The Best Tayrona Boat Tour from Santa Marta in 2025
Tayrona National Park, nestled on the northern coast of Colombia near Santa Marta, is a stunning natural paradise that I had the pleasure of exploring earlier this year on a Tayrona boat tour from Santa Marta.
Known for its breathtaking beaches, lush rainforest, and diverse wildlife, the park is a must-visit for anyone looking to immerse themselves in Colombia’s natural beauty. Although there are many things to do in Tayrona—hiking, wildlife watching, horseback riding, etc.—one of the best ways to see this national park (in a short amount of time) is by booking a Tayrona boat tour.
This boat tour to Tayrona National Park turned out to be one of our favorite days in the entire three weeks we visited Colombia. The sailboat was large, luxurious, and easily conquered the large waves around the park. Luis and his team were wonderful—giving us interesting tidbits about the park while they made sure everyone was comfortable and enjoying themselves on the tour.
If you only have a few days in the area and you’re looking for the best way to experience the beauty of Tayrona—this is the adventure for you.
The Best Tayrona Boat Tour from Santa Marta
If you’re sold on the idea of a Tayrona National Park boat tour, let me first say—you won’t regret it. If you love sun, sand, and the feel of the sea air on your face (plus an opportunity to drink on a beautiful beach surrounded by lush nature), then Luis’ sailboat tour might go down as one of your favorite travel memories to date.
In this section, I’ll break down the cost, highlight what’s included (and what’s not), and give you a sneak peek into how our day unfolded on this incredible journey. Get ready for an unforgettable day spent in one of Colombia’s most beautiful national parks!
👉🏼 Book your Tayrona National Park tour with Luis and his team here!
Price
As of July 2024 (when this post was written), the tour costs $67 per person—a steal considering what’s included during the trip. Since the experience is bookable on Viator, you can rest easy knowing you can cancel 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
What’s included?
- A day trip to Tayrona National Park, specifically Bahia Concha, on a 17-meter (56-foot) sailboat (pictured below) with bilingual guides
- Snacks: chips, fruit, water, soft drinks
- Lunch: choice of grilled fish, rice, and salad or a ham and cheese wrap
- Passenger insurance
- Use of snorkeling equipment and paddle boards
- Marina entrance fee
NOT INCLUDED
- Alcoholic beverages: sold onboard for a reasonable price
The Tour: What to Expect?
As someone who has personally booked (and paid for—this is not a sponsored post!) this Tayrona Park tour in the last couple of months, I’m going to run through my experience hour-by-hour so you know exactly what to expect when booking this tour.
The tour has a maximum capacity of 25 travelers, so you never have to worry about crowds. Even though there were other boats docked at Bahia Concha, they were few and far between—so we never felt crowded or wary leaving our belongings on the beach.
👉🏼 Book your Tayrona National Park sailboat tour here!
The Beginning: Check-in and Sailing to Tayrona
One of the best things about this Tayrona boat tour is that check-in isn’t until 10:30 AM—so there’s no need to restrict your Santa Marta partying the night before 😉. On the day of your tour, meet the group at the Marina Santa Marta for check-in and boarding. The night before, the tour will email you a QR code to present at the marina (note: the Viator code won’t work, just this one). If you’re still unsure of where to go, just ask around for the Artivela Sailboat and they’ll direct you to the right area.
Once the boat departs Santa Marta, it’s time to sit back (or “sip” back) and relax! The boat trip to Tayrona will take about an hour and a half (although I remember it taking less time), and all you need to do is lather up the sunscreen (reef-safe, remember?) and enjoy a couple beers to the rocking of the boat and the beautiful scenery. You’ll pass through the Bay of Taganga and Granate and the Isla Aguja pass, the only island in Tayrona National Park.
The Middle: Beach Day and Lunch
Now it’s time for the best part of this Tayrona boat tour…the beach day!
Once you arrive in Tayrona, Luis and his friendly staff will shuttle guests off the boat the short distance to shore. The crew will constantly be shuttling back and forth from the beach to the sailboat—bringing back beer, water, and lunch for guests—so just shout if you need something.
To be honest, we didn’t spend much time on the beach during the day. The water was too tempting! There wasn’t a rock or piece of seaweed in sight…just white-sand and turquoise water. Everyone who visits Cartagena raves about the Rosario Islands, but honestly, I think Tayrona takes the cake when it comes to beautiful beaches.
If you need a break from splashing in the waves, the crew will also take a boatload of guests to snorkel a coral reef a short distance away. The snorkel gear is complimentary, as is the use of the paddle board.
