Palomino is right outside.

Three kinds of plan.

• At María MulataRun by the hostel itself.
• Ask at receptionThe hostel may help you arrange it. Not a package sold here.
• On your ownIndependent plans in and around Palomino. Not sold by the hostel.

• On your own

  Palomino beach

  About 100 m away

  Long, wild and lined with palms. At sunset, walk to the river mouth where the river meets the sea.

  Practical

  • Surf lessons on calmer days.
  • The lanes to the beach are dark at night — bring a torch.

  Watch out

  • Strong currents and big waves make swimming unsafe much of the time. Only go in where locals say it’s safe, and never alone.
  • Emergencies: 123.

  Palomino guide (Hostelworld) ↗

  Sources: Hostelworld — hostel listing (opens in a new tab) · Hostelworld — Palomino travel guide (opens in a new tab) · Colombia Travel (ProColombia) — Palomino (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• On your own

  Tubing down the Palomino River

  Half a day

  The classic: motorbike taxi to the trailhead, a 20–40 minute walk through the jungle, then 1–2 hours floating downriver to the sea.

  Practical

  • Tubes are rented in the village.
  • Best in the morning.

  Watch out

  • The river can rise fast after rain in the mountains — check before you go. September to November is the wet season and the water runs muddier.

  Palomino on Colombia Travel ↗

  Sources: Hostelworld — Palomino travel guide (opens in a new tab) · Colombia Travel (ProColombia) — Palomino (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• On your own

  Sierra Nevada & Indigenous territory

  Behind Palomino rises the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, home to the Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankuamo peoples and part of their ancestral territory (the Línea Negra).

  Practical

  • Visit communities only with a local guide.
  • Respect families and sacred sites.

  Watch out

  • Ask before taking photos. Don’t enter homes or photograph people or their belongings without permission.

  National Parks — Tayrona and the Línea Negra ↗

  Sources: Hostelworld — Palomino travel guide (opens in a new tab) · National Natural Parks — Tayrona (opens in a new tab) · ICANH — Teyuna visitor information (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• On your own

  Quebrada Valencia

  30–60 min by road

  Waterfalls and natural pools in the forest, about a 30-minute walk from the roadside entrance near Buritaca.

  Practical

  • Allow 2–3 hours on site.
  • Stick to the lower, more accessible cascades.
  • No current source publishes the entry fee — bring cash.

  Watch out

  • Wet rock is slippery; don’t climb after heavy rain.

  Hikes near Santa Marta (Santa Marta Life) ↗

  Sources: Colombia Travel (ProColombia) — Palomino (opens in a new tab) · Santa Marta Life — hikes (Quebrada Valencia) (opens in a new tab) · Hostelworld — hostel listing (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• On your own

  Tayrona National Natural Park

  About 1 h by bus

  Jungle running down to giant-boulder beaches. Its land entrances on the Palomino side are El Zaino (towards Cañaveral, Arrecifes and Cabo San Juan) and Calabazo.

  Practical

  • Annual closures: 1–15 February, 1–15 June and 19 October–2 November. In 2026 ecotourism resumes on 3 November.
  • 2026 fees (COP): non-resident foreigners 81,000 low season / 96,500 high season; Colombians and residents over 25: 36,500 / 43,000; ages 5–25: 27,500 / 30,500.
  • Tickets are sold on the day at the ticket office (no reservations) and accident insurance is mandatory.

  Watch out

  • Since 16 June 2026 land access via Calabazo and Zaino–Cañaveral has been restricted for security. Check the current status with National Parks before you go.
  • Not allowed: pets, speakers, single-use plastics, unauthorised drones and liquor bottles. Swim only in authorised zones.

  National Parks — Tayrona ↗

  Sources: National Natural Parks — Tayrona (opens in a new tab) · National Parks — October 2026 closure (opens in a new tab) · National Parks — reopening with measures (16 Jun 2026) (opens in a new tab) · Hostelworld — Palomino travel guide (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• On your own

  The Lost City (Teyuna)

  Multi-day trek

  Stone terraces high in the Sierra, several days’ trek away with an authorised operator. A separate regional trip, not an afternoon plan.

  Practical

  • Archaeological park entry: COP 75,000 (ICANH, 2026). Open 7:00–15:00 on operating days.
  • No phone signal. Very rainy, nights of 18–22 °C.

  Watch out

  • It can close temporarily; in October 2026 there were conflicting notices about its reopening. Check ICANH before you travel.

  ICANH — Teyuna hours and fees ↗

  Sources: ICANH — Teyuna Archaeological Park: hours and fees (opens in a new tab) · ICANH — Teyuna visitor information (opens in a new tab) · Colombia Travel (ProColombia) — Palomino (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• On your own

  Los Flamencos Sanctuary

  70 km away

  Coastal lagoons with pink flamingos in La Guajira, towards Riohacha.

  Palomino on Colombia Travel ↗

  Source: Colombia Travel (ProColombia) — Palomino (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• On your own

  Eating in the village

  Fresh fish with coconut rice and patacones, fresh juices and set lunches along the main road.

  Practical

  • There’s no big supermarket in Palomino.

  Source: Hostelworld — Palomino travel guide (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• Ask at reception To confirm

  Tubing, Tayrona, the Lost City?

  Hostelworld lists a tours desk at the hostel but doesn’t say which trips it arranges. Ask at reception what they can help you set up.

  Message the hostel →

  Source: Hostelworld — hostel listing (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• At María Mulata

  Classes and nights at the bar

  Free salsa and bachata classes, jam sessions, games night and DJs, per the programme the hostel publishes on Hostelworld.

  See the nights →

  Source: Hostelworld — events published by the hostel (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)

• At María Mulata

  Corners to work from

  WiFi, free coffee and water, extension cords and “many corners where you can work remotely”, says the hostel.

  Work from here →

  Source: Hostelworld — hostel listing (opens in a new tab) (checked 29 Oct 2026)