Out and about in Tayrona National Park, Colombia

Home to the Kogi people

The first stage of our journey takes us to the village of Pueblito, a community of the indigenous Kogi people – one of the four pre-Columbian cultures living within Tayrona National Park. As we set off on our walk early, around six o’clock in the morning, we are the only ones on our way to Pueblito. We enjoy the relative coolness of the dawn and follow the sandy path uphill. For almost the entire time, we walk in the shade of the rainforest, taking in the scents of the surrounding flowers and plants. Along the way, we are watched by a small troop of capuchin monkeys who pelt us with fruit. The capuchin monkey is one of the three species of monkey found in this nature reserve. The red howler monkey and the rare piché monkey complete the trio. Although Tayrona National Park, with just under 400,000 tourists, is Colombia’s most visited nature reserve, a visit to this area is definitely worthwhile. As well as the playful monkeys, you can spot a wide variety of bird species, and it’s even possible to catch a glimpse of a jaguar, although the chances of that are very slim.

After a two-hour walk, we reach Pueblito. It is deserted here. According to our guide, the locals are out working in the forests or in their fields. We greet a few residents, who are recognisable by their white traditional dress. Despite being in daily contact with the Western world, they have managed to preserve their traditions and customs well. We look at their houses with their characteristic round, pointed roofs made of palm leaves. The park has been privatised under strict conditions. The indigenous communities can decide at any time to bar tourists from entering the park, for instance because they are holding a council meeting or an event, and every year, sometime in January or February, the park is closed for a number of weeks so that it can undergo a ritual cleansing.

Colombia’s idyllic beaches

We carry on and follow the route from Pueblito to Cabo San Juan del Guia. This route heads downhill again, but that doesn’t make it any easier. The walk along a wide sandy path increasingly turns into hopping from rock to rock. Meanwhile, we follow a small stream towards the Caribbean coast. Along the way, we come across more tourists making the round trip to Pueblito from Cabo San Juan del Guia. After an hour of scrambling and climbing through an enchantingly beautiful landscape, we reach the coast. It is here that this green wilderness, which connects the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada with the Caribbean coast, plunges into the azure-blue sea, occasionally interrupted by idyllic beaches.

By now, the sun is high in the sky and it’s sweltering. The high humidity means we could practically wring out our T-shirts. Upon arriving at Playa del Cabo, we take a refreshing dip in the lovely sea. Not long after, we continue on our way to Tayrona Ecohabs. This is the best place to stay in the national park, consisting of villas on the coast, surrounded by the rainforest and built in the style of the traditional houses in Pueblito. The walk to our accommodation takes about an hour, and the route takes us along a sandy path again, this time with very little change in elevation. The path winds its way through the forest and along the coast, offering us stunning views of vast stretches of beach.