At a certain point during the day, the crew will start to pass out lunch (which is included in the tour cost). Guests have two choices for lunch: grilled fish, rice, and salad or a ham and cheese wrap. Since the seafood couldn’t be any fresher, I opted for the grilled fish—and I was not disappointed.
This lunch was every bit as tasty as the meals I enjoyed while trying out the best restaurants in Santa Marta. And don’t worry—there’s plenty of tasty Colombian food to be found in Cartagena.
The End: Sailing Back to Santa Marta
Around 3:45 PM, the crew starts wrapping up the day and getting everyone back on the boat for the return to Santa Marta. You can still order beverages as you cruise along and the crew will pass out a light snack as well. If everything is on schedule, the group should arrive back in the city by 5:00 PM.
We spent this time decompressing, relaxing, and taking a few photos as keepsakes from the wonderful day we spent sailing on this Tayrona boat tour with Luis and his team.
As we pulled into the marina, we were greeted with a gorgeous sunrise over Santa Marta. Naturally, I couldn’t resist pulling out my DJI drone and capturing a few shots!
What to Pack on Your Tayrona Boat Tour
When preparing for your Tayrona tour, be sure to pack some tried-and-true beach essentials to keep you comfortable, safe, and enjoying every second of the day’s festivities. The items listed below are very similar to what I would pack for visiting Roatan or any Caribbean destination.
- Plenty of reef-safe sunscreen
- A hand-held portable fan to keep you cool all day long
- An insulated tumbler to keep your beer cold
- Flip-flops or comfortable water shoes
- A long-sleeved SPF 50+ shirt (keep that skin young ladies!)
- A beach towel—microfiber is the easiest to pack
- Dramamine for seasickness
- A dry bag for electronics
- A portable phone charger
- A securable sun hat that won’t fly off when the sailboat starts cruisin’
- An iPhone case with a crossbody strap (and/or a waterproof phone case)
- And a packable backpack to store it all!
Protect Your Trip to Santa Marta
Whenever I plan a trip, I always make sure to protect myself and my wallet with travel insurance. I’ve always booked travel insurance before trips, but I had to learn the hard way that not all travel insurance programs are created equal.
During the two months I lived in Thailand in 2022, I injured my foot on a weekend trip to Khao Sok National Park, which led to four months of limping around Southeast Asia and an eventual surgery in Canggu.
Since I was buying travel insurance month-to-month through AXA, none of my surgery was covered and I was out $3,500—even though I had active travel insurance at the time.
Since then, I started traveling with SafetyWing Travel Medical Insurance. It’s perfect for both short-term travelers and digital nomads since you can tailor it exactly to your dates and needs.
You can use it as a monthly subscription (what I usually do), or pay in full for a set date range. You can also take advantage of their useful add-ons like U.S. coverage (not for U.S. citizens, unfortunately), adventure sports, and electronics theft! Grab a quote below for your next trip 👇🏼
Tayrona National Park FAQ:
How far is Tayrona from Cartagena?
Tayrona National Park is approximately 4.5 to 5 hours by car from Cartagena, covering a distance of about 155 miles (250 kilometers). The journey can vary in time depending on traffic and road conditions, but it’s a scenic drive that many travelers enjoy. Alternatively, you can also consider taking a bus, a more budget-friendly option for reaching the park.
How to get to Tayrona?
For a truly memorable experience, consider taking a Tayrona boat tour, which includes a scenic ride along the coast. There are many tours available on Viator that take guests by boat to Tayrona, but the one mentioned in this article is (in my opinion) the best.
Next to boating, the most common way to reach Tayrona National Park from Santa Marta is by car or taxi, which typically takes about 40 minutes to 1 hour. This option allows for flexibility and ease, as you can travel directly to the park entrance. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Santa Marta to the park entrance, which is a more economical choice but takes a little longer.
Final thoughts
Wrapping up our adventure, I can confidently say that our Tayrona boat tour was one of my favorite days on our trip to Colombia. The blend of stunning coastal views, affordable local beers, and some of the most pristine beaches in the country truly made it a memorable experience (and one I would definitely repeat on future trips to Colombia). Aboard the 56-foot sailboat with Luis and his team, the journey to the park was almost as enchanting as the destination itself.
If you’re planning a visit to Tayrona National Park, I highly recommend booking this boat tour. It’s a fantastic way to see the beauty of the park while enjoying some fun in the sun—and keeping the headache and hassle out of your day. Trust me, the memories you’ll create on this excursion will be etched in your mind long after you’ve returned home. So, grab your camera and prepare for an unforgettable day in one of Colombia’s most breathtaking locations!
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