One of the regret that I have when I visited Colombia is that I didn’t do the trail of the Colombia coastal cities. I didn’t know about it and it wasn’t a popular trail like the Banana Pancake trail. I had to go back and forth to Medellin or Bogota which costed my time and money. So I am writing this blog post to help travelers get a better idea on what they can do to conquer the Colombia coast.
This is the full list of towns and cities you should visit while doing the Colombian Coastal cities. The whole trip will take about two weeks, but it can be longer if you want.
Panama (1 night)
Why are we starting from Panama if we are doing a Caribbean Coastal tour of Colombia? Because we cannot skip the San Blas Islands. Also, if you are planning to start from Sapzurro, I recommend doing the San Blas Islands as well.
We stayed in W hotel Panama which was good. But W Hotel Panama was kind of far from the Old Town which is the only place to hang around at night. I don’t mind the distance, but during rush hour it was pretty bad. So, if you are looking to stay in Panama for few days, look for a hotel in the Old Towns. If you have decided to stay at W Hotel Panama, let us know by clicking the what’s app banner or below FB Messenger. We can give you special perks.
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W Panama Perks and Benefits • Personalized welcome for each guest |
San Blas Islands Panama (3 nights 4 Days)
Like you can see from the pictures, it is probably the one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It literally was my favorite trip during my six month traveling (After of course the famous Uyuni Salt Flats). This is not an easy trip as everything is a deserted island or under-develop towns. You will have to really prepare before going and you will definitely need a tour. The best tour is San Blas Adventures. They really take care of you from the beginning to the end.
From Panama, you will be stopping at 1-2 islands a day. Every islands have their own uniqueness. It is speechless, and if you are traveling to South America, this is a must do. Especially when there are not many tourists yet and the islands are still deserted. You do not want to go there when all the hotels start coming in.
Sapzurro / Carpugana (1 Night 2 Days)
If you are going with a tour, you will stay here for a night. It is a really calm and quite beach, but not much to do. I wrote about these towns in detail here if you want to know more about it.
Necocli (1 Night 2 Days )
From Carpugana to Cartagena is quite far. So it is best to break it into two days and one night. If you are doing the San Blas Tour, they will set up all the trip so you don’t have to worry about it. But if you are not, you can read here for all the guides on how to do.
You can also see my journey on my vlog so you can have a better understanding.
Cartagena (2 Nights 3 Days)
Cartagena is where I think it’s the most beautiful city in Colombia. Close to the beach and beautiful color buildings. It somehow doesn’t feel like I am in Colombia. Cartagena is developed in terms of tourism as well because it is a big port where all the cruise ships dock for a day. So it gets really busy during the day with all the tourists getting off the cruises. But it also gets busy at night in the Old Towns where all the party happens.
There are many great restaurants in Cartagena. If you want to see what you can do in Cartagena, I think Culture Trip listed very well (click here for more information).
Barranquilla (During the Carnival)
Barranquilla (Check out here for more pictures and information) is an industrial town with nothing really going on. But end of February or early March every year, the second biggest carnival happens in this town. It is one of most spectacular thing you can see in Colombia. It is a place where you can really see the true culture of Colombia. If you happen to travel during that time, make sure to squeeze in Baranquilla.
It is not a tourist friendly (except during the carnival) city so you will have to stay in certain areas unless you speak fluent Spanish. I stayed at Four Point by Sheraton which was perfect for the value. I hear NH Collection is another choice with great roof top pool.
Santa Marta (1 Night)
Santa Marta is a great stop-over town before heading to Tayrona National Park and Minca. I wrote a little bit of information about Santa Marta and you can read it here. You can use this town as a base for your two trips.
Tayrona National Park (1 Night 2 Days)
Tayrona National Park is the reason you go to Santa Marta. It is a beautiful park and after walking 3 km from the park entrance, you can reach the beautiful beach. The reason I say 1 night and 2 days here is because you can camp at the beach (you can rent camping gears there) or sleep on a hammock.
Minca ( 2 Nights 3 Days)
Minca is also a great town to visit. Unfortunately I didn’t have the time to visit Minca but it really looks beautiful. Next time I come back to Colombia, I will definitely stay here for few nights. This is like where you can spend less than 100 dollars and feel like sleeping at the Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai. You can check out what you can do in Minca here.
Palomino or Riohacha (1 Night)
From Santa Marta, you can go to La Guajira – the most Northern point of Colombia. But to get there, you need a tour and the pick up point is usually Santa Marta, Palomino or Riohacha.
I went to Riohacha and started La Guajira trip from there, because the drive would have been too long if I started in Santa Marta. I just wanted to split the trip, so I don’t have to stay in a car all day. You definitely need to read my guide to La Guajira so you don’t make any mistakes before you go.
La Guajira ( 2 Nights 3 Days)
La Guajira was another highlight of the trip in Colombia. It is not an easy trip as you have to cross the desert for few hours. It is hot and long. But once you reach the Dunes of Taroa, you will know why you drove 5 hours to get here.
This trip is more for adventure travelers and if you are looking for leisure, this is not for you. If you need more information, you can check out my blog here.
The Whole Trip Can Take as Long as a Month, and As Short As Two Weeks
I have done this trip in non-chronical order and it probably took more than 3 weeks. But it is because I did it with no specific order, because I had to meet my ex-boss in Medellin and my friend Mark in Bogota. But if you do it in order, you will save more time on traveling and have more time on enjoying the beautiful nature.
It is important to know certain things and culture in Colombia, and I wrote an article about it here. You should read it before you go to have a better understanding.
You can do this trip from La Guajira or from San Blas Islands. It is a trip that I want to do it one more time and please let me know below comment if you get to do this trip!