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    Palomino

    Colombia

    Palomino

    City

    Palomino is a small coastal town on the Caribbean coast, about 90 minutes to 2 hours east of Santa Marta, already within the La Guajira Department.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Colombia
    7. Santa Marta & Sierra Nevada
    9. Palomino
    Palomino is a small coastal town on the Caribbean coast, about 90 minutes to 2 hours east of Santa Marta, already within the La Guajira Department. Here you can enjoy tubing on the Río Palomino, discover waterfalls in the hinterland, and relax on a long, wild palm-fringed beach. The town has around 2,500 inhabitants and numerous hostels.

    Sights in Palomino

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Playa Palomino
    Attraction

    1Playa Palomino

    Long, palm-fringed beach with hostels, hammocks, and bars. Swimming is dangerous due to strong currents; surf lessons are offered.
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    Río Palomino
    Natural Feature

    2Río Palomino

    For tubing, you'll take a mototaxi upstream, hike through the forest, then tube downstream for about two hours. Go early and ask about the water level; after rain, the river rises quickly.
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    Quebrada Valencia
    Attraction

    3Quebrada Valencia

    Waterfalls about 30 minutes from Palomino. From the trailhead on the main road, a footpath leads up; ask beforehand if the falls have water.
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    Restaurants in Palomino

    1

    Casa Cocotte

    Small restaurant with a daily changing menu. Gluten-free dishes are also available.
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    2

    Pizzeria La Frontera

    Pizzeria on the main street behind a souvenir shop with thin, crispy pizza from a local pizzaiolo.
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    3

    Suà

    Restaurant in the town center with creative cuisine following Slow Food principles. It hosts a monthly market of local producers, plus workshops and events.
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    Food & Drinks in Palomino

    Palomino, located on La Guajira's Caribbean coast, offers eateries ranging from pizza to Caribbean home-style cooking. Fresh fish and seafood are typical of the region.
    Fish and Seafood Selection

    Fish and Seafood Selection

    Local fishermen bring fresh catch daily, with lobster, red snapper and mackerel especially sought after. Beach restaurants usually serve them grilled or fried.
    Arroz con camarones

    Arroz con camarones

    Rice with fresh shrimp, a staple along the coast of La Guajira. It is considered one of the tastiest shrimp rice dishes in the country.
    Fish Salpicon Salad

    Fish Salpicon Salad

    A dish of finely flaked fish, cooked in water, and often served cold with mayonnaise, onions, and capers. It is a typical dish of the coast of La Guajira.

    Beach and River

    The beach is long and palm-fringed, but swimming is dangerous due to strong currents.After rain in the mountains, its water level can rise quickly.

    Travel to and Around

    Bus: from the market in Santa Marta about every 15 minutes, departing as soon as the bus is full. It's the same bus that stops at the entrances to Tayrona Park.Travel Time: around 90 minutes to just under 2 hours.On-site: Mototaxis take you from the main road to the starting points for tubing and waterfalls.

    Accommodations in Palomino

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      • 1Playa Palomino3 days
      • 2Río Palomino4 days
      • 3Quebrada Valencia5 days
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    Nearby

    Santa Marta & Sierra Nevada

    Santa Marta & Sierra Nevada

    The region around Santa Marta connects the Caribbean coast with the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, whose highest peak is only about 42 kilometers from the sea. You travel here for the bays of Tayrona National Park, the mountain village of Minca, the trek to Ciudad Perdida, and the beach town of Palomino. Santa Marta is the starting point for all these destinations.
    Ciudad Perdida

    Ciudad Perdida

    Ciudad Perdida, called Teyuna by the indigenous peoples, is a Tayrona settlement in the Sierra Nevada rainforest, accessible only via a multi-day trek from Santa Marta. You come for the terraced structures at 900 to 1,300 meters and the journey through forests and river valleys. The city originated around the 8th century and was explored by archaeologists in 1976.
    Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona

    Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona

    Tayrona National Park is located about 34 kilometers east of Santa Marta, where the Sierra Nevada directly meets the Caribbean Sea. You come for bays between granite cliffs and rainforest, for hiking trails to Cabo San Juan and the ruins of Pueblito. The park closes completely three times a year.
    Minca

    Minca

    Minca is a small mountain village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, about 45 minutes from Santa Marta. You come for waterfalls to swim in, coffee farms, birdwatching, and hikes with views over the coast. The village has fewer than 1,000 inhabitants and today thrives mainly on hostels and lodges.
    Santa Marta

    Santa Marta

    Santa Marta is the capital of the Magdalena Department on the Caribbean coast and Colombia's oldest surviving city, founded in 1525 by Rodrigo de Bastidas. You come here as a starting point for Tayrona National Park, Minca, and the Ciudad Perdida. The city has around half a million inhabitants; highlights include the colonial center with the Gold Museum, as well as the beach districts of Taganga and El Rodadero.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Pexels, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI