Colombia’s Caribbean coast is one long argument for slow travel. Between Cartagena’s walled colonial centre and the empty red desert cliffs of La Guajira there are four very different cities, one of the world’s great carnivals, three national parks and more good seafood than a single trip can handle. This itinerary runs the full route over ten to twelve days, staying long enough in each place to actually understand it.
Fly into Cartagena Rafael Núñez (CTG). If you’re flying into Bogota first, connect the same day - Avianca and LATAM run the Bogota–Cartagena route from early morning, and you can be in the Old City by noon.
Days 1–3: Cartagena
The walled city is compact enough to walk completely in a day, but it holds enough to justify three nights. Day 1: walk the old city walls at sunset (free), then drop into the Mercado de Bazurto in the morning for a proper coastal breakfast - bowls of sancocho and fried fish run COP 12,000–20,000 from the stalls along the water entrance.
Cartagena’s cathedral tower rises over the old town streets.
Day 2: Take a boat to the Rosario Islands. Half-day snorkelling trips depart from Muelle TurÃstico at around 8am; book through your hotel or directly at the dock the afternoon before - expect to pay COP 80,000–130,000 per person including park entry. Afternoon back in the city, then walk up to El Castillo San Felipe (entry approximately COP 45,000 as of 2026) before dusk.
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Day 3: Day trip to Playa Blanca on Barú island - shared boats from Muelle La Bodeguita cost COP 50,000–70,000 return. Arrive early, before the day boats from the city arrive around 11am.
Budget accommodation: Mama Waldy Hostel in the Old City has dorms from COP 65,000 and doubles from COP 200,000. Selina Cartagena in Getsemanà has private rooms from COP 220,000 with a rooftop pool.
Mid-range: Hotel Boutique LM on Calle del Arzobispado charges COP 450,000–650,000 for doubles in a renovated colonial building with a central courtyard - good location, quiet.
Upmarket: Hotel Santa Clara (a converted 17th-century convent) runs COP 1,200,000–1,800,000 per night. Book six to eight weeks ahead in high season.
Restaurants: La CevicherÃa on Calle Stuart is booked out most evenings - arrive at opening (noon or 7pm) to avoid the queue; mains COP 45,000–85,000. For a faster lunch, Café del Mar on the walls serves sandwiches and fresh juice with a harbour view from COP 25,000. Street food: fresh fruit with lime and salt from the Palenqueras vendors throughout the Old City, COP 3,000–8,000.
Day 4: Barranquilla
Shared minibuses from Cartagena to Barranquilla depart from the Terminal de Transporte de Cartagena on the eastern edge of the city. The journey takes approximately 2 hours and costs COP 25,000–40,000 per seat. Taxis from the terminal to Barranquilla Centro run COP 15,000–20,000.
Barranquilla is less a tourist city than a working port, and that’s part of its appeal. The Barrio El Prado neighbourhood, built in the 1920s and 1930s, has the best surviving modernist architecture in Colombia - a 2-hour walking loop takes in mansions that once housed German and Italian immigrant families.
Eat: The Mercado del Boliche in the old centre has the best local lunch options - sancocho de gallina (hen stew) and arroz con coco served from noon. La Trattoria de Ernest in El Prado serves modern coastal Colombian food; mains COP 55,000–95,000.
Stay: Hotel El Prado (the city’s grand 1930 hotel, now restored) offers doubles from COP 380,000–520,000 and a large pool. Budget option: Hotel San Francisco near the centre, COP 130,000–170,000.
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If you’re in Barranquilla in late February or early March for Carnival, add two nights - the main parades (Batalla de Flores, Gran Parada) take over the VÃa 40 corridor and nothing else on the coast compares. See our Barranquilla Carnival guide for detailed information on dates, grandstands and hotels.
Days 5–7: Santa Marta
From Barranquilla, take a shared minibus or buseta from the Terminal Sur de Barranquilla. The route to Santa Marta takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours and costs COP 25,000–45,000. Taxis from Santa Marta’s bus terminal to the historic centre or Rodadero cost COP 15,000–25,000.
Boats at anchor in a bay near Santa Marta.
Santa Marta’s cathedral, one of the oldest in South America.
Santa Marta is the launching point for Tayrona National Park and the Lost City trek. The historic centre, though smaller than Cartagena’s, has become noticeably better for eating and drinking in recent years.
Day 5: Walk the historic centre - the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino (where Simón BolÃvar died) is a short taxi ride from the centre, entry COP 20,000. Afternoon: the Playa de los Cocos beach just outside the city is free and much less crowded than Rodadero. Dinner at Ceviche y Cocteles El Rey on the malecón; ceviche from COP 35,000.
