The 15 Best Santa Marta Tours

1.Sailboat day tour to Tayrona Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 352 reviews · 7h 30m · from $64Our pick

Sail from Santa Marta at 10am aboard the Sonata to Bahía Concha, passing Taganga, Granate Bay, and Aguja Island. Swim, snorkel, paddleboard, and enjoy grilled fish, chicken, or a vegetarian lunch. Carlos and the crew lead the trip in Spanish and English, with sailing usually possible on the return.

“Great way to spend the day in a sailing boat in Santa Marta. The crew, in land and on board, was very attentive and look after every detail. Highly recommend them, and I would definitely travel with them again.”

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2.Tayrona National Park Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 131 reviews · 11 hours · from $77

You’ll leave Santa Marta or El Rodadero early, ride to Tayrona, and walk about four hours through forest and beaches to Cabo San Juan. A Spanish-speaking guide leads the route, with three hours for swimming, lunch, and the viewpoint. Guides have included Luiz and Jesus. Bring cash for the 55,000 COP foreigner tax.

“Malheureusement, je trouve que l’activité ne vaut pas du tout son prix. Le guide ne parlait pas un mot anglais, ok c’était précisé que l’activité se faisait en espagnol mais à certains moments on se savait pas quoi faire et il ne nous aidait pas. Pendant tout le trajet il avait l’air pressé, il enchaînait tout et il ne prenait pas le temps de se poser. Le trajet est de plus ou moins 12km et c’est un aller retour, on reprend le même chemin pour rentrer et ça va encore plus vite que pour l’aller. Je vous conseille vivement de le faire par vous même, ce n’est pas compliqué car…”

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3.Tayrona Bay Sailboat trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 107 reviews · 6 to 7 hours (approx.) · from $60

Sail from Santa Marta at 9:30 a.m. to Bahia Concha in Tayrona National Park for a six to seven-hour boat-and-beach day. The crew provides lunch, fruit, water, one beer, snorkeling gear, a kayak, and a SUP board. Expect a friendly but lightly guided outing, choppy seas, and limited English.

“The trip is well organized. There is hardly any English spoken. The trip only takes you to the one, closest beach in Tayrona Park - Bahia Concha. You will have time in there. Bahia Concha is a beautiful, cove beach. BUT it has no shallow waters. The ascend to the sea is steep. (Not suitable for kinds who can't swim.) I am a Northern European female, traveling alone, and a nice person (it was my mistake). I have been harassed all the time. I had zero peace. Local vendors smelled the blood and circled like vultures, every 5 minutes.”

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4.Minca Coffee, Cocoa, & Waterfall Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 102 reviews · from $78

Spend nine hours in the Minca Jungle with a bilingual guide, hiking to a coffee farm, swimming in river pools, eating lunch at a bamboo restaurant, and making your own chocolate bar. Guides such as Tony, Gustavo, and Sadam are praised for clear English and strong knowledge of nature, coffee, and cocoa.

“Thanks very much and I can only highly recommend this tour. Our guide a biology professor explained us a lot about the nature, the history and showed us very impressing places. The dinner later was tasty. The only thing I must warn against are the moskitos, so wear long cloths and use some protection.”

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5.Sunset Sailboat Tour with 2 Beverages

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 93 reviews · 2h 30m · from $47

Meet Tayrona Sailing at Santa Marta’s Marina Internacional and board the classic Sonata for a 150-minute sunset cruise. You’ll sail toward Taganga Bay, anchor for evening views, and return by 8:00 PM. Two drinks are included, with beer and water reported as the usual choices. English and Spanish assistance is available.

“O pôr-do-sol visto de dentro do mar é muito bonito e especial. Ficamos muito felizes por ter tido essa experiência. A equipe do veleiro é atenciosa e gentil, durante todo o passeio estiveram preocupados com as pessoas abordo e o bem-estar de todos. É uma experiência interessante, mas para quem tem medo de barco ou passa mal durante travessias eu não recomendo. Venta bastante e o veleiro fica instável, gerando movimentos contínuos para os lados, as vezes dando a impressão de que algo pode acontecer. Claro que a minha impressão é de alguém que não conhece/veleja, mas é uma impressão sincera sobre o passeio. Não dei nota máxima porque a…”

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6.Tayrona Park Hike And Beach Day

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $211Top rated

Spend about 10 hours hiking Tayrona National Park from Santa Marta to Cabo San Juan and back. Your private English-speaking guide, such as Hugo, Erik, David, or César, handles entry, sets the walking pace, points out monkeys and birds, and helps you choose between busy Cabo San Juan and calmer La Piscina. Transport and bottled water are included.

“We had a fantastic guide in Mr. Eduardo Mejia - he answered our questions in great detail, giving us social and environmental contexts, gave us an overview of Colombian history and culture and also made the effort to understand our own cultures, drawing parallels across cultures. And ofcourse he was very patient with our speed of hiking! We loved the park even more because of Mr. Mejia.”

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7.Sailing Tour to Tayrona Park with Luis’ Team

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 76 reviews · 6h 30m · from $66

Meet Luis’ team at 10:30 am at Santa Marta International Marina, then sail toward Bahia Concha, Taganga, Granate Bay, and Aguja Island. Enjoy lunch, soft drinks, snacks, swimming, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and beach time before returning at 5 pm. English and Spanish support is advertised, but English guidance may be limited.

