You’d be forgiven for passing straight through “downtown” Palomino without giving it a second look, but slow down to discover a real-life paradise between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and amazing, almost deserted, palm-tree-lined beaches on the other side. Nestled between its namesake Palomino River and the San Salvador River, the region is home to some fascinating wildlife. The most fun way to observe the animals is from an inner tube floating down the Palomino toward the Caribbean (you have to earn your leisurely journey, though, with a 20-minute uphill walk first). A word of warning: The sea in this area has strong, unpredictable currents that make swimming a challenge—if not downright dangerous; serious safety precautions are recommended.
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My Hammock in the Sunshine
See our full list of Where to Go in 2015. After climbing and hiking in the Colombian jungle for over 10 hours, I began to have second thoughts on my Parque Tyrona adventure. But the feeling quickly dissolved as I descended the final set of boulders. As the forest trees began to grow thin, replaced by palm trees, the view cleared, and this is what I saw: the most perfect, serene, and lovely isolated paradise I’ve come across in my life thus far. There’s a campground (tents only), a lovely restaurant that serves up fresh blended mango, pineapple and papaya juice, as well as food to reenergize after a long hike. I could have stayed here for a week, at least.
Coastline Mountain Oasis overlooking Colombian Jungle Canopy
With the highest snow peaks in Colombia situated to the East, the Caribbean coast to the west, Los Pinos Hostel sits high nestled amongst the Sierra Nevadas overlooking the lush green top of the jungle’s canopy. A former military base/finca, this newly hostel-ized property provides one of the most stunning views of the Colombian coastal Santa Marta region and a magical South American sunset like no other. Spending time in the Santa Marta area, a trip to Minca is an absolute must to round out the experience. Situated at 1450 ft above sea level, the hike/taxi/moto-taxi (or combination of all 3) that you take up to the top is well worth the journey. As one of the only places in the world where you can see both snow capped mountains and the ocean’s coast from the same view point, the lookout makes for the ideal spot to watch a radiant colorful sunset fall beneath the thermal layer of thick fog that blurs the horizon line. Read lazily on a hammock, take a hike through the vast jungle below the property, pick fresh fruit, visit a coffee finca, rappel waterfalls off cliffs in the area, enjoy the bon fire under the stars in the most picturesque, cool jungle setting. This area is also a mountain bike enthusiast’s dream, with endless trails, be prepared to rent a bike and ride the 1400+ ft descent with white knuckles all the way down. Take a trip with Elemento Tours (http://www.elementooutdoor.com) and see the depth of beauty this place has to offer.
