Santa Marta, one of Colombia's oldest cities, is known for its beautiful beaches and fascinating natural scenery. Located on the Caribbean coast of the country, this city offers a variety of options for those looking to relax and enjoy the beautiful views of the sea.
From remote and unspoiled beaches to relax, to the closest beaches with all the amenities, this is a selection of the best beaches in Santa Marta for you to enjoy your vacation, no matter if you are an adventurous traveler or if your plan is to come with your family or friends.
In this article, we will explore some of Santa Marta's most impressive beaches, from the popular ones like El Rodadero to the more unknown ones like Neguanje and Bahía Concha, and discover why they are some of the best beaches in Colombia. Join us on this journey through Santa Marta's tropical paradise, we share with you more than 15 beaches for you to choose your favorites!
Are you planning to get into nature to discover the most beautiful or secluded beaches? We leave you a Top 5 of the best beaches in Tayrona National Park, in which we include the most iconic beaches in Colombia, plus a bonus with stops at other points of the park to admire the best views.
Without a doubt, if you are an adventurous traveler who looks for the best places in each destination, then these beaches of the Tayrona National Park will be great options:
With its crystal clear waters, white sand and coral reefs, this beach is ideal to enjoy different activities such as snorkeling or scuba diving, a must-see place that you should not forget to write down on your list!
This beach is located in the Neguanje sector of the Tayrona Park, the easiest way to get there is with a tour to Crystal Beach, since it is not necessary to do much walking, and we pick you up at your accommodation.
One of the most beautiful beaches in Tayrona Park is Cabo San Juan, and you should definitely add it to your itinerary, because it is also the most famous beach in the park.
To get there, it is necessary to take a long walk, but without a doubt, it is worth it because you will live an experience full of nature, where you can also see a lot of vegetation, although you can also get there from Taganga by boat or with a tour that includes Hiking Cabo San Juan.
In this beach you will also find camping and restaurant areas. And if you come with your partner, we recommend you: Adventurous couple in Tayrona Park.
With its white sand, crystal clear water and cliffs, Bahía Concha (Concha bay) is the ideal place if you are looking for a beach with easy access from Santa Marta, as it is the closest one.
On this beach you can also snorkel to learn about the marine life of the area, you will love it!
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Golden sand, crystal clear water and surrounded by incredible vegetation, on this beach you can also snorkel, but we recommend staying in a hammock and completely disconnect from everything.
Take the necessary supplies for your stay, and enjoy!
We recommend: Tayrona by Sea
In Arenilla Beach you will find the perfect place to spend your day in the sun and with very calm waters and no waves. Arenilla is a beach where you will not find any services or camping area, so you can relax without any problem.
La Piscina is also a beach that stands out for being surrounded by rocks and is one of the most beautiful. It is a fairly quiet beach and lives up to its name, as it looks like a pool.
We know you want to enjoy the best views, so we also share with you 3 spots within the Tayrona Park to admire the best landscapes and photograph them; but it is important that you know that within this selection, these beaches are not suitable for swimming.
It is the largest beach in Tayrona Park, but it is the one with the strongest waves, so you are not allowed to go in the water. What we do assure you is that you will have an incredible view of the sea, and you will also find hammocks and a camping area where to stay if you wish to.
It is an excellent spot within the Tayrona Park to admire a unique landscape, as its name (“seven waves”) suggests, you can see several rows of waves in sequence to the shore of the beach.
The Chengue area is not open to the public, but that does not mean you can not see this paradisiacal beach when navigating on a boat (maybe while you are going to another beach of the Tayrona park) and snap some pictures from a distance offshore.
The Tayrona National Park is currently open to the public and will close until June, so do not worry because you can enjoy all the beaches that we share with you.
You may also be interested in: Tayrona Essentials
If your plan is to come and enjoy the beaches of Santa Marta that are closer and also easily accessible to come with your family, this selection of beaches is perfect for you:
Located near the beaches of El Rodadero, Playa Blanca is one of the most preferred by Colombians, noted for its fine sand and crystal clear waters. To get there, the boat ride takes only 20 minutes.
On this beach you will find tents and chairs to accommodate you, as well as restaurants with delicious local food. Some of the activities you can do in Playa Blanca are snorkeling, kayaking, canopy, visiting the aquarium or just spending a relaxing day at the beach. It is a destination that everyone will love.
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A beach that stands out for being one of the most beautiful in Santa Marta for its crystal clear sea and is located between the beach of El Rodadero and Playa Blanca.
Inca Inca Beach is also a destination near the city that can be reached by boat, hiking or even by bike, a plan that many of the mountain bikers in Santa Marta love to do.
If you want to be on a beach surrounded by more vegetation, as is the case with the beaches of Tayrona, the recommendation is to go directly to Los Naranjos or Mendihuaca beaches. You can get to any of these beaches by taking the road that leads to La Guajira, passing the Tayrona Park.
These beaches are a good option to enjoy with your family, although compared to the previous beaches the waves are strong, so you should be more cautious.
We share with you two beaches in Santa Marta that are easily accessible and free to enter, making them great options if you have very limited time or a tight budget. But, keep in mind that if you only visit these beaches, you will be missing out on some of the best beaches in Santa Marta.
Whether you are staying in the Historic Center of Santa Marta or right there in El Rodadero, this beach is a must to enjoy the sun and the sea without spending money.
To get there from Santa Marta, the cheapest option is to take a bus, although you can also take a taxi. It is important to note that this beach is the most popular in Santa Marta, so expect crowds of people and a lot of street vendors during the high season.
This beach is located 15 minutes from Santa Marta and can be reached by bus. Taganga beach is also known for being surrounded by small mountains, but there are many fishermen and boats, which is the activity that takes place in the village, but to spend the afternoon with your friends is a good option.
If you are looking for beaches to spend a quiet day with friends. Due to their easy access, and service offer, these are the beaches you could take into account for such fun plans:
This beach is located 20 minutes across the mountains from Taganga or you can take a boat that drops you off at Playa Grande. Its waters are crystal clear, and you can snorkel to see the local fish species.
Playa Grande is ideal to spend the afternoon with friends and contemplate the incredible sunsets that can be seen from this place.
Another of the beaches that tourists love is Bello Horizonte, because there are restaurants and entertainment areas, so you will find many options, and it is also a destination to travel alone, with family or friends.
It is an excellent option to save money because it is located just 35 minutes from Santa Marta and you will be assured of an incredible view.
This beach is one of the favorites of this selection. Its name comes from the fact that the mountain that surrounds this beach is shaped like a turtle shell.
If you want to spend a relaxing moment without so many people, Playa Cabo Tortuga is the perfect option to do so. Here you can do activities such as jet skiing, worm, among others, and the sea is quite relaxed.
Located 45 minutes from Santa Marta, Pozos Colorados is a strip of beaches that are ideal for resting because of its calm waters and white sand.
If you are with your friends in Santa Marta, we recommend our Sailboat Tour to visit one of the spectacular beaches of the Tayrona Park and contemplate beaches like Taganga on board the sailboat. An adventure that you will love!
Santa Marta is a paradisiacal destination that makes all visitors feel at home. Full of nature and with different activities to do, Santa Marta has many beaches to offer to all travelers who visit it. Whether you choose a plan full of adventure or something more tranquil, you will find one that fits your style of traveling.
Plan your trip with us! At Visit Santa Marta, you can also customize your stay and choose the beaches that catch your attention.