A Conversation with Yolanda: Life Inside Tayrona from a Santa Marta Native
Yolanda Restrepo has been guiding visitors through Tayrona National Park for eleven years. She grew up in Taganga, the fishing village 20 minutes from Santa Marta that serves as a gateway to the park's beaches and dive sites. She's watched Tayrona go from a locals' weekend escape to one of Colombia's most visited national parks.
We talked over a fish lunch at a plastic-table restaurant in Taganga, with fishing boats bobbing in the bay behind her.
On Growing Up Near the Park
What was Tayrona like when you were a kid?
Empty. Seriously. My family would take a boat from Taganga to the beaches near Cabo San Juan and we'd be the only people there. No hammock camps, no restaurants, no entrance fee. Just jungle and beach and the sound of howler monkeys.
I remember the first time I saw a foreign tourist at Cabo San Juan — I must have been ten. A German couple with enormous backpacks. They looked lost. My mother gave them directions in Spanish, which they didn't speak, using hand gestures. That was maybe 2004.
Now the park gets thousands of visitors per day in high season. The hammock camp at Cabo San Juan has a waiting list. There's a restaurant that charges 30,000 pesos for a plate of rice and fish that my mother would serve for 8,000.
Her Favorite Spots
Where do you take visitors that most tourists miss?
Pueblito. Always Pueblito. It's a 2-hour hike uphill from Cabo San Juan through dense jungle to pre-Columbian terraced ruins — an ancient Tayrona settlement called Chairama. Stone terraces, circular foundations, all surrounded by jungle. Far fewer visitors than the beaches. Free with your park entry.
Most people come to Tayrona for the beaches and never walk past Cabo San Juan. Pueblito is harder to reach — the trail is steep, hot, muddy — but it's where you feel the history. This wasn't just a beach. People built civilizations here.
And your favorite beach?
La Piscina. It's between Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan — a sheltered natural pool formed by a ring of rocks that calms the waves. One of the few beaches in the park where swimming is actually safe. You can snorkel right off the rocks and see fish. No facilities, no vendors, just water and coral.
Playa Cristal is also extraordinary but you need a boat from Taganga to get there. The water is the clearest in the park — perfect snorkeling. Boat ride is 30,000-50,000 COP roundtrip ($8-13).
On Safety
What's the most important safety advice?
The ocean. People die in this park. Not from crime, not from animals — from the water. Arrecifes Beach is beautiful and it kills people. Literally. The currents are invisible and incredibly strong. Swimming there is prohibited and signs say so in three languages. Every year, tourists who think they know better ignore the signs.
Swim only at La Piscina and the right side of Cabo San Juan. Playa Cristal is safe because it's sheltered. Everywhere else, assume the ocean is trying to kill you. I say this to every group I guide. Some of them laugh. I don't.
What about the hike itself?
The trail from El Zaino to Cabo San Juan is 6km and takes about 2 hours. It's not technically difficult, but it's hot — 30°C, high humidity — and there's no shade for some stretches. I've seen people faint from dehydration because they brought one small water bottle.
Bring 3 liters minimum. A headlamp in case you're returning after dark. Insect repellent — the mosquitoes at dawn and dusk are aggressive. And proper shoes. Not flip-flops. Not sandals. Trail shoes or sturdy walking sandals with straps.
On the Indigenous Community
Tell me about the Kogi people and the park.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is sacred to the Kogi, Arhuaco, Wiwa, and Kankuamo peoples. They've lived here for over a thousand years. The annual park closure — 2-4 weeks, usually in February — is partly for ecological restoration and partly for indigenous spiritual ceremonies.
Visitors need to understand that this land has meaning beyond being a pretty beach. Don't photograph indigenous people without asking. Don't take stones, shells, or plants. Stay on marked trails. The Kogi call themselves the "Elder Brothers" and see themselves as guardians of the earth. They've done a better job protecting this ecosystem than any government program.
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Practical Advice
How should visitors plan their trip?
Base yourself in Santa Marta. It's 34km from the park entrance with cheap hostels and good restaurants. Colectivos to El Zaino gate leave every 15 minutes from the market area (8,000 COP / $2, about 1 hour).
For one day: arrive early, hike to La Piscina and Cabo San Juan, swim, hike back. Leave by 3PM to catch the last colectivo.
For overnight: hike to Cabo San Juan, rent a hammock (40,000-60,000 COP) or tent (60,000-80,000 COP). Pack your own food and water from Santa Marta — the on-site restaurant is overpriced and limited. Two nights gives you time for the Pueblito hike.
Park entry: 62,000 COP (~$16) for foreigners plus 8,000 COP insurance.
What should visitors not do?
Don't come with a giant suitcase. You're hiking through jungle. Pack light in a proper backpack.
Don't rely on finding food inside the park. Bring snacks, water, and backup meals.
Don't swim at Arrecifes. I can't say this enough.
Don't leave trash. If you carry it in, carry it out. The park doesn't have adequate waste management for the number of visitors it receives.
And don't think of Tayrona as just a beach trip. The jungle trails, the wildlife — howler monkeys, blue morpho butterflies, toucans, cotton-top tamarins — and the archaeological sites are what make this place extraordinary. The beaches are the bonus.
Anything else?
Check that the park is open before you travel. It closes for 2-4 weeks each year for restoration, and the dates change annually. There's nothing worse than arriving in Santa Marta and finding out Tayrona is closed.
And learn one word of Spanish: "gracias." The people who work in this park — the ticket sellers, the trail guides, the hammock camp staff — they're mostly locals from the surrounding villages. A thank you goes further than you think. And if Colombia's Caribbean coast captivates you, Cartagena is the natural next stop — a walled colonial city with incredible food.
