Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [138]
The region was once the territory of the Tayrona people, and some archeological remains have been found in the park. The most important of these are the ruins of the pre-Hispanic town of Pueblito (called Chairama in the indigenous language), considered to have been one of Tayrona’s major settlements. Here the remains of over 500 dwellings were discovered, estimated to have been home to 4000 people at one point in history.
For many travelers (too many in high season), the park’s biggest attraction is its beaches, set in deep bays and shaded with coconut palms. Vicious currents ensure most are not suitable for swimming, though you can swim at a select few, where snorkeling is also popular. Tayrona beaches are among the most picturesque on Colombia’s coast. Some of the beaches are bordered by coral reefs providing reasonable snorkeling and scuba-diving opportunities. Snorkeling gear is available for rental in the park if you don’t bring your own from Santa Marta. Mosquito repellent is essential and be wary of snakes in the area – if you are bitten, Ecohabs (opposite) keeps antivenin on hand, though most folks don’t know it. Do not let them take you to Santa Marta!
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FAMILIAS GUARDABOSQUES: CONVERTING COKE TO HOPE
Colombia has made tremendous strides in finding peace within itself while shedding its ‘drugs and guns’ reputation. One of President Álvaro Uribe’s most interesting and rewarding initiatives for travelers is Posadas Ecoturísticas de Colombia (www.posadasecoturisticas.blogspot.com), a program that began in 2006 and helps local folk all over the country to get out of the cocaine industry and into ecotourism and/or sustainable farming of agricultural products like coffee and cacao. This is especially interesting around Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Tayrona, where families living in the Sierra Nevada have formed government-sponsored forest watch groups called Familias Guardabosques de la Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta ( 317 730 7404; posasierraneva@yahoo.es; s/d/tr/q COP$80,000/129,000/169,000/199,000) and turned over their coca plantations in exchange for very nice cabaña accommodations around the outskirts of the park.
This is a wonderful accommodations option for those who want to stay near the park but would also like to get more involved with the culture of those that live around it. There are 20 posadas ecoturísticas in the six villages in the Tayrona area, all more or less offering the same accommodations (excellent pinewood cabins with nice mattresses, mosquito nets and bathrooms) for the same price. Additionally, a wealth of ecotourism options from bird-watching to rafting are run by the children and neighbors of the cabin owners and can be booked through any of the posadas.
Three of the posadas nearest PNN Tayrona are Posada San Rafael, the largest and most famous of the posadas in the area, just 400m from the entrance at park entrance El Zaino. Here they grow their own organic coffee and offer spectacular views to the Sierra Nevadas. It has also developed a relationship with Kogi people in the nearby mountains and offer an excursion to their village – a rare treat; Posada Los Naranjas, 800m from the park entrance, offers a more remote setting on the beautiful Rio Piedras, just near where it meets Playa Los Naranjas; and Posada Nuevo México, 13km from the park entrance, where you can trek though various types of forest to Cinto Bay, one of the park’s most beautiful spots.
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Around 95% of Tayrona is privately owned and the park is managed by a concession, Aviatur, who seem to do a very good job of building luxury accommodations, but a poor job of maintaining trails.
One important thing