates updated on October 9 at 11:30 AM. The calendar confirms availability and the price for each day.

Closures

No departures from October 19 to November 2, 2026.

Another date, a larger group or a custom trip?

What the price includes

Included

Transport: round-trip transfer from your hotel in Santa Marta
Boat: from Playa Neguanje to Playa Cristal and back
Coordinator: group coordinator who leads the day and organizes the transport
Entrance fee: Tayrona National Park
Insurance: travel insurance for accident or illness during the tour (transfer to a medical center, care and medication)

Not included

Lunch and drinks (there are local restaurants on the beach)
Beach chair or shade rental
Snorkel gear (bring your own if you like)

Trip details

Tour code: TPCQuote it on WhatsApp or by phone.
Group: Group tour (not private)From 1 to 30 people per booking.
Effort: Easy (1 of 3)No special fitness needed.
Insurance: Included in the price
Park entrance: Included in the price

Is this tour right for you?

The Playa Cristal tour is for travelers who want a day at the sea in Tayrona National Park with little walking: the last stretch is by boat, and the day is spent on the beach, swimming or snorkeling in calm water.

According to Expotur Eco, it is a calm, family-friendly beach; if you are traveling with children, keep a close eye on them, especially where the boats load. Lunch is not included: there are local restaurants on the beach.

A group coordinator from Expotur Eco leads the day and organizes the transport and the boat.

What to bring

Original ID or passport (it is checked at the park entrance)
Cash
Comfortable, light clothes
Swimsuit
Beach towel or sarong
Sandals or water shoes
Cap or hat
Sunscreen, preferably biodegradable
Insect repellent
Sunglasses
Reusable water bottle
Snorkel gear (optional)
Waterproof camera, if you have one
Dry bag
Power bank
Bag for your trash
Any medication you take
Yellow fever vaccination card

Meeting point

Departure

Pickup at your hotel in Santa Marta around 7:30 a.m.; in high season the time may vary. Your advisor tells you the exact time when your booking is confirmed.

More about the tour

What the Playa Cristal tour is like

Playa Cristal is a small bay in Tayrona National Park, with pale sand and calm, shallow water that is good for swimming and snorkeling close to shore. It is in the sector you enter through Palangana, and you can only get there by boat: the footpath from Neguanje is not open to visitors, according to Colombia's National Parks (Parques Nacionales Naturales) in Resolution 112 of 2026 (in Spanish).

The day starts at the Playa Siete Olas viewpoint, continues through the park to Playa Neguanje and ends with a boat ride of about 15 minutes. The rest of the day is spent on the beach: there are no long hikes.

How to get to Playa Cristal from Santa Marta

The tour picks you up at your hotel in Santa Marta around 7:30 a.m. and enters the park through the Palangana sector, at km 5 of the Troncal del Caribe highway, according to the Tayrona National Park page from Colombia's National Parks (in Spanish). From Playa Neguanje, the boat covers the last stretch. You get back to Santa Marta around 5:30 p.m.

If you are continuing to La Guajira, our Santa Marta to La Guajira guide explains how to get to Riohacha.

The boat ride and snorkeling

On the boat, wear your life jacket for the whole ride and respect the boat's capacity: that is what Colombia's National Parks asks on boat trips in Tayrona. Keep your phone and documents in a dry bag.

Snorkel gear is not included: if you have your own, bring it. Swim only in authorized areas and stay out of the water wherever a red flag is flying.

Entrance fee, closures and when to go

The park entrance fee is already included. For reference, in 2026 it costs COP 81,000 in low season and COP 96,500 in high season for non-resident foreigners, and COP 36,500 and COP 43,000 for Colombians and residents aged 25 or over, according to Resolution 551 of 2025 (in Spanish).

Tayrona National Park closes every year from February 1 to 15, June 1 to 15 and October 19 to November 2, and the tour does not run on those dates. In 2026 it also closed from February 17 to March 4 because of public safety risks; as of September 25, 2026, Colombia's National Parks reported that the park remained open and tourism was running normally. In Santa Marta it barely rains from January to March, and the wettest months are September, October and November, according to IDEAM.

What to pack and park rules

ID. Bring your original ID or passport: it is checked at the park entrance.
Yellow fever. Ministry of Health Resolution 691 of 2025 requires proof of a yellow fever vaccine given at least 10 days earlier to enter natural parks in high-risk municipalities (it is the new requirement announced by Colombia's National Parks, in Spanish), and Santa Marta is listed as high risk. Bring your vaccination card.
What you can't bring in. Pets, speakers, single-use plastics, drones without a permit, liquor and hallucinogens are not allowed.
Food and money. Lunch is not included: bring cash for the beach restaurants.
Trash. Take out of the park everything you brought in.

Combine it with

To hike in the park, the Cabo San Juan tour walks past Arrecifes and La Piscina; for a day with lunch included and snorkeling from the shore, there is the Playa Gairaca tour. All three are on our Tayrona National Park tours page. For the rest of the city, read our guide to things to do in Santa Marta, and for the park, our Tayrona National Park guide.

If your trip continues to La Guajira, the 3-day Punta Gallinas tour leaves Riohacha at 8:30 a.m.

Places on the route

Tayrona National Park

Region: Santa Marta

Policies

Booking and deposit

Book with 7% of the total.

You book with 7% of the total and pay the rest by the day before the tour at the latest.

Cancellations and changes

No penalty if you cancel or change until 5:00 p.m. (Colombia time) on the business day before departure; after that, a 20% penalty on the total. No refund once the tour has started.

Confirmation

After the deposit is paid the booking is 'pending confirmation' and an advisor confirms it within 12 hours at most.