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Published: February 15th 2010
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Looking for rest and relaxation after the arduous Ciudad Perdida trip, I headed east of Santa Marta to the Tayrona National Park. The transportation provided by the hostel to get there turned out to be a 1970s Renault which had been converted to LPG; going up the steep hills towards the park entrance we were overtaken by lorries and the rear bumper kept scraping the ground as we were overloaded with 5 people and luggage. After paying the hefty 34,000 just to get in the park (around £12), we were dropped off at the village resort of Canaverales, but from here there were clear signposts to Arecifes, the next village along the coast, for where I headed. After a 45 minute walk along a pleasant jungle track, I wandered onto the vast beach at Arecifes, with no-one else around but a sleepy donkey. The tides here are very strong so swimming is not allowed, hence why the beach was deserted. I continued along the coastal path passing more beaches, this time crowded with tourists, before finally reaching Cabo San Juan where I would camp for the night. I was surprised by just how crowded it was, given that it is low
season and mid-week, but away from the main two beaches at Cabo, it was relatively quiet. On my second day in Tyrona I got up at dawn and headed for El Pueblito, a ruined ancient town, known as a mini Ciudad Perdida. The 5km round trip was more tiring than I had thought, as the path was somewhat steep, but it was worth it to see the town and to compare it to the Ciudad Perdida. On the way back, I came across a group of cotton-tailed tamarinds, and we mutually observed each other for 5 minutes or so before they continued their journey through the jungle. I unfortunately didn’t manage to spot any of the more elusive wildlife such as howler monkeys or the oncilla (like a lynx). Walking through the jungle though I did see strange blue-tailed lizards and blue-shelled crabs, both of which disappear into tunnels as soon as you approach. After El Pueblito, I spent the rest of the day on various beaches; on from Cabo San Juan there are less crowded but equally spectacular sandy beaches where it is safe to swim, so I found it easy to dwindle away the afternoon. The following morning
it was up at dawn again, and a long walk (about 10km) back to the Park entrance to catch a bus back to Santa Marta, where after having collected my luggage from the hostel, it was on to the bus station to get to Cartagena. Despite leaving the campsite at 6:30am, and travelling all day, I didn’t manage to get to Cartagena city centre until after 6 pm. The bus ride from the Cartagena Bus Terminal to the city centre was an hour by itself, and didn’t offer the best first impressions of the city, passing through some of the more impoverished suburbs. The city centre though is undoubtedly an architectural delight. Full of narrow streets adorned with flower-covered balconies, the colonial architecture dating back to the 16th century is still very much the predominant style. Cartagena was the main port through which the Spanish exported all the riches they found as they colonised the continent; consequently the historic centre is itself a treasure of colonial masterpieces. At the centre is the Plaza Bolivar, adjacent to the cathedral and the Gold Museum, whilst 2 blocks further away is the domed church of San Pedro and the Plaza de la Aduana.
The city walls, built to stop pirates such as Sir Francis Drake from raiding the city, surround the city on three sides. As is typical with most South American cities, away from the city centre the suburbs don’t ooze the same charm, and in fact where my hostel is located, in Getsamani, there is a rather nasty pong in the streets, despite being only 5 minutes away from the main gate to the city centre. The streets are jammed with people selling everything, ranging from fresh fruit, mobile phone minutes, pirate DVDs to the usual tourist tat. There are quite a few people who pounce on any tourist they see trying to give them tours or show them the way to the their hotel; most I met were friendly but twice I ended up giving some petty cash in exchange for a short guided tour, which although interesting, said pretty much the same as my guide book. It’s very difficult to say no when they follow you around and are very persistent, though I managed to decline after the first two occasions. I only spent 2 days in the city, as although there are day tours out of the city
centre, I’m keen to move on back to the mountains where it will be cooler. I managed to pretty much cover all of the historic sites and museums that interested me within the 2 days.
I’m realising now that there is a lot more to do in Colombia than I had thought, and as I have to be in Lima on March 12th, I am having to plan ahead regarding where in the rest of Colombia and in Ecuador I really want to see. I will probably spend one more week or so travelling down the west of Colombia before crossing into Ecuador. I am about to leave for a 13 hour overnight bus to Medellín, the country’s second city.
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Victoria
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How wonderful!
I am a United States citizen, this is my first time in Colombia, or leaving the country for that matter! I started my trip out in Medellin and in a few days we are heading to Santa Marta, Tayrona, and then Cartagena. I am very excited. Your pictures and enthusiasm are incredible. Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you buy your bus ticket from Tayrona-Santa Marta and then Santa Marta-Cartagena in advance or is it just show up and get your tickets then? Colombia is such a beautiful country, each city with something new to offer! What was your favorite part of visiting Colombia, or favorite city?!?