Santa Marta and Tayrona

After spending almost all of this trip in the mountains, we decided to head for the coast for the last few weeks. Colombia borders both the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean, and has a diverse array of beach towns to choose from. Our goal was to see the Caribbean side, avoid complicated travel plans (no charter planes to islands or 6 hr bus rides), be able to swim AND hike, and hopefully, not be surrounded by hoards of tourists. No problemo booking this last minute during high travel season.

Santa Marta seemed like a good place to start. The town is on the coast with a gritty, dirty beach, and muggy overheated streets, but it is also the gateway to Tayrona National Park and the Lost City trek. Favorite Colombian islands and peninsulas didn’t seem far away. We booked a gem of a hotel to pause and regroup before setting off to a beach paradise.

Since we had an afternoon free, we visited Santa Marta’s gold museum- which was fascinating – precolombina pottery, gold and tools. Many of the golden articles were fashioned into strange animal/man creatures. Bats were prominently featured and one headdress had 5 men crouching on winged bats – likely priests on their flights to ecstasy (or at least that is what the placard said). The museum was rounded out with a little exhibit about Simon Bolivar who died in Santa Marta after leading most of South America in its fight for freedom from Spain. (pictures not allowed in museums:()

The beach paradise we sought came at a cost. Wachakyta (wa-cha-kee-ta) was nestled in Tayrona park, but the only way in was by a speed boat, jumping from wave to wave for 1 1/2 hours in the open ocean. I don’t have pictures because we were drenched coming and going and I needed all my hands and feet to keep myself in the boat. Pre board:

We were lucky to have one of only 3 cabins on the beach. The owner cautioned us that we are living in wild country and the animals were here first. Translation- “a bat lives in a niche in the ceiling and will poop everywhere and there are rats, spiders, and large cockroaches roaming around.” The bit about “living in nature” and “animal rights” must be better for business.

This all seemed like a small price to pay for a private beach, swimmable seas (rare in Tayrona), a little reef to snorkel around gorgeous sunsets and gorgeous new Dutch friends:)