How to get from Santa Marta to Palomino

Why visit Palomino?

Palomino is a small beach town on Colombia’s north coast. Its laidback atmosphere is a huge contrast to the rest of the country’s generally hectic vibe. In Palomino, one’s worries go away, even just for a few days.

Its spectacular beaches and surrounding lush jungle make it the perfect destination for adventurous travellers and nature lovers. You can enjoy a variety of activities in Palomino like surfing, horseback riding on the beach and river tubing. It also has an ideal location, close to other popular destinations like Tayrona National Park, Santa Marta and Rioacha.

There are 2 ways to travel the 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Santa Marta to Palomino. You can choose between the bus and taxi. The journey takes 25 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes and the quickest way is by bus. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at 12,000 COP ($2.80).

To get from Santa Marta to Palomino, you can use the same buses that go to Tayrona Park as the last stop is Palomino.

There are five bus companies operating on this route: Cootransoriente Tayrona*, Expreso Brasilia, Unitransco, Expreso Almirante Padilla and Almirante Padilla S.A.. We recommend buying your tickets online on Busbud so that you won’t have to queue for tickets at the bus station. You’ll also know their schedules beforehand.

If you’re travelling with Cootransoriente Tayrona, you can only buy tickets directly at their office for 12,000 COP ($2.80). Keep in mind that their drivers typically wait until the bus is full before departing, so you may experience a wait time of up to 30 minutes if there aren’t enough passengers.

Departure station

Most buses depart from Terminal Santa Marta in the city centre.

As for Cootransoriente Tayrona, it departs from a small bus stop behind the central market (Mercado Central), quite close to Santa Marta city centre. To get here, you can either take a taxi for 6,000 COP ($1.40) or walk for 20 minutes. It’s worth noting that you’ll have to pass through some areas that aren’t particularly safe so it’s better to take a taxi.

A private transfer is a convenient option when travelling in a group from Santa Marta to Palomino.

We recommend booking online via BookAway to get a fixed price. Rates start from 325,000 COP ($77) for a 2-seater private transfer. Divide the cost and that’s about 162,000 COP ($38.50) per person. Travel time is around 1 hour to 2 hours 15 minutes.

You can also book a taxi via your accommodation or an official taxi company. The rate will depend on your ability to negotiate with the driver, but a trip from Santa Marta to Palomino should cost around 237,000 COP ($56).

Unfortunately, Uber doesn’t operate in Santa Marta and hailing a taxi off the street isn’t the safest way to travel.