Hiking is the park’s most popular activity, although there are several ways to experience the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park, the second oldest in Colombia. Take a multi-day trek to the Lost City; venture deep into the region’s indigenous heartland in Nabusimake, the spiritual home of the Arahuaco people; visit the mountain town of Minca; or tour coffee farms. Most excursions to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park include round-trip transportation and dedicated guides. Visits to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park are often combined with time in the neighboring Tayrona National Park.
Situated across the departments of Magdalena, La Guajira, and César, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park is accessible from several places in northern Colombia. However, Santa Marta is the most popular gateway and most excursions from there into the national park include round-trip transportation.
There’s no bad time to visit the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park, which is accessible year-round. For the Lost City trek, visit in the cooler winter months to avoid the worst of the region’s humidity. Meanwhile, birders should visit outside the April-May and October-November rainy seasons for the greatest chance to spot rare and endangered birds.
Colombia is one of the most biodiverse nations on earth and the wealth of national parks proves it. For languid beach days, Tayrona National Park is unbeatable, while Serranía de la Macarena is home to the impressive Caño Cristales (River of Five Colors). For snow-capped peaks, don’t skip the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy National Park.