Two days in Santa Marta, Colombia — Love Fashion Travel

After flying from the States to Panama City to Medellin to Santa Marta, we had finally arrived to our first stop in our five day, short - very very short - vacation. From the moment I stepped out of the airport, I was in love with the weather. Warm, welcoming warm, and unlike Cartagena - not humid at all! 24 hours of no sleep, yet I was wide awake. The magic of Santa Marta had already kicked in.

Day 1 (Rodadero Beach):
The drive from the airport to the Airbnb located in El Centro Historico was approximately 30 minutes. First stop after checking in to the Airbnb - the beach!! The closest beach was Rodadero beach. Be warned that it is very commercialized and full of hustlers trying to sell souvenirs, massages, food, you name it. Don’t fall for it. Before ordering food or drinks, confirm the price. Do not order if a price is not quoted! Pay in cash. Rodadero Beach is crowded but if on a time crunch, it’s not too bad. For a tent, be prepared to shell out approximately 30-40,000 pesos. DO NOT PAY in USD, exchange to pesos at the airport or in the States before heading over. If you pay in USD, you’ll end up paying much more.

After Rodadero Beach, walk up a steep hill to Burukuka to catch the sunset and enjoy delicious drinks and appetizers. If you’re staying at a hotel or Airbnb, reach out to your front desk / host to see if they can make reservations on your behalf. The outdoor seating gets booked pretty quickly and you definitely want to be seated outside.

Day 2 (Tayrona Park):
Wake up bright and early to head out to Tayrona Park by 7am. Otherwise, it WILL get too busy to be able to leisurely hike through the park. Have a hearty protein filled breakfast and hydrate well.

Some things to bring to the park:

Colombian Pesos
Copy of your passport and vaccination record
At least two bottles of water per person
Snacks
Bug spray
Sun screen
Beach Towel (beaches do not have umbrellas or chairs. Shade will be hard to find)
Hand sanitizer
Sneakers with traction as some areas can be a bit slippery

Tips for visiting the park:

Arrive as early as they open or the lines to just get your ticket will be long
Take the shared van service from the entrance which takes you appx 2 miles into the park saving 20 minutes of walking. You’ll be doing plenty of walking all day!
If you plan on swimming at the beach, wear your beach gear under your hiking clothes
Park does not have bars with liquor or wine but you can purchase beer at La Piscina and Cabo San Juan.
La Piscina and Cabo San Juan do have snacks/restaurants if you do not want to bring your own
Enter from the Zaino Entrance since that’s where you’ll see more beaches as opposed to entering from the Calabazo entrance.

If you’re not a hiker, don’t worry. The hike is fairly simple but you will be walking up/down steep steps, crossing over bodies of water while stepping on sand bags, climbing up/down small boulders. Nevertheless, it’s a hike even a beginner can do!

Beaches to visit within the park:

The first two or three bodies of water you will come across are not safe to swim. Signs warn patrons of this, do not try to disobey. The waves are too strong, even for the most experienced swimmers. However, stop and enjoy the sounds of the waves and the views. Perfect photo ops or a snack break.

Our first swimable beach stop was La Piscina which is about 20 minutes before Cabo San Juan. We were on a mission to reach Cabo San Juan so the stop was quick just to check out the views, and return after spending some time at Cabo. Unfortunately, Cabo San Juan did not live up to our expectations. The water was extremely rough with one side blocked off from entering the water. It was crowded, with barely any space to even sit. Take a quick dip though. It’s worth it after a 2 hour hike! Rewarding, actually. Within 30 minutes, we made our way back to La Piscina where we ended up spending about an hour to two hours before making the hike back to the shared van area. Work in an extra 20-30 minutes when timing your return hike. It was more challenging because of the upward climb and the fact that the body is already tired and sore by then.

Where to Eat:

Burukuka:
- Happy Hour/early dinner spot
- Gorgeous sunset
- Food recommendations: sushi, croquettes, batatas, octopus, pina colada, mojitos
Ouzo:
- Dinner spot
- Food recommendations: braised beef, fig &goat cheese pizza, eggplant croquette, octopus salad, mussels, paella, gyro beef & chicken
- For dessert: panacotta with mango and lemon / chocolate mouse with cream
Lulo:
- Brunch spot
- Food recommendations: Arepas with eggs, mojitos, espresso, fresh juice