Itineraries for 1 to 3 weeks on Colombia’s Caribbean coast
If you’re visiting Colombia, there’s no way you can skip its stretch of Caribbean coast. It’s not just pretty beaches (although they have that and then some): there are also coastal mountains, lush rainforest, ancient ruins and secluded islands to explore.
There is a lot to see, and it’s not always so clear how everything fits together or where to tackle first. Therefore, I’ve made four itineraries of varying lengths across Colombia’s Caribbean coast. I hope it’ll help you figure out where you should go and in which order.
Why visit Colombia’s Caribbean coast?
There are so many reasons to visit the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It’s so varied and there’s so much to see and do.
Firstly: let’s talk beaches. There are plenty of them on this stretch of coast. Some of them aren’t particularly great (city beaches, I’m looking at you), but there are plenty which are stunning; be it located on dreamy islands or off jungle paths.
Speaking of jungle: there are several areas with coastal rainforest. So you can add in a bit of hiking or wildlife spotting if you want. And let’s not forget ancient monuments, like Ciudad Perdida (the Lost City), or colonial cities, like Cartagena.
Plus, the weather is warm and sunny, the people are friendly, and prices aren’t too high. What more could you possibly want?
How long should you spend on Colombia’s Caribbean coast?
There are many places to visit along the Caribbean coast of Colombia, and you could easily spend a month or two seeking out off-the-beaten-track destinations in the region. Most of us, though, don’t have that amount of time – especially when there are so many other places in Colombia to explore.
One week will give you a taste of the region, with a focus on the areas around either Cartagena or Santa Marta.
Two weeks will give you time to visit both Cartagena and the Sierra Nevada, but you will have to choose between a few of the highlights.
Three weeks is enough time to see all the main highlights of the region, and is perfect if you’re not in a rush and want to see everything.
One week itinerary: Santa Marta
If you only have one week, I suggest focusing on either the area around Cartagena, or the area around the Sierra Nevada. Whilst it’s possible to visit both in a week, it takes around 5 hours by minibus to travel from Santa Marta (the main city in the Sierra Nevada region) to Cartagena, so you’ll lose a day to travelling.
I’ll present both these itineraries separately. First up: Santa Marta.
Overview
- Start Santa Marta
- Day 1: Santa Marta (1 night)
- Days 2-4: Tayrona (2 nights + 1 outside park) OR Palomino (3 nights)
- Days 5-7: Minca (3 nights)
Day 1: Santa Marta
Anyone reaching the Sierra Nevada area of the coast will begin their journey in Santa Marta, the biggest city in this region. This is where the airport is and where most inter-city buses have connections.
I didn’t rate Santa Marta. However, I’d recommend spending one night here just so you can get your bearings, especially if you’re flying internationally. If you have a morning flight, feel free to move on and add a night to your time elsewhere.
Getting there: there are numerous daily flights to Medellín and Bogota. Take a taxi from the airport to the city centre.
Days 2-4: Tayrona National Park
After a night in Santa Marta, it’s time to jump into the fun parts of the region. The first stop is Tayrona National Park.
Tayrona is super popular with tourists visiting Colombia. This coastal national park is full of lush rainforest. Hiking through the forest leads you to ‘hidden’ coves where you can sunbathe and relax, with wildlife-spotting opportunities along the way.
Many people choose to visit as a day trip, but for this itinerary I’ve added an overnight trip instead. This way, you can experience the national park when it is a bit quieter and have more time to rest between hiking.
My suggested route would be:
- Hike to Playa Brava and spend the night there
- Spend a morning on Playa Brava before hiking to Cabo San Juan or Arrecifes, spending the night in your campsite of choice
- Spend the morning on the beach before hiking out of the park in the afternoon
Due to the nature of the park, you have to carry all your belongings in with you. I’d recommend booking a place to stay outside the park for your third night. That way, you can leave your belongings with them and pack light for the hike. It also means you can have a restful evening before continuing onto your next stop.