“The crew was lovely and took good care of us. However, the tour didn't deliver and is quite expensive for what it is. Despite having booked an English tour with what was advertised as a bilingual crew, no one spoke any English and we did not understand any of the information given about the park or the day. So it was basically an expensive taxi to Concha beach. The beach is very full with boats who are blasting music despite it being a national park. We did some sailing back to Santa Marta, which was nice. In the end thay wanted to make us pay for some beers we hadn't…”

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8.Private transportation from Santa Marta city to Cartagena

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 76 reviews · 4 hours (approx.)

Travel privately from Santa Marta to Cartagena in about four hours with hotel pickup and door-to-door drop-off. Bukap Travels provides air-conditioned SUVs, minivans, and vans for groups of up to 14. Drivers such as Hader and Juan are praised for safe, punctual service, though the company says drivers do not speak English and no guide is included.

“Very good Service, safe, comfortable and punctual. Excellent driver, very professional and very polite.Auto-translated”

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9.Tayrona by sea

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 76 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $97

From Santa Marta’s marina, a small boat carries you to Cinto, Playa Cristal, and Bahía Concha in Tayrona National Park. You get beach time, snorkeling gear, snacks, water, and a fish lunch. The guides may include Didier, Miguel, Oscar, or Camilo. Expect a scenic but sometimes very rough ride, especially outbound.

“Great daytrip, super friendly crew, group is not too big, you go to 3 beautiful beaches, snorkel, swim, have a lovely lunch, and before you know… the day has flown by! Best boattrip to Tayrona beaches from Santa Marta if you ask me”

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10.Tayrona Park – Cabo San Juan

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 74 reviews · from $65

You’ll leave Santa Marta early for Tayrona National Park, then hike about two hours past Cañaveral, Arrecifes, Arenilla, and Piscina Natural to Cabo San Juan. A Spanish-speaking guide leads the walk, with time to swim and buy lunch before the return hike. Bring sturdy shoes, water, cash, and protection from insects.

“Caminata por el Parque Tayrona y las playas visitadas nos dejaron un recuerdo extraordinario. Atención, hay que estar en buena forma debido al valor y humedad. Eche de menos más explicaciones por parte del guía. Se nos cobró un acceso al parque superior al que estaba indicado en la información.”

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11.Guided Hiking through Tayrona National Park and Cabo San Juan

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 73 reviews · from $45

Leave Santa Marta early for Tayrona’s El Zaino entrance, then hike through tropical forest, mangroves, and several beaches to Cabo San Juan. You get transport, park insurance, and a guide in a mixed Spanish and English group. Allow for a hot, demanding walk and extra fees if you are a foreign visitor.

“the place is actually nice, but the tour a real shamble. The bus was 1.5h late and the guide was not able to speak at all. When I complained after the tour, I have been told the other guide was sick, but really not an excuse”

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12.A Pearl In The Caribbean-walking tour in English

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 2 hours · from $16Best value

Walk Santa Marta’s historic center with Javier, known as Javi, and connect Tairona artifacts, independence-era landmarks, pirate tales, local beliefs, food tips, nightlife, and Caribbean fruit. The tour costs $16, includes museum entry and a fruit tasting, and ends at the juice stalls near sunset.

“Really enjoyed the tour Javier was extremely knowledgeable and engaging showing us some local spots in santa marta which I tried later on and was not disappointed! would definitely recommend to get to know more of the city from a local”

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13.Cacao Experience Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 66 reviews · 4h 30m · from $46

Meet Andrés Boh at Minca church for a 4.5-hour walk through Tayrona indigenous territory. Learn how cacao goes from tree to chocolate, taste fresh fruit and cacao, enjoy chocolate drinks, and bathe at a waterfall. The bilingual tour is limited to 10 people, though groups may overlap at the farm.

“We had an amazing cacao tour with Andres! We visited a Colombian family farm where we learned about cacao production and tasted fresh cacao. The waterfalls were stunning, and thanks to Andres’s flexibility, we were able to extend the tour to visit an animal refuge and more beautiful waterfalls. It was a fantastic experience and we truly appreciated Andre’s’ patience, expertise and kindness! Highly recommend this tour!!”

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14.Cape San Juan del Guía Tour in Tayrona Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 64 reviews · 11 hours · from $67

Spend about 11 hours traveling from Santa Marta to Tayrona National Park, then walk a forest route past seven beaches, including Arrecifes, La Piscina Natural, and Cape San Juan del Guía. A Spanish-speaking guide leads the two-hour hike. Transport, park entry, and insurance are included, while food and drinks cost extra.

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15.One amazing day in a private recent sailing boat in the Tayrona Park. The best sail trip from Santa Marta!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · 7 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Join Thierry and Amy-Esther aboard a private sailing boat from Santa Marta for about seven and a half hours. Sail toward Tayrona, stop at Bahia Concha or another sheltered bay, swim, snorkel, paddleboard, sunbathe, and enjoy a fresh sandwich. The boat holds up to 12 people, with drinks available to buy onboard.

“We had an amazing time! The hosts are wonderful and make the day simply perfect, highly recommend. Had a great time selling in the beautiful day and swimming. And they are very nice to spend the day with.”

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