Although Cartagena is often described as Colombia's tourist gem, I fell in love with in the area around Santa Marta, which is about a 5-7 hour drive east along the Caribbean coast. I stayed at The Dreamer Hostel which is more of a small resort for hostel prices. It was incredibly clean with a beautiful pool and a super tasty kitchen (the owner is Italian and the food reflects this!). The Dreamer organized day trips so that you had plenty to do while in the area, and the atmosphere was friendly but not too wild. I spent my first afternoon relaxing at the hostel after the morning drive in from Cartagena. The second day, I took a boat out to Playa Blanca, which was touristy but the water was clean and refreshing and a boat ride is always fun. It was also a local tourist beach, so I had an awesome and authentic Colombian meal on the beach.
The Dreamer Hostel - Santa Marta
El Rodadero Beach on the way to Playa Blanca
By my third day, I had met up with an American couple (Doug and Christine) and a young woman from Denver named Jaime, and we checked out the western side of Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona. The park is incredible, and it is a must visit if you spend any time in north Colombia.We took a taxi along the bumpy roads to the beach and got to see the outer neighborhoods of Santa Marta. This experience that brought me back to my days in Central America; the car swerved quickly around potholes, dodged people walking around in the streets, and avoided a stray soccer ball that flew out of reach of the players on nearby dirt fields. Anyway, eventually we ended up at Bahia Concha, one of the nicer beaches close to my hostel. The American crew and I spent the morning at the beach itself, and then went out on a boat to a cove nearby for some surprisingly amazing snorkeling for the afternoon. We saw thousands of brightly colored fish and corals, which was impressive for the proximity to the beach.
View from the boat at Bahia Concha
Bahia Concha beach
My second day in Tayrona was my favorite day of the trip. Jaime left for the Lost Trek, but Doug and Christine and I hiked into the park through the main entrance at the center of the park. The hike took about an hour through the jungle to get the first glimpse of the beach, but the wait was well worth it and that first view of the water was breathtaking. The second hour of the hike was along the most gorgeous and pristine beaches (which is closed to swimming due to currents, but this makes for better photos!). Finally we ended up at Cabo San Juan beach, which is the swimming beach. You can also camp overnight here in hammocks, and if I ever came back I would definitely plan to do this.
First beach at Tayrona
Second Beach
Peeking through the jungle to find the beach
Where does this trial lead?? To a gorgeous beach?
"Leave your footprint... not your trash"
A cerveza for a reward at the end of our hike
Just a boat in its harbor
We only did a day trip, but it was well worth it nonetheless. As you can see, it was a pretty spectacular place. This was my favorite 5 days in Colombia, and I would definitely come back to this part of the country to spend some time in Palomino (a beach that I didn't have time to visit, and home of another location of The Dreamer Hostel) as well as Minca, a small coffee town nearby that I also ran out of time for. I'd also love to some day do the Lost Trek, which is a three day hike to an ancient Mayan city. Anyway, gives me an excuse to come back some day!
My final stop in Colombia before heading home was the beautiful city of Medellin!
After leaving Santiago, I met up with Casey and Lisa (my friends I'd met in Xela) and we toured northern Guatemala together! We had a truly amazing time filled with adventure, crazy bus rides and new friends. I also met up with Kate (from Santa Cruz) in Belize and we had an incredible snorkeling adventure. Here is a glimpse of some of the highlights of my trip on my way home to the states!
Casey and I at Volcan Pacaya roasting marshmallows in a heat vent
Volcan Pacaya, an active volcano
Semuc Champey- beautiful spot
Semuc Champey limestone pools from the ridge above
