Best travel time Tayrona National Park

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Climate, busy periods and closing dates

What is the best travel time for Tayrona National Park? What is the climate like, what are the busy periods and when is the park closed? Here you can find more information and tips.

  • Most important in your planning: check the park’s closure dates. 3 times a year Tayrona is closed so that the indigenous groups can perform spiritual rituals and the ecosystem can recover. The closure dates for 2026 are: Feb. 1 to Feb. 15, June 1 to June 15 and Oct. 19 to Nov. 2

!!Update March 5 2026: Tayrona National Park re-opened for visitors. After a closure of 5 weeks to strengthen security and environmental protection, travelers can enjoy one of the most beautiful areas on the Caribbean coast again. New surveillance measures are in place. Some areas might still have limited access while environmental restoration continues. 

⚠️ Tayrona National Park CLOSED — Travel Update (February 19, 2026)

Colombia has temporarily closed Tayrona National Park due to security concerns in the region, including road blocks and safety risks affecting visitors and staff.

Although some local Indigenous communities have indicated limited reopening, this access is not officially authorized by Colombia’s National Parks authority. Tourism operations and guided visits remain suspended until further notice, so be aware of any people offering any services for Tayrona National Park.

This is not one of the usual ecological closures, authorities say the park will remain closed until security conditions improve, and no reopening date has been confirmed yet.

👉 If you’re traveling to Colombia soon, check official updates before planning your visit.

  • Tayrona has a hot and humid climate, with an average temperature of 28 degrees Celcius/82 Fahrenheit. A humidity of 80% is quite normal in Tayrona! When we did the hike, the humidity was 79% and we noticed it! We were soaked and the humidity was hitting us hard.

  • Because of the heat and crowds, it’s best to get to the park early. Moreover, there is a limited number of visitors allowed per day and you can’t enter after noon.
  • Tayrona is very popular with Colombians and during school vacations, weekends and puentes (long weekends around Colombian holidays) can be very busy. Semana Santa (Easter week) and December/January are particularly busy. If you can, avoid these periods. If you can’t arrive as early as possible. The busiest beach is at Cabo San Juan.
  • You have the best chance of good weather outside the rainy season. The rainy season is May-June and September through November. Still, you can visit Tayrona National Park even during the rainy season. The showers are usually temporary. The downside is that the trails can be muddy in the rainy season.

  • We ourselves went to Tayrona during the rainy season (late September). During our 3-day stay near Tayrona National Park, it rained (long and hard) every afternoon from about 3-4 o’clock. That’s why we started the hike early, so we could get back to the hotel before the rain in the afternoon. Also, in 3 days the power went off 3 times in the evening. In our accommodation Kantawa Eco Spa hotel they quickly switched to a generator, so luckily we were not bothered by this.

 

Continue reading our Tayrona National Park Travel Guide for more information about beaches, camping, the best places to stay in Tayrona National Park and more. Follow the link for an article about our trip along the North coast which we made from Barranquilla to Santa Marta.

Prices Tayrona National Park

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Prices and check-in procedure Tayrona National Park

How much does an entrance ticket cost and what are the opening hours for Tayrona National Park? What are the prices for shuttle buses and mototaxis to the starting point of the trail? What do you need to bring with you? Why do I have to pay insurance and can I use debit cards at the ticket office? Here you will find answers to all your questions about visiting Tayrona National Park.

There are two main entrances where you can buy a ticket, at the Calabazo entrance and at the popular El Zaino entrance. The prices are the same.

Ticket and insurance payment (rates 2025).
Upon arrival, you must first pay the mandatory insurance of COP 7000/$1.75 (for each day you are in the park), after which you will receive a green wristband.

After this, you must go to the box office to pay the entrance fee. Prices are increased every year and depend on the season. In low season, you pay COP 77,500/$19.50. In high season* you pay COP 92,000/$23. The ticket has no time limit and you can use the ticket for several days. but not out and in, then you have to stay in park. We paid cash, but you can use debit cards at the ticket office, even though we heard from other travellers that the ATM machines don’t always work.

