This trip was a mix of repeats and new experiences. One of the destinations that would be new this time would be Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park. Tayrona covers a sizable chunk of Colombia’s Caribbean coast north of Santa Marta toward the Venezuelan border. It is important to the indigenous people of the area, and for several weeks each year, it is closed to the public for the local people to observe their cultural traditions unbothered.
We arrived in Santa Marta and made our way to our hotel. Lodging here is quite affordable, so I booked us two rooftop suites with private swimming pools. It’s so hot in this part of the country that swimming almost becomes critical to prevent exhaustion.
We went to the main town square for dinner. While the food was good, the square is hectic, full of street performers and other people trying to get you to part with your money. I could tolerate it for one or two nights, but this was overwhelming otherwise and not an experience I would want to repeat multiple times since I am not 23 years old any longer.
I arranged to take a sailboat to the park from Santa Marta. The other option involves small boats like we took last time in Isla Fuerte and that was not an experience Anna-Sophia or I wanted to repeat. So we boarded a very nice sailboat and headed out to sea. Two-thirds of the way there, we recalled that none of us love the ocean. It was rough. But we did eventually all make it there!
We spent 3 hours on a gorgeous beach, enjoying the clear, warm water. Ali sat in the sun while the other 3 travelers enjoyed the shade (where the locals set up our chairs, perhaps anticipating that the near-equatorial sun wouldn’t be kind to our fair skin).
Tayrona is really different than other beaches I have been to before – the mountains seem to rise almost directly behind the sand. No dunes or gentle sloping here!
The ride back was a bit better – less of the boat feeling like it was jumping out of the water and crashing back down – but there was still a lot of rolling. Enough to convince me that I’ve had all of the sailboat experiences I need in this life. 🙂 Also, the boat had to navigate through some pretty rocky water, which makes this non-swimmer a bit nervous.
Another dinner in the crazy town square and then early to bed. With so many early mornings and hot days, we seem to be settling into an early rhythm. There’s no shame in bedtime before 10pm!
Vacation Days 