Santa Marta apartments or house for rent?

[Tim413]

Hi jfsawatzky,

When you enter the park, you have to go to the guard house and pay. In my situation, which was last January, our tour guide went to pay, and then, the guard came to the bus and searched it. Everyone did not want me to talk because if the guard was corrupt he would call his friends, and they would stop the bus during the drive to the beach.

I do not know what the farc is doing now at the park, but I think if the guards are corrupt and they think they could make money, there could still be problems.

My wife's friends told her not to go to the park with a gringo because it was unsafe. We decided to go during the peak tourist times.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!

Tim

[Tinto]

This is as good a place as any to post a couple links to some photos I took in and around Taganga, a little fishing village just north of Santa Marta.

Tanganga Link

El Parque Tayrona Link

[LastLion]

I really enjoyed Tanganga and Tayronna parke! I think they probably have the most beautiful beaches in Colombia! Has anyone ever done the hike to the "lost city" apparently it takes 3 days to get too????

[Lostagain]

My experience with Parque Tayrona was it well worth the risk. But then not knowing any more than I could actually see and not seeing any indication of high risk (like lots of soldiers patrolling) I felt perfectly comfortable and wouldn't hesitate to go again. The beaches are absolutely beautiful. I did pay the extranjero fee but it was very fair. and I personally spoke to the park "ranger" and asked him not to call those "friends."

[Caseload]

I just found this thread today and it got me to do a Google search on the Tayrona National Park after reading what you guys posted. And I found some great pictures with Google Earth features’ on the side. Very cool you guys should check this out.

http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=11....&k=2&a=1&tab=2

I have been wondering for a while if there were any nice beaches in Colombia and now I see there are. You guys have been holding out on me all this time.

Thanks Tinto for the links to the great pic.'s!

Richard

[Tinto]

Richard,

Thanks for the compliments on the photos. I wish I would have taken more shots but the beach isn't the best place to pull out a nice camera with all that sand and salt air. I was also pretty bushed from the hike in. My novia wanted the hike in to be a work out and naturally wanted me to tag along so we were walking double time past everyone else. About the only one that passed us on those narrow trails was this pack horse carrying someone that didn't want to walk. The hike takes about a half hour from where you park your car to where the beach is and yes, those beaches are very nice, probably the best in Colombia and well worth the visit. Be careful on where you swim though as there are some treacherous rip tides. Signs are posted where it is safe (an area behind a large reef).

That link you provided was way cool. I liked how the photos were combined with Google Earth.

[Caseload]

You know after looking at those pictures last night I was thinking about how some of those sea side cities and villages would fare during a Hurricane. I just got my answer from CNN. Hurricane Felix is at the tip of Northern Colombia right now! After seeing those hills with very sparse vegetation surrounding those small towns there is almost nothing to soak up all that rain. CNN just showed what looked like cars trying to drive up hill in a fast moving river. Only it wasn’t a river it was the streets. There’s only one place for all that water to go and that’s down hill right into those towns.

Are any of our fellow Gringo’s near there right now?

[Tinto]

Hi Richard,

Hurricanes don't hit South America, well due to global warning, Brazil had there first ever hurricane that hit near Floripa a year or so ago. Colombia does however have torrential rainfall at times, earthquakes and even some tornadoes that have touched down in Barranquilla. When it rains hard in Medellin the streets do indeed look like rivers because the storm drains are practically non-existent.

[Tinto]

Has anyone ever done the hike to the "lost city" apparently it takes 3 days to get too????

LL,

I never made it there as it can be dangerous. You might enjoy some nice photos of the Lost City found HERE. (Bottom of page)

[Caseload]

Great picture link Tinto! Lots of great pictures here, those kids had a great adventure. Love “THE most photographed cocaine producer in Colombia” pictures.