Honestly, we wondered at first if the mandatory insurance wasn’t nonsense. However, when we saw a first-aid post at the starting point of the hike and another one in Arrecife, we thought it was understandable that the insurance is mandatory. Good to know: there is no first- aid post on the hike from Calabazo to Playa Brava.

*High season:
June 15-July 15, December 15-January 30, long Easter weekend and puentes (extended weekends during holidays)

Copy of passport
At the entrance they ask for a copy of your passport. We wanted to show our passport on our phone, but at our hotel they told us that sometimes the staff can act difficult about it and it is better to bring a copy. We heard from other travelers that a photo on the phone was also accepted. We were not asked for proof of yellow fever vaccination. We had heard in advance that you are required to watch a movie about Tayrona. There was a movie playing about the park but nothing was said to us about it. Payment went smoothly. 

ZAINO ENTRANCE
At the ticket office you will be asked if you want transportation to the beginning of the trail. If you want, you can show the receipt to the driver and for around COP 5000 you will then be taken by shuttle bus to the beginning of the trail, the sendero Arrecifes. (cash only) The vans to and from the trailhead, run every 10 min or when full.

The path to the start of the trail is not very attractive to walk (see photo below), so we thought it was well worth taking the van.

There are also motorcycles that can take you.

There are also horses at the beginning of the trail, with which you can ride to Cabo San Juan in 1.15h. You can also ride horses on part of the trail. See entrances and hiking trails for more info.

CALABAZO ENTRANCE
For around COP20,000/$5 you can take a mototaxi for the first 3 kilometers of the trail.

Continue reading here for more information about Tayrona National park; beaches, camping, the best places to stay in Tayrona National Park, what is the best travel period, how many nights to stay and other practical information for your visit to Tayrona National Park. Are you going on a tour of Colombia’s north coast? Then read here about the roundtrip which we made from Barranquilla to Santa Marta.

Where to stay in and around Tayrona National Park

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Stay inside or outside the Tayrona National Park?

There are a lot of  accommodations in and around Tayrona national park. Whether you should stay in the park or outside, depends very much on what you want to do and what your budget is. Accommodations (and food and drink) inside the park are usually very basic and a lot more expensive than (just) outside the park, while from a hotel or hostel just outside the park you can still be in the park in 5 minutes.

Check here our tips For where to stay in Tayrona National Park: the best hotels and hostels in and near Tayrona National Park. Would you rather camp in the park ? Then continue reading here for information about the best campsites in Tayrona National Park.

Tips for booking your hotel or hostel

Check here our tips on where to stay in Tayrona National Park

Tip #1
Do you have the time and want to do several hikes in the park?
Then spend 1 or 2 nights in a hotel inside the park. You’ll experience the park without the crowds of many day-trippers, and you can head out early in the morning for a hike. Overnight stays in the park range from budget options like hammocks or tents to luxury ecohabs. There are also several mid-range hotels.
We recommend choosing a hotel or campsite that is not too close to the main entrance at El Zaino, where it tends to be busier, noisier, and further from the beaches.
Tip: Cabañas Tequendama Playa Arrecifes Parque Tayrona is centrally located in the park and closer to the beaches.

Tip #2
Do you want to stay in an adventurous location, far away from most tourists?
Then Ecolodge Playa Brava Teyumakke (Calabazo) is probably more your thing.

Tip #3
Do you want to relax after your hike in a comfortable hotel with a pool and/or spa facilities?
Then book one of the hostels or hotels just outside the park, such as Kantawa Eco Spa Hotel. This hotel is located in Calabazo, about a 15-minute taxi ride from the El Zaino entrance. We loved enjoying the pool with hydromassages, the jacuzzi, sauna, and Turkish steam bath after our hike in the park.
Another great option is the Senda Koguiwa Hotel, located right across from the El Zaino entrance.

Tip #4
If you prefer staying a bit farther away at the beach, there are several options within 10–25 minutes’ drive from Tayrona.
In Los Naranjos, Costeño Beach, and Taganga, you’ll find various beachside hotels within 10–25 minutes of the park.
Just outside Tayrona in Los Naranjos, you’ll find a number of mainly luxury accommodations. Costeño Beach is a bit further and is a popular beach among backpackers, with many affordable hostels and cabañas.
Taganga is located about 5 km from Tayrona National Park and offers many budget-friendly hostels. You could stay here and take the boat to Cabo San Juan del Guía, if weather and sea conditions allow it.

