Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Colombia's Caribbean Coast: Cartagena, Santa Marta, Minca and Tayrona
8 days from Cartagena to Santa Marta: the walled city, the mangroves and Barranquilla on the coast road, two nights in the coffee hills of Minca and two nights beside Tayrona National Park.
8 days · Cartagena to Santa Marta · up to 12 guests
Taganga bay from the lookout above the village, at the start of the Tayrona coast Photo: Henrr Pomares, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taganga,_Santa_Marta,_Colombia.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Cartagena to Santa Marta
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 4 h on day 3No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
One longer walk: the Tayrona coastal trail from Cañaveral to Cabo San Juan is about 5 km each way on forest paths, boardwalk, sand and boulders, roughly 4 hours on foot in heat and humidity, with the option to turn back at La Piscina or ride a horse part of the way. In Minca (about 650 m) the walk back from the Marinka waterfalls is about 3.5 km downhill on a dirt road, or ride the 4x4. Other days are 2 to 3 hours on cobbles and city streets, at around 30°C.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 495 (estimated price)
- Season
- December to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- Sunset on Cartagena's city walls on the first evening, then Castillo San Felipe at 8 am opening, before the heat
- The walled city with a local guide, and a street-food walk through Getsemaní
- A canoe through the mangrove tunnels of La Boquilla with local fishermen, on the way out of Cartagena
- Taganga bay as the fishing boats come in, and the hacienda where Simón Bolívar died
- Two nights in the hills of Minca: a coffee farm from cherry to cup and a swim under the Marinka waterfalls
- Tayrona's coastal trail from the gate's opening, with swims at La Piscina and Cabo San Juan
- An afternoon at Palomino, where a river from the Sierra Nevada meets the Caribbean
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 495 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 4 h, on day 3.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Cartagena, sunset on the walls
Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) to your hotel in or beside the walled city
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Cartagena
- Drive about 15 min
Fly into Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG), only about 3 km from the old town, and our driver takes you to the hotel, inside or just beside the walled city.
Afternoon
Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the late-afternoon briefing; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary. Cartagena is hot and humid all year, so the middle of the day is for settling in and the pool. At about 5 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week ahead: the heat, the Tayrona walk, and what to pack for the cooler hills of Minca. Then we climb onto the stone city walls, built between the late 16th and 18th centuries against pirates and rival navies, and watch the sun go down over the Caribbean from the bastions on the sea side.
Evening
Dinner is together tonight, a welcome meal of coastal food such as fried fish, coconut rice and patacones.
Included
- Pick-up at Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Sunset walk on the city walls
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon briefing
Cartagena: San Felipe, the walled city and Getsemaní
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the walled city, then Getsemaní
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cartagena
- Drive about 18 min
We start at 8 am, at opening, at the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas on the hill of San Lázaro, the largest of the Spanish forts that guarded the port, before the heat and the cruise-ship groups arrive. Its ramps, batteries and tunnels were built against attacks by land and sea, including the British siege of 1741. Then a local guide walks us into the walled city, listed by UNESCO in 1984 with the port and its fortresses: through the Clock Tower gate, across the Plaza de los Coches, past the church of San Pedro Claver and into the Palace of the Inquisition on the Plaza de Bolívar.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down Caribbean meal in the old town. The afternoon is free for the hottest hours: the hotel pool, a nap, or the Zenú Gold Museum, which is free to enter. Around 5 pm we walk through the street art and small squares of Getsemaní, tasting arepas de huevo, fresh fruit and other street food on the way.
Included
- Castillo San Felipe de Barajas at opening
- The walled city with a local guide, including the Palace of the Inquisition
- Sit-down lunch in the old town
- Getsemaní street-art and street-food walk with tastings
Free time: Afternoon free, and the evening after the Getsemaní walk
Activity: About 3 hours on foot in the morning on ramps, steps and cobbles, at around 30°C. Bring a hat and water.
Mangroves at La Boquilla, along the coast to Santa Marta
Cartagena to La Boquilla, Barranquilla, then Santa Marta
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Santa Marta
- Drive about 4 h
We leave the hotel at 8 am, and twenty minutes later we are at La Boquilla, a fishing village on Cartagena's northern edge. Local fishermen paddle us in canoes through the mangrove tunnels of the Ciénaga de la Virgen lagoon, where herons and kingfishers work the shallows and crabs scuttle over the roots, a quiet hour before the day heats up. Then we follow the coast road north to Barranquilla, Colombia's main Caribbean port near the mouth of the Magdalena river and home of a Carnival listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal by the river on the Gran Malecón. In the afternoon we cross the Magdalena and drive between the sea and the Ciénaga Grande wetlands to Santa Marta, founded in 1525, arriving in the late afternoon. The drive is about four hours in all, broken by the canoe and lunch.
