Best Hostels To Stay For Tayrona Park & Colombia’s North Coast

One of the toughest choices I made on Colombia’s Caribbean coast was where to stay to enjoy the best of Parque Tayrona. So tough that I decided to hop around hostels in three of the most popular surrounding areas looking for an answer. Tayrona Park is a protected national reserve just east of the city of Santa Marta. Popular with nature lovers, partygoers, and surfers – the area boasts swathes of jungle, idyllic rivers and breathtaking beaches. Home to indigenous and rural communities, Tayrona is evolving as a staple Caribbean escape for both Colombian and foreign tourists alike. Cabo San Juan inside Tayrona: iconic, but no accommodation apart from some tents or hammocks (javarman3/istock) Staying inside vs. around Tayrona The national park causes some confusion over accommodation. It is possible to stay inside Tayrona, but this is mainly in outdoor hammocks or cabins near the iconic Cabo San Juan del Guia beach and is usually a one- or two-night affair. If you want to stay in the area for longer (which you definitely should), a range of unique and characterful hostels sit just outside the park’s boundaries, each within easy reach of Tayrona’s entrance ways while giving you a prope...