Getting there: take the bus from Santa Marta heading towards Palomino. Ask the bus driver to drop you off at the Calabazo entrance; the journey should take 90 mins.
Read more: the complete guide to Tayrona National Park
Alternative destination: Palomino
Don’t fancy hiking? That’s fine – this stretch of Colombian coast is home to a range of beaches which make for great relaxation.
My suggestion is Palomino; it’s a fairly built up town with plenty of bars, restaurants and accommodation to suit all budgets. It has a long beach which you can chill on, has nearby rivers for tubing, and is close enough to Tayrona National Park that a day visit can be made to the park should you wish.
However, I know Palomino isn’t for everyone; I personally didn’t take to it, as the beach isn’t too impressive and it can be very busy. There are several other quieter options which are well worth exploring, like Costeño Beach or Buritaca.
Days 5-7: Minca
After a night in a guesthouse outside Tayrona National Park, it’s time to head to Minca.
Minca makes its way onto the itinerary for almost everyone travelling in the Sierra Nevada region, and for good reason. This picturesque jungle town has plenty to see and do, and, with modern restaurants and bars, it’s well set up for tourism.
Whilst visiting, you could hike to see some pretty waterfalls, go birdwatching or visit a coffee plantation. It’s also a great place to relax and do nothing, with many hostels and hotels in the area having pools or being near to the river.
I’d suggest three nights to give you enough time to do a bit of everything. However, if you’re trying to see as much as possible across the region, you could squeeze the highlights into two nights.
Getting there: from Tayrona National Park, take the bus back to Santa Marta (90 mins). From the bus station in Santa Marta, take a colectivo or taxi from Minca; the journey takes one hour.
Read more: the complete guide to visiting Minca
One week itinerary: Cartagena
An alternative itinerary would be to focus on the area surrounding Cartagena. This city is five hours’ drive from Santa Marta but feels very different. Follow this itinerary if you’re more into sightseeing and island hopping than you are jungles, hiking and sunbathing.
Overview
- Days 1-3: Cartagena (3 nights)
- Days 4-7: Rosario Islands (4 nights)
Days 1-3: Cartagena
Begin your week by flying into Cartagena, one of the biggest cities in Colombia and its tourist capital.
I had heard varied things about Cartagena before beginning. It’s very nightlife-oriented and, as there are so many street sellers, after two or three days it can be exhausting. But I was captured by the charm and joy of its old town and really enjoyed my time there.
Try walking the city’s walls, trying out the street bars after dark or visiting the nearby beaches on Playa Blanca and Playa Bomba.
Getting there: Fly into Cartagena via other Colombian cities or internationally. Or you can even arrive by boat from Panama, like we did.
Days 4-7: Rosario Islands
After Cartagena, you’ll need some chill time and to get away from the hustle and bustle.
For this, my top recommendation is the Rosario Islands. A couple of hours’ boat ride away from Cartagena, they’re rumoured to have the best beaches in the region.
Just to note, the Rosario Islands are expensive; it’s actually what put me off from visiting when I came to Colombia. If the costs on the Rosario Islands begin to add up, check out hotels on the nearby Bernardo Islands, as these are similar.
Getting there: take a speedboat from Cartagena to the Rosario Islands; the journey lasts for 45 to 60 mins.
Two week itinerary: Cartagena & Sierra Nevada
If you have two weeks in the region, you have some more time to play with. I’d suggest visiting both Cartagena and the areas around the Sierra Nevada. An itinerary might look like this:
Overview
- Start Cartagena
- Days 1-3: Cartagena (3 nights)
- Day 4: Santa Marta (1 night)
- Days 5-7: Minca (3 nights)
- Days 8-10: Palomino (3 nights)
- Days 11-13: Tayrona National Park (2 nights + 1 outside park)
- Day 14: Santa Marta (1 night)
Alternatively, you could consider visiting the Rosario Islands. If you do, I’d recommend skipping Palomino, as these destinations are most similar. Just add in a couple of days in the Rosarios after Cartagena.