Tip #5
Keep reading for even more tips for hotels and hostels inside and outside the park.
Would you rather sleep in a hammock or tent? Check our tips here

 

Hotels in Tayrona National Park

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More hotels and hostels in Tayrona National Park

Hotels near Zaino entrance

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More hotels and hostels near Zaino entrance

Hotels near Zalabazo entrance

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More hotels near Calabazo entrance

Beachfront hotels

Los Naranjos

 

Costeño Beach

 

Tatanga

More beachfront hotels

Practical information about Tayrona National Park

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Here you will find essential and practical information for your trip to Tayrona National Park. What about food and drink? Can you withdraw cash at an ATM? Is there wifi? Are there any mandatory vaccinations and what should I bring with me to Tayrona National Park? Can I do the hike with my small children? You can find all this info and more here.

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Alcohol
You are not allowed to bring alcohol into the park. It is for sale in restaurants, though. Your bag may be checked at the entrance
Packing List

We recommend that you bring as little as possible. Leave your large backpack at the hostel and only bring a small backpack if you are going to spend the night in the park. We saw backpackers hiking with big backpacks and they looked pretty exhausted. With the high humidity, you want to carry as little as possible anyway.

Bring:

  • Enough water and possibly a snack for the first part of the trail, from El Zaino to Arrecifes. At Arrecifes you can buy more water and also have lunch at the restaurant. Along the way (near Arrecifes) there are also vendors of coco frio (coconut water) and ice creams. Tip: Between Cabo San Juan and Playa Brava there are no vendors, so make sure you have plenty of water for that part of the hike.
  • Anti mosquito spray
  • Sunscreen
  • Cap/hat
  • Good hiking shoes, it can be slippery on the rocks
  • Airy clothing
  • Raincoat or poncho in rainy season
  • Towel
  • Cash money, ATM is not always working
  • Change for ice cream etc.
  • Copy of passport
  • Proof of Yellow fever vaccination (FYI: we brought it, but were not asked to show it)
  • Flashlight if you stay overnight
  • Locks for lockers if you stay overnight at camp sites
Food and drink

Near Arrecifes, there are vendors selling ice creams and coco frio (coconut water). At Arrecifes, Cabo San Juan and Playa Brava you can buy more water and eat at the restaurant. A little past Playa Arrecifes is a bakery (Bera) where you can also buy chocolate caliente. Between Cabo San Juan and Playa Brava, there are no vendors. Food and drink in the park is expensive by Colombian standards. Expect to pay around COP20,000-50,000 for lunch/dinner and COP 7,500-10,000 for breakfast. For a 1.5-liter bottle of water you pay about COP8,000 and for a beer about COP7,000

Yellow fever vaccination

A yellow fever vaccination is not mandatory, but is recommended for Tayrona. Officially, you have to be able to show your vaccination booklet at the entrance, but we and other travellers we talked to, were not asked for it. Here you can read more about vaccinations and medical care in Colombia.

Malaria tablets

We did not take malaria tablets. Many travelers take an emergency supply of malaria tablets with them so that they can take it at the time of symptoms and not have to take them unnecessarily when there are no symptoms. Here you can read more about malaria tablets and medical care in Colombia.

Going to Tayrona with small children?

We were not travelling with children ourselves, but we were talking to a family with 2 small children ages 3 and 4. They had stayed overnight outside the park and did the hike from Zaino to Cabo San Juan del Guía. They gave us the following feedback about the hike with the kids:
– It is a tough hike with the kids, due to the hot weather and high humidity
– The hotel with pool was wonderful for the kids after this hike!”

ATM machine?

There is no ATM machine to withdrauw cash inside Tayrona National Park. You can pay your entrance ticket with your debit card at the entrances, but we were told by other travellers that the ATM machine does not always work. Therefore, it is convenient to bring cash. Also, payment for the shuttle bus, bottled water, ice creams, soft drinks etc is cash, so we recommend bringing plenty of cash.

