Visiting Tayrona National Park with kids is fun! It is Colombia’s most popular national park. You really can’t skip a visit to this park when traveling through Colombia with your family! The park is really beautiful! There is a huge jungle which borders an insane beach that is miles long. Lots of wildlife lives there and you have a good chance of seeing multiple species of monkeys and reptiles. However, some preparation for this park is needed and especially if you are traveling with kids. We visited Tayrona National Park with our family and share all the information and tips for visiting in this blog!
Best travel time Tayrona National Park with kids
The best travel time to visit Tayrona National Park with kids is in the dry season from December through March and from July through September. This is the summer season in Colombia. The wet season normally occurs from April to May and from October to November.
We traveled through Colombia during the months of July and August, so we visited Tayrona National Park with our kids in July and it was fine. However, the park also has closing dates! Good to keep this in mind when traveling to Tayrona National Park with kids.
The park is closed the first half of February, the first half of June and the second half of October. So always check the Tayrona National Park website in advance to see if the park is open.
They then close the park so that the indigenous tribes can perform their rituals in peace, that they can do maintenance on the trails and so that nature can recover from all the hustle and bustle of tourism. The park is a sacred place for 4 different indigenous tribes that live there.
So keep in mind these weeks when the park is closed!
Transportation to and in Tayrona
In Colombia, it is very easy for a family to travel by bus to Tayrona National Park. This mode of transportation is very inexpensive and a true experience. Sometimes the bus is crammed, and other times you share the space with bags of rice and cages full of chickens. Music is played by buskers who get in and out, hoping to earn a penny.
In Tayrona, we had a hotel near the National Park. This is very convenient as it is recommended to be at the park entrance early because of the heat and crowds. In addition, this is when you have the greatest chance of seeing wildlife in the early morning. Therefore, be sure to be at the park entrance around 8 a.m.
Buses run along the road and stop in front of the entrance to Tayrona National Park. Walking from Tayrona could also have been done, but because the walk you take through the National Park is quite spicy we took the bus with our kids to save some miles of walking. Keep in mind that you will have to show your passport at the park entrance, so bring it with you to the park!
The National Park
If you visit Tayrona National Park, a hike through this amazing park is planned anyway. So too with us! There are 2 entrances in this park, and we chose the main entrance El Zaino. From here you can start walking and run a route right through the jungle. Our kids really enjoyed this hike and the trail is good to do with kids.
This is also the route most tourists walk in the park. You then walk from El Zaino to Cabo San Juan beach. You can still do the first part by minibus to the beginning of the hike. You can already download the map of the park in advance through the app maps.me and that way you can also navigate Tayrona National Park with kids just fine.
There is also a lot of scrambling and climbing to be done during this hike which makes it very fun and playful for kids. It was tremendously hot, but because you walk under trees (for the most part) it’s manageable. Be sure to bring plenty of water! At least 2 liters per person, because you don’t want to run out. You can also spend the night in Tayrona Park after the hike, but we ended up not doing this.
We didn’t know if we were going to make it to these accommodations because you had to walk quite far, and that was too far for our boys because of the heat. So halfway through, we returned to the entrance with a different route. On the hiking trail is a bakery, in the middle of the jungle which you don’t expect at all.
These people who live here take advantage of all the tourism that comes to visit the park and bake chocolate croissants. So make sure you bring cash with you to the park, because you cannot withdraw money at the park.
Everyone has been walking for several hours at this point, and the sandwiches are not to be had here. So we walked back toward the entrance with a well-filled belly and decided not to stay at that point. On the route back we walked along a beach and this vast beach we walked along was so beautiful and empty.
It is possible to swim in Tayrona National Park with kids at La Piscina beaches and at Cabo San Guan. At Arrecifes beach, this is prohibited because of the strong undercurrent.
In total, we walked 1.5 hours out and 1.5 hours back in Tayrona National Park. In miles it is not very bad, but the scrambling and especially the heat made it quite tough but doable with kids. Our boys were 6 and 9 at the time we took this hike.
We saw monkeys, a snake and several lizards. And we ate the most delicious fresh sandwiches they baked for us here in the jungle. We will never forget this!
Family-friendly lodging in Tayrona National Park
So what you can also do is stay overnight in Tayrona National Park with kids. We met people, who were also traveling with 2 kids (they were in the same hotel outside the park) and they did stay overnight in the national park. Based on their experiences, we also provide information about them in this blog. If you want to spend the night in the park, take the El Zaino entrance and walk 2 hours through the jungle to the campsite.
You can reserve your sleeping place in advance at the entrance. This is quite nice, because a few years ago this system was not there. Then there was room when you arrived at the campsite or not. So especially if you decide to consider this with kids you are therefore guaranteed a place to sleep if you can reserve it. You can then be sure that you are not walking to the campsite for nothing.
Do go adequately rested in Tayrona National Park with kids! Bring plenty of water, mosquito spray, food and sleeping gear.
Keep it basic because you also have to wear everything during the hike. There are also men with horses ready, but the horses are not properly cared for and treated. So our tip is not to take advantage of this. There are several sleeping spots in the campground that you walk to. The sleeping spots range from hammocks and tents to a more expensive eco lodge.
Cabo San Juan is the most sought-after campsite in Tayrona National Park. This campground is quite large and the tents and sleeping mats are basic. Of course, if you want to spend the night at this campground, you must enjoy going completely back to basics. For there is no shower, or running water, except for the sea in which to cool off. But if you as a family love this, definitely do it!
Watching the sunrise from your tent practically on the beach is unforgettable!
Family-friendly restaurant Tayrona
Since Tayrona is not a very cozy place, but is mostly known for the National Park, I have written down a few locations below. These are fine accommodations where you can sleep AND eat, and are fun to visit with kids.
The Arca Tayrona is both a restaurant and a hotel, which is ideal when traveling with kids! The hotel offers spacious, clean rooms and has a varied menu. You’ll find local food, as well as familiar options like sandwiches.
Quetzal Dorado Eco Lodge is also a fun stay with kids. This residence has a large pool and is in a prime location in the middle of the jungle. This resort also has a restaurant and reviews reflect that the food is fantastic.
The Monte Verde Hostal also has very nice family rooms with bunk beds! This hostal also has a swimming pool, a good restaurant and helpful staff. The view is breathtaking when you are enjoying your dinner at the end of the day!
Family-friendly hotel Tayrona
You can stay in the area of Tayrona National Park with kids just fine. We list below the best rated accommodations in the region. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Tayrona Angel Lodge
Mid-range accommodations: Gardenia Springs
Luxury accommodation: La Mar de Bien
Also, check out the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Tayrona.
About the author: I am Prynta and together with my husband and two kids I love to explore the world with the four of us. We have been on many exotic trips and are far from done traveling! You can follow us on our Instagram channel _TravelTribe_.