I have suggested you spend one night in Santa Marta as part of the itinerary. This is to reduce stress, as the minibus between Santa Marta and Cartagena takes 5 hours, so timings can become tight if you are planning your onward travel. If you plan to get an early morning bus from Cartagena, you could probably jump on a colectivo to Minca in the afternoon – but if you want any longer in Cartagena, I would give yourself that extra night.
I’ve included more information on each destination and how to get around in the “one week itinerary” section.
Three week itinerary
Three weeks on Colombia’s Caribbean coast gives you almost enough time to do all the highlights: a bit of beach, a bit of hiking, a bit of jungle and a bit of city!
On this itinerary, I’ve added in the Ciudad Perdida trek (or Lost City, in English). As the trailhead for Ciudad Perdida, Tayrona National Park and Minca are all located within an hour or so of Santa Marta, you can change the order in which you visit them to suit your schedule. However, visits to Ciudad Perdida and Tayrona National Park involve insane amounts of hiking, so I’d suggest leaving several days between them to replenish your energy.
As there is a bit extra time on this itinerary, I have added an extra day in Cartagena. The city is best for lovers of the cosmopolitan, and for those of you who prefer nature, it can feel draining. However, there are several nice day trips you can take through the surrounding area, which would be perfect if you want to get out of the city.
Overview
- Start Cartagena
- Days 1-4: Cartagena (4 nights)
- Days 5-8: Rosario Islands (4 nights)
- Day 9: Santa Marta (1 night)
- Days 10-12: Minca (3 nights)
- Days 13-15: Ciudad Perdida trek (3 nights)
- Days 16-18: Palomino (3 nights)
- Days 19-21: Tayrona National Park (2 nights + 1 outside park)
The one and two week itineraries include information on each of the locations. However, read on for an introduction to the Ciudad Perdida trek.
Days 13-15: Ciudad Perdida trek
With some extra time to play around with, it’s worth considering taking on the trek to Ciudad Perdida. The ruins of this ancient city are perched high in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Ciudad Perdida is beautiful and well worth a visit; however, to get there, you need to hike for 1.5 days in either direction. The walk is challenging but doable, with plenty of ascents and descents.
The Ciudad Perdida trek was one of the highlights of my trip to South America, not just for seeing the ruins but also for connecting with my tour group. However, I would only recommend attempting it if you have reasonable fitness and enthusiasm to get there, as you’d waste a lot of time and energy otherwise.
Most tours begin and end at the tour agency offices in Santa Marta. However, they’ll normally drop you off at any point along the main road to Santa Marta, meaning it’s easy to get the bus to Palomino or be dropped off at a hotel near Tayrona National Park or Costeño Beach afterwards. Just make sure to plan a few rest days afterwards so you have enough time to recover from the trek.
What to do if you have more time in the region
You can see all the highlights of Colombia’s Caribbean coast in three weeks. Therefore, if you have longer, you can get off the beaten track and explore some new areas. How about heading east from Palomino, or west from Cartagena?
Here are some of my suggestions for other places to visit:
- Taganga – although the reviews of Taganga aren’t glowing, this town, near Santa Marta, is home to a variety of dive centres. If you’ve ever wanted to try scuba diving, you couldn’t find a more affordable place to learn.
- Riohacha – this city forms the gateway to La Guijara to the north-east. Think beaches, flamingos and desert landscapes.
- Galerezamba – between Santa Marta and Cartagena, take in the views over the ‘Pink Sea’. I can’t believe I missed this!
Of course, if you have longer, there is also the option to flop and relax at one of the other destinations. I would have happily spent longer in Minca, and a few days extra at the beach never hurt anyone.
Conclusion
The Caribbean coast of Colombia has a lot to offer, which fits in nicely on an itinerary lasting between one and three weeks. It’s a popular destination and has good tourist infrastructure, but there are still opportunities to get off the beaten track and explore a new side.
Of course, don’t forget to check out inland Colombia, such as Medellín, Cali and Salento. There’s just so much to see!
Have I missed anything from these itineraries? What else would you add? Let me know in the comments.
