What to bring to Tayrona Park?

ID, water, biodegradable sunscreen, repellent, and walking shoes. Avoid single-use plastics.

Can you go and return in one day?

Yes, if you leave early. Check the return bus schedule before entering the park: from El Zaino, Marsol departs to Cartagena and Barranquilla at midday and early afternoon.

Tayrona Park: how to get there by bus, beaches and closures

Q: When does Tayrona Park close?

The park has three scheduled closures a year, in February, June and October-November, agreed with the indigenous peoples of the Sierra. The current closure runs from 19th October to 2nd November 2026 and the park reopens on 3rd November. Check with National Parks before travelling.

Q: How much is the entrance to Tayrona Park?

The fee depends on nationality, age and season, and is updated each year. Check the current rates at Colombia's National Natural Parks.

Q: Can you swim at all the beaches?

No. In Arrecifes and other beaches the currents are dangerous; swim only at designated beaches, like La Piscina or Cabo San Juan.

The Tayrona National Natural Park combines jungle, mountains, and Caribbean beaches at the foot of the Sierra Nevada. Marsol stops at the main entrance of El Zaino, at km 30 of the Troncal del Caribe, with buses from Cartagena and Barranquilla.

Tayrona Park in summary

The essentials to plan your bus trip with Marsol to Tayrona Park.

$85,000

Fare from Barranquilla (COP)

3 h 30 min

By bus from Barranquilla

4

Daily departures from Marsol to this destination

View schedules and tickets

Why travel with Marsol

Official tickets

Direct purchase on the Marsol site, no intermediaries.

Several departures a day

Check the schedules for each route and choose the one that suits you best.

Marsol offices in each city

Departures and arrivals for these routes are at Transportes Marsol offices.

Book online

Choose your departure and book in a few steps from any device.

How to get to Tayrona Park by bus

Daily buses from Transportes Marsol. Schedules and prices may change; confirm them when booking.

From	Departures a day	Duration	Price from
Barranquilla	2	3 h 30 min	$85.000
Cartagena	2	6 h	$130.000

Arrival and how to get around

Where the Marsol bus drops you off and how to continue your journey.

Arrival by bus: Tayrona Park (El Zaino)

Entrance to Tayrona Park (El Zaino)
KM 30 Troncal del Caribe, Santa Marta, Magdalena

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From the entrance to the beaches

From El Zaino, internal transport takes you to Cañaveral; from there, you walk along trails to Arrecifes, La Piscina, and Cabo San Juan. Bring water and comfortable shoes.

View Tayrona Park on Google Maps

What to do in Tayrona Park

Cabo San Juan del Guía: the park's most famous beach, with its lookout over the rocks
La Piscina: a beach protected by reefs, good for swimming
Arrecifes: a wide beach with strong currents, where swimming is not allowed
Hiking: trails through the jungle from Cañaveral to Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan
Pueblito: an ancient Tayrona settlement high in the park

Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Cabo San Juan del Guía: David Shankbone (CC BY-SA 3.0); Playa Arrecifes: David Shankbone (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Cabo San Juan del Guía

Two white sand bays separated by a lookout over the rocks, the most well-known landscape of Tayrona.

Arrecifes Beach

Extensive and wild beach; its currents are dangerous and swimming is prohibited.

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

The park is at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, the highest coastal mountain in the world.

Frequently asked questions about Tayrona Park

Answers to the most common questions before travelling.

How to get to Tayrona Park by bus?

Marsol has daily buses from Cartagena (about 6 h) and Barranquilla (about 3 h 30 min) to the entrance of El Zaino, at km 30 of the Troncal del Caribe.

When does Tayrona Park close?

How much is the entrance to Tayrona Park?

Can you swim at all the beaches?

What should I bring to Tayrona Park?

Can you go and return in a day?

Travel to Tayrona Park with Marsol

Official tickets, purchased online, from $85,000 COP. Seats are limited in high season: book in advance.

Buy tickets

Tayrona Park: how to get there by bus, beaches and closures