Colombia is an intercontinental country embraced by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. This unrivaled location is the reason for numerous beautiful beaches and diverse shores that are great for a memorable vacation. Some of those beaches are filled with tourists, and some are beautiful local secrets. In this article, we proceed to name many of those beaches, so you can choose where to head, based on your type of trip. We will also tell you how to get there and how to have the most pleasant time. Most of these shores are noticeably near each other, and you can visit them one after another.
Colombia Beaches
Colombia has two coastlines filled with beaches. First, we are going the Caribbean way to give you some ideas about your journey. These eastern beach destinations include Capurganá, Necocli, Cartagena city, Santa Marta, San Andrés Island, and Tayrona National Natural Park. Plus, Covenas, Riohacha, Barranquilla, Cabo San Juan del Guia, Buritaca, Gaira, Cabo de La Vela, and many more. Continue reading for more knowledge about each one of these magical places.
Cartagena
Cartagena is a port city in Colombia and the home to multiple lovely shores on the Caribbean side. Some of the beaches in or nearby Cartagena city are Bocagrande, Castillogrande, La Boquilla, and Manzanillo del Mar. Eating A plate of seafood on Cartagena’s coasts should cost you about 20 – 30 000 COP (Colombian Pesos), which is around 9 USD. But because most of their foods are local types of food, they are worth trying Now the best beaches are yet to be introduced.
Cartagena, Colombia
Santa Marta
The next Colombian port with some unique beach destinations is Santa Marta. Some of the best beaches you can ever see are there:
Santa Marta Bay
A Part of the shore is beside the city’s sidewalks that you can walk with your shoes and casual clothes on, or even ride bicycles with a view of sparkling water around.
El Rodadero in Gaira
A gorgeous beach but full of tourists. You have access to shops, restaurants, bars, etc., because it’s in the city, and the city background sure has its own flavor. This one is an excellent choice for those who love to have a quick beach visit.
Pozos Colorados
Pozos Colorados beach is in the tourist-free zone of Santa Marta. It’s not necessarily glamorous but gives you a chance to swim, relax and enjoy some silence blended with the healing sound of the waves. Many visitors love to spend their time in a relaxing place.
Playa Cristal
It is regularly called the best beach at Santa Marta/Tayrona. The water is indeed crystal clear at the crystal beach, so much that you are able to see little fishes swimming next to the shore, and it is ready to snorkel in. Chairs and shades are available for your comfort, and the local food is tasty. Don’t forget to take your towel! You are going to have a complete swimming experience.
Bahia Concha
It is an excellent quiet beach surrounded by mountains with clean water and delicious fried fish dishes. The earlier you go, the more relaxed you can get. For testing their tasty foods, try to find a local place and let them introduce their foods.
Neguanje
Another one of Tayrona’s beaches with gorgeous waves and mountains nearby. The water’s temperature is pleasant, and the sun is enjoyable as always. Neguanje is close to playa cristal and maybe a little graceless compared to it, but if you have already seen playa cristal, make sure to visit, and you may even think completely the opposite about it!
Cabo San Juan del Guia
It is rightfully a super special destination. One is tempted to visit this beach as soon as they see even one photo of it. It is culturally rich and has a unique rocky look full of ups and downs. You can get there by hiking for nearly 2 hours if you like taking long walks. If you are not particularly into that, especially because hot weather and humidity can be uncomfortable, take a horse or boat ride.
If you want to have an inexpensive visit, try not to eat the food there because it tends to be more pricey, which is normal; just bring a packed lunch with yourself. To get into Cabo San Juan, you must pay a cheap entrance fee, and it is definitely worth it. Also do not forget to bring your passport. There is nearly no loud nightlife at this beach, it is quiet at night, and parties are not expected.
Buritaca
here is one of Colombia’s beaches to go to if you wish to be disconnected from the world. If you are a fan of diving and magnificent waves, it’s actually a fantastic choice. You can also have some good local food, have some nice walks, go kayaking and ride boats. Buritaca is located between and Palomino Tayrona, which you will read about both in the following paragraphs.
You can have a chill family time here, and your eye will catch some great views. Basic knowledge of the Spanish language will make your trip to Buritaca easier since it’s not a super famous tourist attraction and you need to communicate with locals. Buritaca’s beach is where a flowing river meets the ocean, so it’s a highly unique twofer. Make sure to take cash with you because there is only one ATM available.
Santa Marta, Colombia
San Andrés Island
San Andrés Island is one of the other seaside attractions of the Caribbean Sea. This Island includes beaches like Playa Spratt bight and San Andrés main beach. The water on those coasts looks like a painting made with mixed blue colors; a part of this look might be because of the coral reefs, which San Andrés Island is famous for.
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is filled with Lateritious and white buildings and nice shores on the edge, such as Sabanilla, Salgar, Puerto Colombia, Puerto Velero, Caño Dulce, Mendoza Beach, Turipaná, Palmarito, and Santa Verónica.
La Guajira
Visiting La Guajira in east Colombia means enjoying the golden sands and blue waters in a desirable solitude.
Punta Gallinas
It is a beach located in La Guajira, where you can get to a desert after near four hours of crossing. It is sort of a magical hidden place, so don’t expect umbrellas or chairs, bars, etc.; it is a pristine part of nature, so be aware of that while packing your bags!
Cabo de la vela: a lovely village with a truly colossal beach that you can walk on for hours. It has fabulous red-ish sands that make you feel like you are on mars. The food is also good and affordable.
San Andrés in Colombia
Palomino
Now let’s see some of the Colombian Municipalities with beaches. Palomino Island has lovely shaded beaches and delightful sunlight. You can dip your toes into the water, order your food and drink and just relax for a while. The shores are also long so you can take a good walk too.
Coveñas
Near the lovely Tolú coast, Coveñas is Another place having long beaches with bars and restaurants that are great for taking a walk and treating yourself. You can move around in comfortable buses from the coveñas terminal. Some shores are relatively under-developed, but it’s eventually up to you to like or dislike them.
Riohacha
In the department of La Guajira, Riohacha is an amazing destination in the Colombian beaches category, and it is culturally important too. It is lively with a vivid nightlife and Immaculate nature.
Palomino in Colombia
Villages With Beaches
Some of the villages in Colombia have their own beaches. You may not like to spend your time in a small village, but before making your decision, you should know that there a pleasure in spending your time in places where tourists are unlikely to be found. These villages and their beaches in Colombia are excellent examples of what we call: local experiences.
Capurganá
A car-free village, so you can only get there by boat or airship. Capurganá has a beach named Aguacate (Avocado!) Bay, which is named because of its wonderful green water.
Taganga
located on the north of Santa Marta; this is a little friendly fishing village. Taganga’s beaches are sunny and beautiful but can be populated. Visiting Playa Grande near Taganga is highly recommended.
Tagana in Colombia
Pacific Ocean Beaches
On the western side, we have pacific coasts of Colombia: Nuquí, Buenaventura, Bahía Solano, Puerto Colombia, Tumaco, Pianguita, Ladrilleros, etc.; they look overall less sunny and populated than the Caribbean coasts but are still phenomenal.
Buenaventura
We are excited to tell you about La Barra beach in Buenaventura. It is yet another piece of pristine nature, and the beach reflecting the sky is just heavenly. You will certainly get bewitched too.
Buenaventura, Colombia
Chocó
So we left one of the bests for the last. The Chocó department is a unique one because it has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic sea. You can find some of the most mesmerizing beaches in west Colombia here, like:
Bahía Solano also called Valle: a cloudy gray sky at times, little sea rocks on the soft sand, and luscious green vegetation like plants in the middle of the water, are some of the things you can expect from this beach.
Guachalito
Unpopulated, Beautiful, and peaceful. It more or less looks like Bahía Solan, so if you want a similar experience, it’s the right choice.
Nuquí
Another huge beach under the blue sky filled with clouds. You can walk and run on sands for hours, but don’t get too far and make sure you’re staying in a safe area.
