Tayrona National Park is an incredible slice of Caribbean coast that spans about 15 thousand hectares, with three thousand of those being marine ecosystems. It is a fantastic destination for scuba diving offering over 30 sites in the marine park. Check out our guide for everything you need to know about scuba diving in Tayrona National Park and Santa Marta.
From coral reefs to sunken ships and hidden caves, there’s no shortage of spectacular underwater landscapes for both new and seasoned divers to explore at Tayrona National Park.
The crystal clear and warm water, diverse marine ecosystems and number of fabulous sites, make the Colombian Caribbean Sea one of the most incredible destinations in the world for diving. Santa Marta alone is home to more than 15 diving centers located in the main tourist areas of Rodadero, Centro Histórico and Taganga. The city has more dive centers and instructors than anywhere else in the county which is why it’s known as the Diving Capital of Colombia.
Newcomers can try diving for the first time or get certified by a professional instructor. The city's diving centers are identified with the main international diving federations including PADI, NAUI and SDI, among others.
It is also worth noting that Santa Marta has all the safety conditions available for divers visiting the city. It has a hyperbaric chamber for 10 people, as well as specialized medical assistance in the main medical center of the city, the Julio Méndez Barreneche University Hospital. You may be interested in our Diving Tour in Santa Marta.
For those diving enthusiasts who already have previous experience and are certified, Santa Marta has many options for you too. You may be interested in our Discovery Scuba Diving Tour in Santa Marta.
Tayrona National Park is the most popular destination for diving in Santa Marta. It spans about 3,000 hectares of marine reserve, and is home to numerous species of reef fish, countless coral formations, gigantic sponges and many species of animals from the bottom of the sea.
Within the Tayrona Park you can find more than 30 dive sites located along the different bays and islands that make up the park. You can do shallow dives (less than 10 meters) and deep dives (between 20 and 40 meters).
If adventure and excitement are your thing, you can dive into 3 different shipwrecks:
Within El Rodadero you can find two shipwrecks: a 50-meter-long cargo ship and a pleasure yacht; both at depths ranging between 20 and 30 meters.
In the bay of Santa Marta you will find a coal barge split into 3 pieces that are located at depths between 5 and 30 meters. You can also do night dives, dives in currents and dives with different gas mixtures.
In case your travel dates coincide with one of the closures that take place in Tayrona Park for its conservation, don't worry, there are other nearby diving spots in Santa Marta.
You can dive in the mystical island of Morro de Santa Marta, a former prison turned into a lighthouse and naval operations center. Around Morro you can find ecosystems very similar to those within Tayrona National Park.
Diving in the Colombian Caribbean is something you can't miss. The Caribbean is one of the most incredible diving destinations in the world, with crystal clear and warm waters, a diversity of ecosystems and an incredible number of fabulous dive sites. Colombia is no stranger to this reality and has many dive sites along its more than 1600 km of coastline and islands in the Caribbean.
Colombia is the country that generates the most diving revenue in Latin America, after Brazil and Mexico. Santa Marta, with the largest number of dive centers and instructors in the country, is the DIVE CAPITAL OF COLOMBIA.
Santa Marta has more than 15 dive centers distributed in the main tourist areas of the city: Rodadero, Historical Center and Taganga. You have many options where you can dive for the first time in your life or get certified as a professional instructor. The diving centers of the city are identified with the main international diving federations such as PADI, NAUI, SDI, among others.
It is worth mentioning that Santa Marta has all the safety conditions for divers visiting the city. It has a hyperbaric chamber for 10 people, as well as specialized medical care at the city's main medical center, the Julio Méndez Barreneche University Hospital.
For all these reasons and many more, you should consider Santa Marta as a diving destination not to be missed. For more information and to make your reservations, do not hesitate to contact us at Visit Santa Marta. We will give you all the information with the best attitude for you to have an absolutely unforgettable diving experience.