TAGANGA, SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA

Taganga is an authentic fishing town, a popular destination for scuba diving, with beautiful beaches nearby.

Frequent minibuses(collectivos) go from Carrera 5 in Santa Marta to Carrera 2 o 3 Taganga for C$ 1,200 per person 2011 price It's about 15 minutes. Beautiful ride. You can get off at the Mirador and walk down to town.

TAXI fare from bus terminal of Santa Marta to Taganga starts from $10,000, but drivers usually charge more for foreigners. Be sure to negotiate before you take. The fare from the main beach of Santa Marta(Carrera 1) to Taganga starts from $8,000 and raises to 10.000 on sundays, holidays and nights

For cruise ship passengers arriving in Santa Marta there are plenty of taxis and mini-buses waiting in a gated police controlled area to take you.

What to do:

1. Main beach is shared with the harbor of Taganga. It's small and simple but good for swimming. It will be very crowded on weekends by Colombian tourists. Be careful for thieving - never put something valuable on the beach.

2. A 25 minute walk north of town lies Playa Grande, definitely better than Taganga's beach but may be even more crowded. It is also possible to take a boat to get there (from 3000 COP per person) or one of the more remote beaches in Tayrona Park like Concha, Chengue, Neguanje (from 30000 COP per person for a return trip) - real unspoiled paradise. There are no people but just some fishermen.

3. A longer walk goes to Bonito Gordo and from there to Bahia Concha. Reserve a full day for this and ask around to decide if you need to contract a local guide. You can spend the night at Bahia Concha, but you may need to take your own hammock.

4. Scuba diving.


Taganga has recently become notorious for mugging and robbery, so regular precautions should be taken. Note that the local police is rather apathetic and mostly busy with dispersing artesanos selling handicrafts along the town beach. There are quite a few small beaches outside of Taganga, they are connected by walking paths covered by vegetation. These paths are used by local robbers, especially on weekdays when there are not many people walking to and fro. Do not walk there in small groups, even in daylight. If you carry valuables with you and don't feel adventurous, it's better to take a boat. If you consume illegal/recreational drugs be careful of getting shaken-down / searched / harassed by the local police. If they find anything on you be prepared to be taken into custody and threatened with jail unless you pay an on-the-spot fine (in cash, of course). Anyone you are traveling with is also subject to harassment and could be made to contribute to your "fine" as well. Beware: There were a spate of muggings from March 19th-23rd 2011 along the path between the football field and La Casa de Felipe using machetes. Safer to stay in a hostel further down from the football field.