South America
Colombia
La Guajira Department
Palomino
Things to Do in Palomino
Playas de Palomino
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Playas de Palomino

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Playas de Palomino
4
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Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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Tours & experiences
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
58 within 3 miles
Maria Mulata
804
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Bar • Cafe • International
Restaurante Finca Escondida
250
436 ft$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Bar • Seafood
Restaurante Primaluna Beach
370
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • Seafood
La Casa del Pavo Real
111
0.3 mi$$ - $$$ • Contemporary • Fusion • Healthy
Makao Restaurante
59
97 ft$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Bar • International
La Frontera Pizzería Bar
294
0.4 mi$$ - $$$ • Colombian • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options
Casa Cocotte palomino
282
0.5 mi$ • French • Caribbean • Seafood
Paluna Beach Rest
22
302 ft$$$$ • Mexican • Caribbean • Latin
Wazale By Aite
30
0.3 mi$$$$ • Caribbean • Latin • Seafood
The Dreamer Bar - Restaurant
42
0.2 mi$$ - $$$ • Caribbean • Bar • Pizza
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Attractions
5 within 6 miles
Palomino Surf Camp
0.2 miBeaches
Avistamiento De Aves In Palomino
1
1.1 miNature & Wildlife Areas
Filipo Oil
0.7 miArt Galleries
FilipoOil Art Gallery
0.8 miArt Galleries
Sun & Moon Travel
1.3 miNational Parks
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
443 reviews
Excellent
221
Very good
119
Average
55
Poor
30
Terrible
18
Rowan H
Cairns, Australia1,353 contributions
Much like the town this is a beach in decline
Dec 2022 • Couples
The majority of the beach has been severely damaged by erosion so there remains only about 5-10m of width before the fences start. Compounding this is the fact that the beach available is very angled and so you can’t comfortably sunbake on it.

The locals seem to be trying to stem the tide by placing strategic sandbag walls to capture the erosion but this only detracts further from the beaches appearance.

The sea was rough the entire time we were there, giving it a brown appearance and making it unpleasant and dangerous for swimming.

Most of the remaining visitors to the beach seem to be clustered around the opening of the rio palomino (the river people tube down) as there was a little bit more sand here and they were able to swim in the sheltered opening of the river. Definitely not ‘beach feels’.

Much like the town I believe this area has been stripped of its natural beauty through overjealous development.
Written December 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ranis555
Toulouse, France143 contributions
Well... I remembered it differently
Apr 2018 • Family
It's a bit dirty and not really taken care of... I've been there before and I know that some hostels and restaurants are really working to promote sustainable tourism but seriously, a lot of tourists just trash the place down. Palomino is a beautiful place, it is also a sacred place for 4 indigenous communities and it is the home to several species! If you go, which I recommend you do, please take care of the beach, don't throw garbage, don't buy plastics or straws...
Written April 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yazmin R
Bogotá, Distrito Especial, Colombia18 contributions
Gorgeous beach !!
Mar 2015 • Friends
If you love nature this is the beach for you !! You can get here by public bus from Santa Marta ( 2 Hours trip aprox for 3 USD) on your own car or by taxi, dependig on your budget. Avoid tours in white vans. I took a very disapointing one and they left us abandoned in the beach so we had to come back by public bus. The beach is a paradise an it worth a visit. There are some hostels and restaurants near the beach. Visitors are nature lovers and backpackers. Consider that you need to walk about 10 or 15 minutes from the main road to the beach. If you take your own car there is a parking place near the beach but the road is bumpy
Written March 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Iso
London, UK21 contributions
Relaxing Tropical Beach
Nov 2019 • Couples
Confused by some of the bad reviews of Palomino beach - it’s really nice! We’ve been to beaches across Asia and South America and we were still impressed by this one. We stayed in a Palomino for a week and went to the beach and swam every day. Yes it is narrow, but there’s still more than enough space to lay down, you can walk all the way along (about 15 minutes) to get to where the river meets the sea, which is really nice, and there’s a few restaurants there where you can get fresh fish and drinks. It’s also really nice because it’s not built up, so it’s just palm trees, beach and sea. You can happily swim there, the waves are really fun to jump around in, and it’s not a busy beach apart from at the weekend. Would definitely recommend!
Written November 25, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jay H
3 contributions
Insainly overrated beach and town.
Oct 2019
How can anyone give this place 4 or 5 stars unless they have never been to the ocean outside of a huge city. Muddy and horrible road leads to an unpleasant narrow strip of sand with a brick building and a couple dodgy restaurants. Also absolutely no "cool vibe" as everyone seems to describe. Baffling.
Written October 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sunny Dr
Rockville, MD857 contributions
Nice Pristine beach
Sep 2018
This town has become a favorite vacation spot of a younger crowd, many international and many surfers. It has its personality, mostly small
Hotels and hostels. The beach is pristine and was almost empty when we visited. We were gifted by the most amazing view of the Sierra Nevada
Written September 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Flocculus
Potomac, MD114 contributions
Really pretty beach
Mar 2018 • Family
Palomino was our favorite beach during our tour of the Colombian Caribbean coast. The sand is nice, and the strength of the waves vary. There is a congested area of food and drink places by the river, but those and vendors have not taken over a large area. You can eat and drink and then escape.
Written April 8, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GreenBoat
St. Petersburg, FL193 contributions
Unspoiled Beautiful Beach
Oct 2016 • Solo
If you, like me, are interested in finding isolated beaches, without the chaos, touts, and mass tourism found elsewhere, Palomino is a good find. First, due to the conflict situation of the recent past, Palomino is very undeveloped. The small town only has a handful of hostels and very few services. So, the beach is very tranquil and often completely isolated. Second, the view. The beach sits at the bottom of the worlds highest coastal mountain range, so you can sit on the beach and see the snow capped Andes and tropical forest at its base. It is surreal. Finally, the beach is beautiful as far as Colombian beaches go--outside the park beaches to the west--and is free. It's easy to find a hostel (quiet or rowdy, the area has both), and just unplug for a few days. As of last year, wifi was barely even a thing.

One word of caution, the currents are very strong so not a swim beach. Also, make sure you have any medical supplies you may need; I had an allergic reaction while there at night and couldn't find a driver to return to Santa Marta, and was unable to track down any antihistamine. I had to bother travelers in the middle of the night to find something which is often the best and only solution.
Written April 23, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JPulecio
Bogota, Colombia14 contributions
Romantic and relaxed getaway
Jan 2016 • Couples
Loved the beaches and the ecological hotels, the ocean its not safe for swimming... Must dine in the hotels because there is basically not too much around.. Excellent views !!
Written January 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B d A
Athens, Greece919 contributions
not gained much by seeing
Aug 2022
Early August, frothy breakers, the crowd, no colour and translucency an a bit bringing us close to the Bogartian repartee: Why did you come to Casablanca Rick?- I came for the waters- But we are in the desert-I was misinformed.
Palomino is a quasi hippy village, overexploited with beaches framed by two rivers were tubing is practiced.
The beaches are thin-stripped with sand and you cannot enjoy a long unperturbed walk by people or the elements. Some better eco-type resorty establishments occuoy the right hand domains as you reach the beaches.
It was nothing to write home about from a southeast european perspective (Greece-Turkey) but my nortwestern european colleagues were almost in mirthy enthusiasm.
Written August 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Playas de Palomino - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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