Day 6: Full day at Tayrona National Park. Collective from the market on Calle 11 for COP 10,000, park entry COP 62,000 as of 2026. Walk to Cabo San Juan del GuÃa (2 to 2.5 hours each way) and spend the afternoon in the water. See our full Tayrona National Park guide for details on trails and in-park accommodation.
Day 7: Rest day in Santa Marta or day trip to Minca (40 minutes by colectivo from the market, COP 8,000) for birdwatching, coffee farms and waterfalls in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Budget accommodation: Masaya Hostel Santa Marta in the historic centre has dorms from COP 55,000 and garden rooms from COP 180,000. Dreamer Hostel on the northern edge of the city is better value if you have a car, with a pool and a large garden.
Mid-range: Casa del Patio in the historic centre, boutique colonial with doubles from COP 320,000–420,000.
Upmarket: Zuana Beach Resort at Rodadero, COP 600,000–900,000 per night, with direct beach access.
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Days 8–10: La Guajira
From Santa Marta, the road to La Guajira runs through Riohacha (3 hours by colectivo, COP 35,000–50,000), where most organised tours to the desert begin.
The dry, rocky coastline of La Guajira.
La Guajira is a semi-desert peninsula - the northernmost point in South America - and home to the Wayuu people. The landscape is unlike anywhere else in Colombia: red and ochre sand dunes, cacti, flamingos in shallow lagoons, and the Caribbean meeting the desert on wind-scoured cliffs.
Organising the tour: Most visitors book a 2- or 3-day tour from Riohacha or directly from Santa Marta or Cartagena. Standard 3-day packages to Punta Gallinas cost approximately COP 400,000–650,000 per person all-inclusive (transport in 4x4, meals, hammock accommodation). Cooperativa de Transportadores La Guajira and local Wayuu operators run the most commonly booked tours; your Santa Marta or Riohacha hostel can arrange these.
Day 8: Drive from Riohacha to Cabo de la Vela - the first settlement on the Guajira coast, 3 to 4 hours by 4x4 on unpaved roads. Afternoon: walk to the Pilón de Azúcar viewpoint (30 minutes from the village, free) for the defining view of the desert meeting the sea. Kitesurfers are usually on the beach by late afternoon.
Day 9: Continue north to Punta Gallinas - Colombia’s northernmost point. The drive takes 2 to 3 hours from Cabo de la Vela. El Faro lighthouse on the tip is the landmark. The Taroa dunes immediately south - red sand dunes falling into the Caribbean - are the most photographed landscape in La Guajira. Accommodation is in simple rancherÃas (Wayuu family camps) with hammocks under thatched roofs. Expect to pay approximately COP 80,000–120,000 per person for hammock plus breakfast and dinner.
Day 10: Return to Riohacha (or all the way back to Santa Marta or Cartagena if time is tight). The return drive from Punta Gallinas to Riohacha takes 4 to 5 hours. Evening bus from Riohacha to Cartagena (5 to 6 hours, COP 60,000–90,000) for onward flights.
Budget Summary
| Category | Budget (per person/day) | Mid-range (per person/day) |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | COP 55,000–100,000 | COP 200,000–450,000 |
| Meals | COP 30,000–50,000 | COP 60,000–120,000 |
| Local transport | COP 20,000–40,000 | COP 40,000–80,000 |
| Activities | COP 50,000–100,000 | COP 80,000–180,000 |
| Daily total | COP 155,000–290,000 | COP 380,000–830,000 |
La Guajira tour costs (3 days, all-inclusive) sit outside this daily table at COP 400,000–650,000 per person for the full programme. Budget travellers often bring down the cost by assembling groups at the Riohacha hostel rather than booking through a packaged operator in Cartagena.
Getting Around the Coast
The main transport option between coast cities is shared minibuses and busetas operating from each city’s main bus terminal. These run throughout the day, do not require advance booking, and are consistently cheaper and faster than large intercity coaches. Mototaxis (motorcycle taxis) are the standard way to get around within smaller towns like Cabo de la Vela - agree a price before getting on, typically COP 3,000–8,000 per journey.
Within Cartagena and Santa Marta, walking covers most of what you need in the historic centres. Taxis use meters in Santa Marta; in Cartagena they are metered but drivers often quote fixed tourist prices - a trip within the city should not cost more than COP 15,000–20,000.
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- Flights - Find the best fares to Colombia · flights guide
- Travel Insurance - Get covered before you go · insurance guide
- eSIM - Stay connected from landing · eSIM guide
- Airport Transfers - Pre-book your transfer from Bogota or Medellin · airport guide
- Car Rental - Compare prices across providers
- Hotels - Hotels in Cartagena · Hotels in Barranquilla · Hotels in Santa Marta · Hotels in La Guajira
- Tours & Activities - Browse Colombia tours on GetYourGuide
Related reading: Colombia Dry Season Itinerary, Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena and Colombia Budget Itinerary.