Best Beaches in Santa Marta: Where Should You Go?

I’ll save you time. Your dream beach isn’t in the city of Santa Marta. The best beaches are found in Tayrona Park.

My top pick is Playa Cinto. You can easily get there with this excursion from Santa Marta—an activity we’ve tried ourselves. On the way, you’ll also visit Playa Cristal and Bahia Concha.

TOM’S TIP

In between sunbathing, explore the historic center of Santa Marta. For a nature adventure, visit Tayrona National Park or spend a night in an eco-lodge in Minca.

Santa Marta: The most beautiful Tayrona Park beaches by boat 1d

Sail along the Colombian Caribbean coast looking for the secret beaches of Tayrona National Park.

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Beaches in Santa Marta : Short Version

• Beach in the city: The beach in front of the old city center is polluted.
• Rodadero Beach: Rodadero is an area with many skyscrapers next to the airport. There are tons of tourists and street sellers.
• Pozos Colorados: Lovely beach with fewer people, but you still have the skyscrapers in your back.
• Taganga: It’s a small fishing town with a lousy reputation. It’s totally fine during the day, but the main beach is crowded on weekends.
• Bahia Concha: The easiest way is to take a private vehicle. It’s a lovely, large beach.
• Playa Cristal: The beach was fantastic, but it’s crowded most of the time. Take a boat from Taganga or Santa Marta. | 45 min.
• Playa Cinto: The most beautiful secluded beach in Tayrona. Go with this expert. | 1h.
• Cabo San Juan Beach is the most famous beach in Tayrona. If you don’t want to hike through the park, you can take a boat from Taganga. You must pay the park entrance fee.

Santa Marta Beaches in town

Beaches in Santa Marta are unpleasant.

Beaches in the old city center of Santa Marta

Don’t even think of swimming there. The water isn’t clean because of the port, and neither is the sand. However, the sunsets are pretty cool.

So grab a cold Aguila beer, wait for the show, and avoid looking the street vendors in their eyes 🙂

Beaches in El Rodadero

Rodadero is a touristic part of Santa Marta, with many modern hotels.. It’s expensive, close to the airport, and there are many restaurants, tour agencies, and accommodations.

Like Boca Grande in Cartagena, it’s a bit gringolandia. But it’s the place to be if you’re looking for a beach resort. And the nightlife around is fun.

Moreover, the beach is okay for swimming. But it’s crowded and invaded by street vendors.

How to get to Rodadero Beach

• 20 min by taxi.

Beaches near Santa Marta

Thankfully, there are stunning beaches near Santa Marta. Let’s look at the various day trips you can arrange from the city.

PLAYA GRANDE: TAGANGA’S BEACH

Taganga is a small fishing town, 15 min away from Santa Marta, famous among the backpacker community. It’s an excellent choice for travelers looking for a dive center.

Don’t stop at the beach in town. Walk 20 min more to arrive at Playa Grande. The place is lovely, and you will be able to swim. Moreover, there are many restaurants where you can eat, drink or rent a sun tent + Long chair.

It’s a cool place to relax during the afternoon even if it is crowded on weekends.

How to get to Taganga from Santa Marta

• Public bus from the city.
• Taxi.

How to get to Playa Grande from Taganga

• Walk along the coast for 20 min from the port in Taganga
• Boat from Taganga: 5 min

best beaches in Tayrona Park

The Tayrona National Park is HUGE.

There are four entrances, but only two—Calabazo and Zaino—are for travelers who want to hike within the national park.

The two other entrances are Bahia Concha and Palangana. Both are near Santa Marta and allow visitors to explore the park’s secluded beaches.

Playa Bahia Concha

Bahia Concha is a vast bay where travelers can camp on the beach. Colombians know the place well and love to go there on the weekends.

The place is more expensive than the usual places on the Caribbean Coast. There is no shop to buy some food, so the restaurants increase their prices. Bring your meals if you’re traveling on a shoestring budget.

