Everything you need to know about Palomino, Colombia

WHERE IS PALOMINO

Palomino is a small coastal town located in Northern Colombia on the Caribbean coast, and about 70km for the better-known city of Santa Marta. It’s grown in popularity over the last decade with backpackers and holidaymakers alike, due to its relaxing culture and good surf.

Palomino Beach - Colombia

IS PALOMINO WORTH VISITNG?

Yes, definitely! Palomino is a beautiful place. It’s perfectly located if you are considering exploring some of Columbia’s other top sites too; Tayrona National Park OR The Lost City. It’s the perfect way to explore ‘off the beaten track in Colombia in a place that is safe, and you can relax for a few days. If you love the beach, surfing, yoga or just a quiet place to unwind then Palomino is definitely worth adding to your Colombia itinerary.

WHAT IS THERE TO DO IN PALOMINO?

The top 3 things to do in Palomino are, Surf, Yoga and Chill. This really is a place to escape the stresses of reality. You may even end up with no electricity or Wi-Fi for several days, it’s that disconnected. You’ll find most people relaxing by the beach or enjoying a beer in a local bar. If you’re looking for a big party Palomino isn’t the place. While there are lots of relaxing restaurants to choose from, not many run late into the evening. The town hosts a few beach raves a year, but it’s limited beyond that.

Surfing in Palomino:

Palomino is known for its surfing. You’ find multiple surf companies in town and lining the beach. However, be aware, this isn’t your typical blue Caribbean coast sea. Due to the currents and outer reef the sea is very brown from sediment and the waves can get super choppy, so beginners won’t be able to surf every day. However, Palomino is considered one of the best places for beginners to learn when the tide if right.

Cost: 80,000COP (£15) – 1-hour Private lesson

Surf Classes –Palomino Surf & Bodyboard school |  Tide Surf School Palomino

Yoga in Palomino:

Palomino is a great town for finding your zen and there are lots of places to get in a yoga session. Several of the hotels offer classes to non-guests and there are also a couple of yoga places in town. You can even opt for a full yoga retreat at Sirena Eco Hotel if you fancy.

Cost: Yoga lessons cost around 25,000COP (£5) for 1hour, 35,000COP (£7) for 1.5hours.

Yoga Classes – Sirena Hotel | Selina Palomino

Aside from Surfing, Yoga and relaxing Palomino is also a great gateway destination to lots of other day trips. Below we’ve outlined the top day trips to do for Palomino.

DAY TOURS FROM PALOMINO

Flamingo Sanctuary – The Flamingo sanctuary is located about 1 hours drive north of Palomino and can therefore be done on a one-day tour. In this beautiful reserve you will come up close to pink flamingos. Once at the sanctuary you go out on a boat to hunt for the flamingos, as they are in their natural habitat, this can take a couple of hours. If you are lucky, you may even see a flock of pink flying overhead.

Tayrona National Park – The entrance to Tayrona National Park is only located about 1 hour from Palomino. We opted to stay by the park for a couple of nights after Palomino, but for those who want to limit travel you can do a day trip from Palomino. Tayrona national park is a protected area covering the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta as they meet the Caribbean coast. It’s famous for its palm-shaded coves, coastal lagoons, rainforest, and rich biodiversity. Entrance to the park is £10.

Tayrona National Park

HOW TO GET TO PALOMINO

You can get a bus direct from many of the big cities in northern Colombia. The easiest routes are from Santa Marta (2Hours), Barranquilla (3Hours) OR Cartagena (6Hours). There are two main bus companies, Expresso Brasilia and Unitransico. From Cartagena tickets are 45COP (£8), and cheaper from Barranquilla or Santa Marta. You can either book in advance online via Redbus, or just turn up to the station on the day. About 10 buses a day leave from each of the destinations.

Note – Buses rarely arrive on time. So, if you aren’t the first departure destination, they will likely pick you up late, and if you are you will likely turn up to your end destination a couple of hours late (even if you depart on time).

IS PALOMINO SAFE?

Yes. Palomino is a small, not very wealthy town that has grown in popularity over the las decade. This gradual increase in tourism is slowly bringing more wealth and prosperity to the area. The people are super nice. They don’t have much, but they are extremely welcoming and happy to have tourists in their little town. You can walk around at night without any issues and have gadgets on show. We avoided big cameras on the main round through town (where the bus stops).

DOES PALOMINO HAVE ANY BANKS? CAN YOU PAY BY CARD?

No, Palomino really is a tiny town. There are no ATMs or banks or money exchanges around. While half the town does take card payment this isn’t always guaranteed. While we were there, we lost electricity for the first day and Wi-Fi for the second. When this happens, it cuts of card payments for lots of the smaller vendors. You will find somewhere to get what you need but you’d be very limited for choice. Cash is also great for the little shops in town, where you can buy traditional Colombia shirts, or jewellery.

If you are visiting Colombia for more than a couple of weeks, I would highly recommend adding Palomino to your Colombia itinerary. While it’s off the beaten track, it’s easy enough to get to and shows you a completely different side to Colombia. I have no doubt in a decade this town will be much more built up, so head to Palomino before it becomes a tourist overrun spot in Colombia.