Skip to content
Voykit
Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. How we verify
Source checked
A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
Field checked
Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
Plan calculated
Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.

Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Back to Calabazo

In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.

Voykit pocket guide · Colombia

Calabazo

Use Calabazo as a quiet base for Tayrona's less crowded beaches: two nights, cash only, no ATM.

Calabazo, also called Colinas de Calabazo, is a small village on Highway 90 just south of Tayrona National Park. It's cooler than Santa Marta and surrounded by forest. The main draw is access to Playa Brava and Boca de Saco, two beaches that see fewer visitors than the park's main entrances. There are no ATMs, so bring cash. Mototaxis cover the 10 km to the coast.

BogotáAracatacaArmeniaBaricharaBarranquillaBoyacáBucaramangaBuenaventuraBugaCabo de la VelaCalarcáCaliCapurganáCartagenaCalabazo200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Colombia
Best months
Dec–Apr
Avoid
May–Nov (rainy season, some paths may be muddy)
Stay
2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
COP
Money
Currency is the Colombian peso (COP, $). Cards work in hotels, malls and many restaurants; cash is needed for small shops, markets and rural areas.
Daily spend
Budget COP$40,000–70,000 excl. bed · Mid COP$70,000–120,000 excl. bed · High COP$120,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Claro (best coverage), Movistar and Tigo SIMs in malls and at airports; passport required and IMEI registration may apply for longer stays — check.
Emergency
Police, ambulance, fire 123
Plugs
Types A, B · 110–120 V · 60 Hz · US-style plugs.
Tipping
Restaurants: 10% propina voluntaria offered on the bill.; Guides: COP 20,000–50,000 per person per day.; Taxis: Round up.
Water
Tap water is safe in Bogotá and Medellín; drink bottled on the coast and in rural areas.
Toilets
Put paper in the bin in most places; bring tissues for bus stations.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Main dish with soup and drink (highway restaurant)COP$12,000
Mototaxi to the beach (one way)COP$10,000–15,000
Bus Santa Marta → CalabazoCOP$7,000
Dorm bed per nightCOP$27,000–30,000

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

SMR · Simón Bolívar International Airport (Santa Marta)
About 1 h by bus or taxi to Calabazo

Typical fares

Bus Santa Marta → Calabazo
about COP$7,000, about 1 h (check)
Mototaxi Calabazo → Playa Brava
COP$10,000–15,000, about 30 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

On foot within the village. Mototaxis to the beaches (about COP$10,000–15,000 per ride, check). OsmAnd or Mapy.cz work better than Google Maps for the path to the coast.

See and do

Known for

  • Playa Brava
  • Boca de Saco
  • Tayrona National Park access
  • Mototaxi rides to the coast

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Playa BravaMototaxi from Calabazo, about 30 minAbout 40 min
Boca de SacoMototaxi from Calabazo, about 30 minAbout 40 min
Santa MartaWhite bus from Highway 90, about 1 hAbout 1.5 h
MincaBus to Santa Marta, then colectivo to MincaAbout 2 h

Sleep

Calabazo village
Basic hostels and fincas; quiet, forest setting.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
HelloHolaoh-lah
How much does it cost?¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-to KWES-tah
Where is the beach?¿Dónde está la playa?DON-deh es-TAH la PLAH-yah
I need cashNecesito efectivoneh-seh-SEE-to eh-fek-TEE-vo
Thank youGraciasGRAH-see-as

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake, cheek kiss between women and mixed pairs; avoid: Launching into requests without a greeting
  • Politeness: 'Con gusto', 'a la orden'; avoid: Blunt commands
  • Topics: Coffee, football, food; avoid: Escobar jokes, drug talk
  • Showing valuables: Keep phones away; avoid: 'Dar papaya'

Scams and watch-outs

  • No ATMs in Calabazo or for 100 km east along Highway 90: bring enough cash from Santa Marta.
  • Mototaxi drivers may not have a fixed schedule; get their WhatsApp numbers beforehand.
  • Tayrona National Park entrance fee applies when you reach the beaches (check current price).

Calabazo is safe, but the main risks are lack of ATMs and mototaxi availability. Carry cash and save driver numbers.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Calabazo yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Playa Brava
  • Boca de Saco
  • Tayrona National Park access
  • Mototaxi rides to the coast

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Calabazo

A esta dirección, por favor

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police, ambulance, fire123

The US has an embassy in Bogotá and a consulate in Barranquilla. Most other countries have embassies in Bogotá.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/calabazo). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.