Why visit Bahia Concha Beach:

• You want to sleep 1 night on the beach with your tent
• You’re looking for a lovely beach in Santa Marta and easy to access

How to get to Bahia Concha:

• Taxi from the old city center: About 50 min
• Or you can use public transport
  • Take the Public bus with the sign Bastidias on it and get out at the last stop: 40 min
  • Then use a moto-taxi to arrive in Bahia Concha: 20 min

Bahia Gairaca

It’s a spot for local fishers only. The beach is made of little rocks, and the water isn’t clear.

Bahia Siete Olas

You can’t swim or walk down on the beach there. However, there is an excellent viewpoint for taking pictures, and it’s on the way to Neguanje beach.

Neguanje Beach

It’s a long trip from Santa Marta to Neguanje Beach–a dirt road. But it’s worth it if you have time and money to spare.

The white-sand beach is large and surrounded by mountains. Moreover, the sea is calm at both extremities of the Neguange beach. It’s great for swimming and snorkeling.

But it would be too bad to travel all this way without visiting Playa Cristal.

How to Get To Neguanje Beach:

• 1h30 from Santa Marta by car
• Boat Neguanje to Playa Cristal: 10 min

Playa Cristal or Playa Muerte

Playa Cristal was one of the most beautiful beaches near Santa Marta. Only the first 300 visitors are allowed each day to get their butt tanned on this gorgeous white-sand beach. Unfortunately, the beach is quite small, and there are 300 people most of the time.

Avoid going there on the weekend and during the high season.

On-site, many restaurants welcome visitors with fresh fish, long chairs, and cold beers.

How to get to Playa Cristal by car

It’s the longest way. Tours leave early in the morning and reach the beach 1h30 later. But it’s the best option if you’re afraid of using tiny speedboats. You’ll arrive in Playa Neguanje then you’ll have to take a 10-min boat.

How to get to Playa Cristal by boat

It’s a lot faster, but the boat ride is bumpy during the windy season. It can be scary if you’re not used to it. Bats leave around 9 a.m. every day and return at 4 p.m. from Taganga or Santa Marta.

You can visit Playa Cristal with this expert.

beach Playa Cinto

It’s my favorite beach in Tayrona, and it’s an easy day trip from Taganga or Santa Marta. Like Playa Cristal, the bay is surrounded by lush vegetation and mountains. Don’t forget to take your snorkel gear; the snorkeling there is fantastic! Playa Cinto is only 10 minutes further than Playa Cristal, but 99% of tourists don’t go there.

Why :

• It’s less known
• It’s a few bucks more expensive
• There is no restaurant and bars

How to get to Playa Cinto:

• Book a tour with our favorite expert
• Boat trip from Santa Marta: 1 hour.

Santa Marta: The most beautiful Tayrona Park beaches by boat 1d

Sail along the Colombian Caribbean coast looking for the secret beaches of Tayrona National Park.

View this tour

Playa Cabo San Juan

Cabo San Juan is the most famous beach in Tayrona Park. I recommend staying for 3 days in the national park to get soaked by the experience.

However, it’s still doable to do it in 1 day if you’re in a rush.

How to get to Cabo San Juan:

1. Direct boat from Taganga | 1h15
2. Enter by El Zaino and hike 2h to reach the beach

Playa Brava

Calabazo is my favorite entrance for a multi-day excursion in the park.

This entrance is much less crowded than Zaino. It opens earlier, and there are no special formalities to enter the park. However, you still have to pay your park entry fee!

Moreover, it’s the closest entrance to Playa Brava. This secluded beach allows you to spend the night and have meals. It’s very rarely visited by tourists. The next day, a path leads you to Cabo San Juan.

Playa Brava can be part of a great loop, doable in one day if you’re an avid hiker and short on time. I recommend doing it in 2 or 3 days to fully enjoy the surrounding environment.

How to get to Playa Brava:

Walk about 3.5 hours from the Calabazo entrance to reach this beach.