Wednesday, July 6, 2022
I got breakfast at Journey Hostel because it was free. The breakfast is decent, but there’s also more filling options for purchase. Then I had them do my laundry.
I got the tacos al pastor for lunch which I found disappointing, and the communal dinner was burgers which were alright. Otherwise I just relaxed and chatted with some people in the hostel by the pool. I don’t want to risk hurting my back because I am excited for the hike I have planned tomorrow.
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Today I am planning to hike into Tayrona Park and stay overnight. I didn’t find anyone to hike with, so I’m going alone but it’s supposed to be really touristy so I think it will be safe. If it’s not I’ll have to turn around. I think my friend from Mexico will meet me there though, so I won’t be completely alone.
I stored my bags in the hostel and then ate the hostel breakfast. Then I walked to the entrance of the park, arriving at 8 am. I reserved a hammock for 40k pesos, bought insurance for 5k pesos/day, and bought my ticket for 70k pesos. After entering, I opted to take the bus (as most do) to the trailhead for 5k pesos. All in all this is definitely not a cheap experience, but you could make a bit better use of your money by staying multiple days.
The bus takes you to the start of the trail, where you can also rent a horse and use the bathroom. I chose to hike the pedestrian route. You first hike through the forest toward the beaches. This part is mostly paved with wooden planks, so it’s very clearly marked. There’s so many people on the trail at the same time that you kind of need to keep up a quick pace with them so you don’t block everyone’s way. Once you emerge on the beaches you will pass Playa Arrecifes, Playa La Piscina, and finally you will reach Cabo San Juan. You can’t even go on Playa Arrecifes because of the tides, but you can swim in La Piscina (hence the name). I met some Dutch girls on this portion of the hike, and we relaxed on the beach for a bit before the final leg of the hike.
Cabo San Juan is the most beautiful beach in the park and the one where most people camp. There are bathrooms and showers, as well as a restaurant, hammocks, and tents. There’s also stands with food and drinks. I opted to buy two sandwiches from one of the stands for 12k pesos each. Then I went back to get my hammock number, and met up with my friend from Mexico and some other people he was with. There’s not really service in the park so we kind of just bumped into one another.
We rotated between swimming, relaxing, and playing cards for the afternoon. Then we got dinner at the restaurant and went to bed.
My recommendation is to bring at least some of your own food because it is expensive and not great quality. However, it’s also difficult to find good food nearby which is why I didn’t. Otherwise, just make sure to reserve your hammock before coming because they will all be taken by the time you get here. There’s special hammocks in a hut with amazing views which are more expensive and harder to reserve. This would have been a really cool experience, but knowing how cold I get at night I opted for the normal hammocks, which were a more comfortable sleeping temperature for me. Also if it wasn’t clear, bring enough cash to cover food and drinks. The hike takes about 2-3 hours each way if you take the bus.
Friday, July 8, 2022
I got up early and hiked directly out on the pedestrian route. I wanted to get out of the park before the sun was too high and before it was too hot. You can buy drinks and arepas on the way.
When I got back to Journey Hostel, I got my bags and ate lunch, which was a hassle because I didn’t have exact cash and I had already closed my tab. It was the middle of the day and incredibly hot, but I still started out on my way to my next stop: Costeño Beach.
The bus was only 3k pesos since it’s pretty close to Journey Hostel. Then you can either walk 30 minutes or take a mototaxi. I walked, but I would recommend just opting for the taxi (especially with bags). This hostel is really nice, and it lives up to the expectations I have from what all the other backpackers have told me. I wish there were a bit more options for food, but you can easily make do for a few days. There’s also several other hostels nearby which aren’t as nice to stay in, but are easier to get a room at and have different menus (you don’t have to be staying there to eat there). If you’re backpacking this area you will quickly realize that the best hostels book up far in advance. As a solo traveler, you can pretty much always find a room due to last minute cancellations (look near the free cancellation deadline), but it can be time consuming. Take that into account when planning your trip.
Lots of people were going to a festival at the Viajero Hostel nearby but I’m tired and don’t feel like getting stuck there waiting for someone to ride back with me, so I opt out of that. There was still a party at the hostel but it wasn’t that great since everyone was at Viajero, so I ended up just going to bed. I found it a bit difficult to make friends here so far, so hopefully that changes, but I am mainly here to let my back rest so that’s also fine.
Check Out My Guide to Tayrona Park ⧉
My Google Maps Guides have all the important locations I mention in my blogs, and you can open them right in Google Maps to make it easy to plan your own trip!