Blogs from Tayrona National Park, Magdalena, Colombia, South America

My family and I went to the stone river two years ago. We had a lot of fun that weekend, although the river was growing we could bathe. The stone river has many fascinating things; the first thing that amazed me was his giant whites stones. There were very large stones in the middle of the river. I walked on the stones contemplating the waters of the river, Its waters were so crystal clear that you could see the fish. The second thing that amazed me was the rapidity with which the river grows. After we bathed the waters increased their level. It was not possible to enter the river because it was dangerous but at least this does not happen in the summer. In spite of this, I think it is a good tourist site. ... read more

We stepped off the plane and bang...we were smacked in the face with booming sun and 33 degrees of humid heat. Back in the heat, back to the beach and back in the land of the mozzies. We had arrived in Santa Marta and were quickly on our way to our hostel where we were greeted by our local hostel owner...Alan from Peckham! Not long after arriving, our minds had already switched to planning for the following day; a hike and over night stay in the Tayrona National Park. Famed for its beautiful Caribbean beaches, huge boulders and spectacular hiking trails through the nearby forested hills, we were certainly looking forward to getting there and chilling out (not so much the hiking though). The following morning we were up and out the door by 8am, waiting ... read more

Cue the theme music. Strap on your bullwhip and best jungle clothes as Ann and Gordon attempt to emulate Indiana and make it to the lost city of the Tayrona people. Making it there was fine, getting back was a little trickier, but more on that later. Firstly what is Ciudad Perdida and who were the Tayrona.....yep time again for a little history lesson. Colombia has a number of diverse indigenous populations. The Tayrona were one such population who inhabited the Sierra Nevada de Santa Martha which is the mountain range in the North East of the country on the Caribbean Coast. The Tayrona's built their main urban centre at what is now known as Ciudad Perdida (translated as Lost City) on the Northern slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Martha. The city was occupied ... read more

5th September -8th September: Tayrona national Park Tayrona national Park, a little gem of paradise just off the northern Colombian coast of the Carribean. Blessed with crystal turquoise waters, it was a perfect escape from the days of strenuous exercise on the lost city trek! I caught a boat out to the bays with our small troup that remained from the trek...plus a few added extras. Arriving in the bay of Cabo San Juan was like stepping into a postcard image! beautiful calm carribean waters, whitish sand, tropical palm trees hanging over the beach, bordered by large beautiful boulders of rocks as though god himself landscaped the bay! We staked our hammocks, and descended on the beaches for much needed sun and relaxation! One day would merge into the next. Days became lost with little to ... read more