Why go to Palomino, Colombia
Why go to Palomino?
It's a sleepy little town with everything on one long dirt track road where you can get lost for a few days. After passing through crazy Santa Marta and hiking through Tayrona and Minca, Palomino is a hidden paradise.
There are a handful of restaurants, a hippy vibe, yoga offered everywhere and a beach. Perfect for a few days to relax and read.
If that isn't enough for you, Palomino is worth a visit for tubing down a river or as a stopover before heading to la Guajira.
What to do:
1. Go to the beach: - walk to the end of the long dirt track road and you'll reach the beach - its narrow, but long and fringed with palm trees. There are many hotels and restaurants dotted along. It is a place for sunrise yoga, sunset surfing, running or simply sunbathing. I recommend going all the way to the very end of the beach (go right if you're facing the water) where the sea meets the river for some more peace and tranquility.
2. Do yoga - Offered at nearly every hostel/hotel. During low season you may be luckily enough to get a 1:1 session. I recommend the 9am classes at La Sirena hostel.
*the teacher didn't turn up to one of the classes I attended and so the hostel asked me to step in - which meant I taught my very first yoga class as a certified teacher! I was nervous, but it was awesome. I taught a hatha flow sequence. :)
3. Go tubing - Palomino is now becoming famous for its tubing. There are many spots to pick up a tube down the dirt track road. Just look out for a group of local lads sitting next to a giant pile of tubes. That's the ticket. Popular spot is opposite Tiki Hut, next to Dreamer Hostels. A motortaxi will take you to the beginning of the river. Should be around 25,000 COP. Grab some beers, or a bottle of rum if you fancy, and drift down the river. You will reach the sea, hop off and walk down the beach. (Side note: take a bus toward Tayrona and go tubing down San Diego river).
4. Eat good food - there are only a handle of restaurants in Palomino but they are good, I have jotted some down at the end of this post, but my top 2 choices are;
- Los 7 Mares (Vegetarian): this recently opened restaurant offers amazing veggie and vegan food. The falafel burger is awesome. The Argentinean owner Thomas is a top guy.
- La Frontera (Pizzeria): Hidden behind a little gift shop, this place is always packed with locals and travellers. Initially very dubious about the standard of Italian food we were going to receive, we were pleasantly surprised. Even GG approved, he loved the pizza topped with avocado.
*both are on the long dirt track road
5. Organise a trip to La Guajira - most travellers who reach Palomino will organise a trip to Cabo de la Vela or for a true adventure go all the way to Punta Gallinas. This is an absolute must do! There is too much to say about this trip - wait to read my full blog post coming up next....
Top Hostels and Restaurants:
La Sirena - an eco hostel with beautiful wooden cabañas right on the beach. Sadly this was out of our budget, but the food was great so we ate here most lunchtimes.
7/10 - $170,000. £££
Dreamers - better than the Santa Marta one, private rooms are big and clean. However, sadly the staff were still not very welcoming. In fact, they were so useless that we left after one night and moved to a smaller, family run hostel - Casa Semilla (below)
6/10 - $160,000 for private room. £££
Aite Eco hotel - awesome resort, right on the beach with a lot of space. Perfect for families or couples on a short break, not travelling.
8/10 - $370,000 ££££
Makao hotel - recently opened, ran by a lovely Spanish couple, right on the beach with a great sundeck and bar. *they also have an awesome restaurant in Solento, post coming soon!
9/10 - $300,000 ££££
Casa Semilla - tucked away half way up the dirt track road, this hostel has 2 private rooms and one dorm. Very cosy, cute lounge area and amazing breakfast included. Sadly it was badly organised, kind of expected as run by one guy who is a friend of the family who own it. However, he is so nice and such a good cook you get over it.
7/10 - $100,000 double ££
Restaurants
Los 7 Mares - vegetarian restaurant mentioned above.
8/10 £
La Sirena - restaurant attached to the ecohostel. A little further down the beach so has a quieter and relaxed vibe. Really good vegetarian and organic food from a local farm.
7/10££
La Frontera - Pizzeriamentioned above, delicious. Huge variety of pizzas, appetisers and pastas.
8/10 £
Suá - good variety of food served. The burgers come with a sort of ciabatta bread, which is great as its hard to find good bread in Colombia. Also has a large and well lit seating area with a great atmosphere.
7/10££
General tips:
- Don't get a motortaxi to your hostel, just walk.
- Bring cash! Closest ATM is a 20-min cab ride.
- Cover yourself in insect repellent, mosquitoes are everywhere.
- Go to the main road at the end of the dirt track for all transport - buses to Santa Marta, Tayrona, La Guajira etc.
Palomino is worth a visit, even just for a day or two.
Side note - Palomino is where I had a very emotional and spiritual experience meditating on the beach. If your interested read my recent post on Mindfulness here
Meditation