Wifi

In Tayrona National Park there is only wifi (limited) at campsites in Tayrona National Park. In case there is wifi, it is often only in the common areas. At the hotels, there is usually a better internet connection.

How to get to Tayrona National Park

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How to get to Tayrona National Park, Santa Marta?

Here you can read about the different modes of transportation to Tayrona National Park.

Most visitors of Tayrona National Park, travel from Santa Marta, which is 35 km away. This is also where the nearest airport is located. There are flights to Santa Marta from Bogotá (1.35min) and Medellín (1.15 min). If you fly to Cartagena or Barranquilla, you can catch a bus or colectivo to Santa Marta and there you can take the bus to Tayrona. You can also get to Tayrona National Park from Palomino.

If you’d rather not visit the park on your own, you can check out options for a guided tour to Tayrona National Park.

Transportation by bus

From Santa Marta
Buses depart every 30 minutes from the Mercado Público, at the corner of Calle 11 and Carrera 11. Tayrona National Park has two entrances, the main entrance El Zaino (the most used entrance) and the Calabazo entrance, which is 10 minutes before the Zaino entrance. Take the bus toward Palomino and tell the driver at which entrance you want to be dropped off, The trip takes over an hour and costs about COP10,000 /$2.50.

From Palomino
The ride takes around about an hour and costs about COP8000/$2

From Cartagena, Barranquilla or Minca
Coming from these destinations, you must first go to Santa Marta and catch the bus there. Tickets for Cartagena-Santa Marta cost around COP45,000/$11, Barranquilla-Santa Marta COP26,000/$6.50 , Minca-Santa Marta COP9000/$2.25 (colectivo).

 

Private transport

If you want to travel comfortably and/or save time, you can arrange private transportation, that drops you at your hotel near Tayrona. Stopping along the way to withdraw money at an ATM or running an errand is usually no problem. A private transfer from Santa Marta costs around 150$ (up to 6 people) and a private transfer from Cartagena costs about 200$ with 2 people. For private transport from Barranquilla to your hotel near Tayrona, you should count on a minimum of COP 420,000/$105 for 2 people.

By car

If you come to Tayrona National Park by car, you can go to the main entrance (Zaino). You can drive to Cañaveral and park the car there. Parking costs COP20.000 per day for cars and COP14.500 for motor bikes (rates 2025).

There is another entrance you can go to by car, which is the Palangana (Neguanje) entrance. This is the first entrance from Santa Marta, about a 20-minute drive. From here you do not have access to beaches like Playa Arrecife and Cabo San Juan, but you can go to Playa Neguanje and take a boat to the beautiful beach Playa Cristal. There are no hotels or camping spots here so you have to leave the park the same day.

By boat

The popular Cabo San Juan beach del Guía can be reached by a boat trip from Tatanga. The boat leaves around 9:30am, or when the boat is full. The boat returns at 4 p.m. The trip takes about an hour. Agree clearly where the captain will pick you up for the return trip. The ride can be very rough and is not recommended for everyone. Price indication is around COP80,000 /20$ one way. From December to the end of March, the sea is extra rough and the boat trip can even be dangerous and take over 2 hours instead of 1 hour. Therefore, check the forecast for wind and waves before you decide to book the boat trip.

Continue reading here for more information about Tayrona National park; beaches and hikes, staying in the nicest hostels and hotels in Tayrona National Park, what is the best travel period, how much does an entrance ticket cost and other practical information for your visit to Tayrona National Park. Are you going to take a tour of Colombia’s north coast? Then read here about the trip we made from Barranquilla to Santa Marta.

Kantawa eco spa hotel Tayrona National Park

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Hotel tip Kantawa Eco Spa hotel - Tayrona National Park

Are you going to Tayrona National Park and would like to enjoy the wellness facilities of an eco spa hotel after an intense hike in the park? Then Kantawa Eco Spa Hotel is highly recommended. Here you can enjoy the swimming pool with hydromassage showers and sun beds, jacuzzi, massages, sauna and Turkish bath.

