Livin' the Tayhrona Life

Jared looking like a hobo because no
plastic bags are allowed in the park

29 January 2014 – My brother Lance and his friend Jared arrived in Santa Marta to travel with me for a month or so and I sure was excited to have some travel company.  No more talking to myself like a crazy person!

Hiking into the park

The three of us quickly caught a bus to Parque Tayhrona, a national park on the Caribbean Coast known for its beautiful and untouched beaches.  We planned on camping at one of the many spots in the park for a few nights so we bought some essentials like peanut butter, jelly, and rum for trip.  Of course, just as we entered the park our rum got confiscated – should have hid that one better.

Aside from being bummed about the rum, it was a nice 1 ½ hour hike into the park through the jungle before we reached rocky, cliffside beaches that reminded me a lot of Big Sur, CA.  After a gourmet lunch of PB & J sandwiches we continued on the trail to Cabo San Juan de la Guia, a little slice of paradise that has a beach you can swim at and hammocks and tents to sleep in.  Being a Friday night, the only thing left for the night was a tent without mattresses.  That made for two nights of rock hard sleeping and using t-shirts for pillows.  Super luxurious.

Where the sleeping conditions were lacking, hanging on the beach more than made up for it.  We kept up a rigorous schedule of swimming, laying on the beach, playing cards, reading, drinking beers, and staring at the Milky Way at night.  We also enjoyed quite a few pan de queso y jamon and pan de chocolate that are sold by vendors walking up and down the beach.  At $1.50 each, these delicious hot pockets full of ham and cheese or chocolate were tasty treats.  Thanks for the hot tip Lauren and Matt!

On a side note, I really appreciate that access to this park is by foot (and boat).  Every national park in the US has a road running right through it, that makes a beeline to all of the most beautiful and scenic spots.  It sure takes some of the fun out of it when tour buses full of tourists can unload by the hundreds with no effort at all.  Its not to say that, Parque Tayhrona wasn’t crowded.  It was, and it gets slammed during the high season, but there is something to be said knowing that it takes a little more effort to get there.