Evening
At dusk your guide walks you along the bay promenade to the whitewashed cathedral and the Parque de los Novios.
Included
- Mangrove canoe tour with local fishermen at La Boquilla
- Sit-down lunch on the Gran Malecón in Barranquilla
- Dusk walk in Santa Marta with your guide: the bay promenade, the cathedral and the Parque de los Novios
Free time: Evening free in Santa Marta
Activity: About four hours of driving in all, within our daily cap, broken by the canoe and lunch.
Taganga, Bolívar's hacienda and up to Minca
Santa Marta to Taganga, the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, then Minca
- Breakfast
- Stay in Minca
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
At 8:30 am we drive fifteen minutes over the hill to Taganga, a fishing village in a steep, dry bay where the boats come in with the morning catch. From the lookout above the bay you see the first headlands of the Tayrona coast. Back in Santa Marta, the Tairona Gold Museum in the old customs house shows the gold work of the people who built stone-terraced towns in the Sierra Nevada long before the Spanish arrived; entry is free. Late morning we visit the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, the hacienda where Simón Bolívar died in December 1830, with its house, memorial and shady gardens.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice in town. Then it is about 45 minutes up a winding road into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to Minca, a village at about 650 m, where we stay two nights. It is greener and a few degrees cooler than the coast, and the afternoon is yours for a hammock, a coffee or the birds in the garden.
Included
- Taganga bay and the lookout above it
- Tairona Gold Museum in the old customs house
- Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino with your guide
Optional experiences
- A swim at Pozo Azul, a river pool about a 45-minute walk from the village
Free time: Lunch your choice in Santa Marta; afternoon and evening free in Minca
Minca: a coffee farm and the Marinka waterfalls
Minca to a coffee farm in the hills, the Marinka waterfalls, then back to Minca on foot
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Minca
- Drive about 1 h
We leave at 8:30 am by 4x4 up the steep dirt road above Minca, through forest where coffee grows in the shade of taller trees, to a working family coffee farm. The farmers take us through the whole process: picking the ripe red cherries, pulping, fermenting and drying the beans, roasting, and finally tasting a cup brewed from the slope we are standing on. Depending on the month, you may see the harvest itself.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the hills. In the early afternoon the 4x4 drops us at the Marinka waterfalls, two falls with cold, clear pools for a swim, and from there we walk back down to Minca, about 3.5 km on a dirt road, with views towards the sea on clear days.
Evening
The rest of the afternoon and the evening are free. At dusk, listen for toucans and parrots heading to roost, and for the frogs that take over after dark.
Included
- 4x4 to the hills above Minca and down to the falls
- Coffee farm tour with tasting
- Sit-down lunch in the hills
- The Marinka waterfalls, entry included
Easier option: Ride the 4x4 back to Minca from the waterfalls instead of walking.
More active option: Optional, from the lodge: a 6:30 am walk with a local birding guide on the trails around Minca, back in time for breakfast. The group day starts at 8:30 am.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3.5 km downhill on a rough dirt road after the falls. Wear shoes with grip and bring swimwear.
Down to the coast and an afternoon at Palomino
Minca to our lodge near the Tayrona park, then Palomino and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Tayrona
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A slow breakfast, then at 9 am we drive down out of the hills and east along the Caribbean coast road to our lodge near the El Zaino entrance of Tayrona National Park, about an hour and a half, where we stay two nights. After dropping the bags we carry on about an hour east to Palomino, a village where a clear river comes down from the Sierra Nevada and meets the sea. The beach is wide and lined with palms, but the open sea here has strong currents, so the swim is in the river mouth, where the water is calm.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice at one of the simple beach restaurants, then the afternoon is for the sand, a hammock, or a slow float down the river in a tube.
Evening
We drive back to the lodge in the late afternoon, about an hour, in time to rest before dinner, your choice at the lodge or nearby. The day comes to about 170 km and three and a half hours in the vehicle, at our daily cap, in three short legs broken by lunch and the beach.
