These photographs were taken during my visit to Colombia, from June 24 to July 23, 2025. for an overview of the trip, click here!
Tayrona
Tayrona National Natural Park (Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona) is one of Colombia’s most spectacular protected areas, located just 34 km from Santa Marta on the country’s northern Caribbean coast. Stretching across 150 square kilometers of land and 30 square kilometers of marine territory, the park is a dazzling blend of tropical beaches, coral reefs, rainforest, and rugged mountains that rise dramatically from the sea. This is a place of colourful coral reefs, long stretches of golden beaches and a backdrop of rainforests and high mountains.
What we did there
Many people come here, but most do it as a day trip. There a few places to stay, and they would be over-priced if it wasn’t for their amazing location, which we really enjoyed for three nights at Playa Cristal.
Day 1
The first day we went from Minca to Santa Marta by taxi, where we took a boat that brought day trippers to Playa Cristal. We walked up to our place, stayed in the shadow during the most sunny hours, enjoyed the views and finished the day by snorkelling around the beach where there were lots of great corals and beautiful fish.
Day 2
The second day we started by with more snorkelling, and then we stayed at our place relaxing until afternoon when we snorkelled a bit more.
Day 3
The third day we made a day trip guided by our hosts. We started early and though we’d be back around late lunch, but it was around nine hours until we came back. It was a long trip, but very memorable, mostly walking through dense forests.
We encountered a lively troop of cotton-headed tamarins and were captivated by the haunting calls of howler monkeys echoing through the forest. As we navigated the mangroves, vibrant yellow and blue crabs scuttled around, joined by hermit crabs and impressively large millipedes. The standout moment was spotting a majestic boa constrictor in its natural habitat. Equally fascinating were the leaf-cutter ants, meticulously harvesting leaves, transporting them to their colony, and efficiently discarding the waste—an astonishing display of natural organization.
These photographs were taken during my visit to Colombia, from June 24 to July 23, 2025. for an overview of the trip, click here!