Where to stay in Tayrona Park: inside or outside

Choosing where to sleep is the decision that changes your Tayrona trip the most. Waking up 15 minutes from the beach is very different from queuing at the entrance every morning. Here are your options, simply explained.

Staying inside or outside the park

Inside the park

• You start walking early, before the day crowds arrive.
• You pay the entrance fee only once if you don't leave the park.
• Services are more basic: cold showers, patchy signal and set meal times.

Outside the park

• Hotels along the Santa Marta–Riohacha road offer more comforts (pools, A/C in every room).
• Every day you must reach the entrance, queue, pay and rely on transport.

Areas to sleep inside Tayrona

• Cañaveral Sector (El Zaino entrance): reachable by vehicle, so you don't carry luggage along the trails. Rooms and cabins with bed and bathroom. Hotel Jasayma is here, 1.6 km from the entrance.
• Arrecifes: reached on foot. Camping and simple cabins. Bring just a backpack.
• Cabo San Juan: the most famous beach. Hammocks or tents, reached on foot.

Lodging types

• Hammocks and tents: cheapest, for light travelers.
• Rooms and cabins: bed, bathroom and space for your things. Most comfortable for couples and families.
• Hotels outside the park: more services, but you go in and out every day.

Before you book

• Cash: cards are not always accepted inside the park.
• High season: book early for December, January, Holy Week and mid-year.
• Closures: the park closes three times a year. See our 2026 fees and closures guide.
• Luggage: pack light with our packing list.

Which one suits you?

• Backpacking and want the most famous beach → hammock or tent at Cabo San Juan.
• Want a bed and bathroom without hauling luggage → Cañaveral Sector.
• Want a pool and hotel services → outside the park, near El Zaino.

Staying at Hotel Jasayma Parque Tayrona

We are an eco-lodge inside the park, in the Cañaveral Sector. We have rooms with private bathroom, rooms with shared bathroom for up to 3 people and private cabins (2 with A/C). Breakfast included and our own restaurant. Showers are cold and signal is patchy: that's life inside Tayrona.

Beaches are a walk from the Cañaveral parking lot; the park shuttle passes in front of the lodge. See walking times in our beach guide.

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