Included
- Drive from Minca to the Tayrona coast
- Afternoon at Palomino beach and the river mouth
Optional experiences
- River tubing on the Palomino river, booked locally
Free time: Afternoon on the beach at your own pace; evening free
Activity: About 3.5 hours in the vehicle in three legs of 1 to 1.5 hours, at our daily cap. Swim only in the river mouth or where your guide says; the open sea at Palomino has strong currents.
Tayrona: the coastal trail to Cabo San Juan
El Zaino gate to Cañaveral, Arrecifes, La Piscina and Cabo San Juan del Guía, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tayrona
- Drive about 18 min
We are at the El Zaino gate of Tayrona National Park when it opens, around 8 am, with our entry tickets and park insurance bought ahead, and ride the park shuttle to Cañaveral. From there the trail follows the coast through tropical forest, over boardwalks and between granite boulders, with the sea flashing through the trees. Watch for capuchin and howler monkeys overhead. After about an hour we reach Arrecifes, a long beach where swimming is not allowed because of the currents, then La Piscina, a bay sheltered by a reef where you can swim. Cabo San Juan del Guía, about 5 km from Cañaveral, has two small coves and a thatched lookout on the rocks between them.
Afternoon
Lunch is here, followed by time to swim and rest in the shade. We walk back the same way in the afternoon, or ride a horse for part of it, and are at the lodge by about 5 pm.
Evening
Tonight is our farewell dinner together.
Included
- Tayrona National Park entry and insurance, with tickets bought ahead
- The park shuttle from El Zaino to Cañaveral
- Coastal walk with your guide: Cañaveral, Arrecifes, La Piscina and Cabo San Juan del Guía
- Lunch at Cabo San Juan
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- A horse for part of the trail, paid locally
Easier option: Turn back after a swim at La Piscina, about 3.5 km from Cañaveral, and spend the afternoon at the lodge.
Free time: Time on the beach at Cabo San Juan after lunch
Activity: About 10 km on foot in all, roughly 4 hours of walking on roots, boardwalk, sand and boulders in heat and humidity. Bring a small daypack, swimwear, water, sunscreen and repellent; the main bags stay at the lodge.
A last morning on the coast, then home
Our lodge near Tayrona to Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), Santa Marta
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
The last morning is unhurried. Have a slow breakfast, a final swim or a walk along the beach near the lodge, and pack for home. Around 11 am our driver takes you west along the coast road and around Santa Marta to Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), about 50 km and an hour and a quarter away, where your guide sees you to check-in. The runway sits right beside the sea, south of the city. Flights from Santa Marta to Canada and the United States usually connect through another Colombian airport, so confirm the routing when you book, choose a flight leaving after about 2 pm and allow time for the connection.
Evening
If you would rather fly home from Cartagena, ask us when you book: the road back is about four and a half hours, so it works best with an extra night there. And if you are coming from the Colombia highlights trip, which ends in Cartagena, the two run back to back.
Included
- Drop-off at Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR), Santa Marta
Free time: Morning free at the lodge
Activity: Book a flight leaving Santa Marta after about 2 pm.
- Cartagena2 nights
- Santa Marta1 night
- Minca2 nights
- Tayrona2 nights
- Santa Martaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: December to March is the dry season on Colombia's Caribbean coast: days around 30°C, little rain and the strongest trade winds of the year, which keep the beaches breezy and the sea choppy. Minca, at about 650 m, is a few degrees cooler and can still see a shower. Capuchin and howler monkeys live in Tayrona's forest, and the Sierra Nevada above Minca is known for birds found nowhere else.
Want this plan in your inbox?
Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.
Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Colombia's Caribbean coast at a slower pace, with two nights in Minca and two by Tayrona
- Anyone finishing the Colombia highlights trip in Cartagena who wants a week on the coast
- Walkers who like a half-day trail with a swim at the end
- Coffee drinkers and birdwatchers
- Solo travellers who want a small group and the single supplement shown up front
Not for you if you want
- A resort beach holiday: the beaches are wild and currents limit where you can swim
- The Lost City trek, which takes four to five days and is not on this trip
- Step-free access: Tayrona's trail, Minca's dirt roads and Cartagena's cobbles
- Anyone who finds heat hard: the coast is around 30°C and humid
- Travellers set on the Rosario Islands, which need an extra night in Cartagena
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Cartagena2 nights
- Santa Marta1 night
- Minca2 nights
- Tayrona2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 2 in Cartagena in or beside the walled city, 1 in Santa Marta's historic centre, 2 in Minca, 2 at a lodge near the El Zaino entrance of Tayrona National Park
- Hotels and lodges of at least a 3-star-plus standard, every room with its own bathroom, named when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Cartagena airport (CTG) and drop-off at Santa Marta airport (SMR)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, along the coast from Cartagena and every day after
- Canoes through the La Boquilla mangroves
- 4x4 to the coffee farm and the Marinka waterfalls in Minca
- The Tayrona park shuttle from El Zaino to Cañaveral
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip
- Local guides in Cartagena's walled city, at La Boquilla, at the coffee farm and in Tayrona where the park requires one
Activities
- Cartagena: sunset on the city walls, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the walled city with a local guide, the Palace of the Inquisition and a Getsemaní street-food walk
- La Boquilla: a mangrove canoe tour with local fishermen
- Santa Marta: a dusk walk, Taganga bay, the Tairona Gold Museum and the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino
- Minca: a coffee farm tour with tasting and the Marinka waterfalls
- Tayrona National Park: entry, insurance and the coastal walk to Cabo San Juan del Guía
- Palomino: an afternoon on the beach and at the river mouth
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 4 lunches: in Cartagena's old town, on the Barranquilla Malecón, in the hills above Minca and at Cabo San Juan
- 2 dinners: welcome in Cartagena and farewell near Tayrona
Not included
- International flights to Cartagena and home from Santa Marta
- Visa or entry fees, if your passport needs them
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed: 5 dinners and 4 lunches (lunches on days 1, 4, 6 and 8)
- Drinks
- Tips for your guides and driver
- Optional activities, such as river tubing at Palomino or a horse on the Tayrona trail
- Vaccinations, including yellow fever if you choose to have it
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 495 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels and lodges, 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 2 dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides, and every entry in the day plan, including Castillo San Felipe, the coffee farm, the Marinka waterfalls and Tayrona National Park with its insurance.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. Several trips on this coast take up to 16, so with us everyone hears the guide in the walled city, the canoes go out together, and the group fits around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with you from the Cartagena briefing to the Santa Marta airport. Local guides join in Cartagena's walled city, at La Boquilla, at the coffee farm and in Tayrona where the park requires one, because people who live there tell the story best.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderately fit. The Tayrona walk is about 10 km return on forest paths, sand and boulders, in heat and humidity; you can turn back at La Piscina or ride a horse for part of it. The Minca waterfall walk is about 3.5 km downhill, or ride the 4x4. Other days are easy city walking.
I am travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
A room of your own costs from CAD 495 more, shown before you request to book, with no surprises later. You join the group on the same terms as everyone else, at the same tables and on the same activities. If you would rather share a room, ask us: whether we can pair you with another solo traveller is confirmed at booking.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 5,255 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, drivers and local guides.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 2,920 per person sharing a room, with taxes included; prices are indicative until we confirm your dates.
When is the best time to go?
December to March, the dry season on the Caribbean coast, with hot sunny days, little rain and steady trade winds. We avoid Tayrona's closure in early February. Christmas, New Year and Colombian holiday weekends are the busiest days in the park, which is one reason we walk in at opening.
Do I need a visa for Colombia?
Canadian, US, UK and most EU passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days. Visitors are asked to complete Colombia's online Check-MIG form before flying in. Check the current rules and any fees for your passport; we confirm what applies when you book.
What happens if Tayrona National Park is closed?
We tell you before you travel. The park closes for about two weeks several times a year at the request of the Sierra Nevada's Indigenous peoples, and we avoid those dates. If it closes at short notice, we replace the walk with a guided coastal day outside the park or move your dates.
Can I swim at the beaches?
At some of them. Many beaches on this coast have strong currents, and swimming is banned at Arrecifes in Tayrona. We swim at La Piscina and Cabo San Juan, which are sheltered, in the river mouth at Palomino, under the Marinka waterfalls and in the hotel pools. Your guide tells you where it is safe each day.
Can I combine this with the Colombia highlights trip?
Yes. Our Colombia highlights trip from Bogotá ends in Cartagena, where this one starts, so the two run back to back for 17 days. Because both visit San Felipe and the walled city, we swap that day here for a free day or a Rosario Islands boat trip when you book both.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
Book your Tour
Get in Touch
- Toll Free1-888-961-6584
- Local1-289-271-9767
© 2026 See Sight Tours. All rights reserved.