Kantawa Eco Spa Hotel is located in Calabazo, a 5-minute drive from the Calabazo entrance to Tayrona National Park and a 10-minute drive from the main entrance (Zaino) to Tayrona National Park.

Upon arrival at Kantawa Eco Spa Hotel, staff member César gave us a tour of the property so we immediately knew where to find all the spa facilities. When we visited the hotel in September 2023, the hotel was constructing an additional spa area with heated pool.

At this beautiful place you will completely relax. The hotel has a beautiful garden, where you can see all kinds of birds and butterflies. During a walk in the grounds we also saw a cute squirrel. By the river you can chill in the giant hammock.

The wellness facilities
Near the river is a special room where you can have a massage (which my travel companion can warmly recommend), while you relax with the sound of the river.

The ultimate chill place for us was the jacuzzi, which you have to reserve. After  you made your reservation, the jacuzzi is prepared and brought to temperature especially for you. Bathing in all the foam, overlooking the nature, was the ultimate experience for us at Kantawa eco spa hotel.

The same protocol is followed for the sauna and Turkish bath: an hour in advance you indicate that you want to use it and the sauna and Turkish bath are prepared for you. What we noticed was that the wellness facilities were well maintained and very clean. The use of the wellness facilities was included in the price, only for the massage we had to pay extra.

Rooms
We had booked a double room. The room was basic, but had a refrigerator, air-conditioning and wifi. There were nice bathrobes waiting for us.

In front of our room was a common terrace.

There are several options. These include a room with a private jacuzzi and this freestanding cabaña by the river.

Restaurant
The restaurant provides breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is not a restaurant where you can just sit down for lunch and dinner. The friendly staff comes and asks what you want to eat and what time and then they make sure it is ready when you come.

Breakfast includes fresh fruit, coffee or hot chocolate, orange juice and eggs of your choice.

On our last day, we were asked if we wanted to try the specialty of the Caribbean coast, and yess…we wanted to! We got a nice crispy arepa con huevo with suero, a kind of sour cream.

WhatsApp service
The service of Kantawa Eco Spa Hotel was excellent. For example, through the convenient app service, we could ask for the jacuzzi to be prepared. We could also ask for other things, such as extra towels. When my travel companion was not feeling well, we could even place an order for medicine. Normally the droguerias have a delivery service, but they did not deliver at the hotel. Therefore, someone went to pick up the medicine for us! This service was very affordable and cost COP20,000/$5. When I realized after leaving the hotel that I had left my bikini on the terrace, César even arranged for the bikini to be delivered to our hotel in Santa Marta. Again, we paid only COP20,000 for this!


During our stay (in the rainy season), there were heavy rainstorms from about 3 in the afternoon, with thunderstorms. This also caused the power to go out a few times, but fortunately Kantawa Eco Spa hotel has a generator, which was quickly switched on. As a result, we still had electricity and wifi!

#ColombiaMyWay Tips

Tip #1
Check this link for more information and the different room options at Kantawa Eco Spa hotel.

Tip #2
Transportation to Tayrona National Park
You can catch the buses from Santa Marta which are on their way to Tayrona National park, or you can ask your hotel to call a taxi for you. A taxi to the main Zaino entrance cost us COP30,000/$7.50. Coincidentally, our taxi driver lived next to the park and when we went for a drink at the restaurant after our hike, he was sitting here as well and took us back to the hotel.

Tip #3
How to get to Kantawa Eco Spa Hotel?
The hotel is about a 50-minute bus ride from St Marta (COP10,000/$2.50) Calabazo is a 10-minute drive before Zaino, where most travelers go. If you travel by bus, ask the driver explicitly to drop you off earlier than Zaino, otherwise he will drive past the Kantawa Eco Spa Hotel. We were coming from Barranquilla and had arranged private transportation. This was not cheap: the ride cost COP420,000/$110 for the two of us, but this was worth it to us. It was a very comfortable ride and in about 2 hours we were at the hotel.


Check out our Tayrona travel guide here, with information and helpful tips for visiting the park. Check out more information about the trip along the north coast of Colombia, with information on Minca, Santa Marta and Barranquilla.

 

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