Recommended by the Tía

Palomino

Over the line into La Guajira: a river down from the Sierra, an inner tube, a hammock and the sea at the end.

Beach
Adventure
Several days
Moderate
Families: it depends
On your own or organised

From the house: 1 h 45 min–2 h or more by bus, depending on traffic and stops

Photo: Fredy1622 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · licence

Palomino is a village in the municipality of Dibulla — already in La Guajira — at around km 72 of the Troncal del Caribe, where the Palomino river meets the sea. It looks up to the Sierra Nevada and has Kogui and Wiwa communities nearby. You can go and come back in a day, but it’s better with a night or two.

Don’t miss

1Tubing: floating down the Palomino river on an inner tube to the sea
2The Sierra Nevada as a backdrop
3Surf and hammock time
4An unhurried village to stay a couple of nights

What to expect

The star plan is tubing. According to a 2026 local guide, you ride about 10 minutes upriver by motorbike, walk 20 minutes, 40 minutes or an hour and a half depending on the route (the longest reaches a Kogui community, for observation only), then float 2–3 hours down to the river mouth. Always ask about the river level that day.

Palomino is also changing: erosion has pushed the shoreline back 130–190 metres in places, and in February 2026 restaurants at the river mouth were damaged. Don’t come expecting a wide beach — come for the river, the Sierra and the slow pace.

Getting there from the house

Cootransoriente bus from the Mercado

Buses leave from Carrera 9 at Calle 11, by the Mercado, every 12 minutes from 4:40 to 18:00. The trip takes 1 h 45 min to 2 h or more; the bus stops often.

Official source · cootransorientetayrona.com · colombia.travel · en.wikivoyage.org
Motorbikes in Palomino

Getting to the tubing start point usually means a motorbike ride. Passengers must wear a helmet.

Official source · alohapalomino.com · mintransporte.gov.co

Reference costs

Bus Santa Marta–Palomino: COP 14,000.

Official source checked 28 Oct 2026 cootransorientetayrona.com
There’s no charge to enter the village. Tubing: prices vary by route — check current rates with the local operator.

Secondary source alohapalomino.com

Closures, hours and weather

In 2026 the Troncal del Caribe saw several disruptions: the Palomino erosion protest (10 June), clashes and blockades (15–17 June), an armed strike (21–24 September) and clashes in Guachaca (23 October). Ask at the house about the road before leaving; things can change within hours.

Secondary source checked 28 Oct 2026 eltiempo.com elheraldo.co elespectador.com elinformador.com.co
Rivers along this corridor rise fast after heavy rain: the Mendihuaca bridge on this same road collapsed in a flood on 3 February 2026, and a military bridge has been in use since March. After downpours, skip the tubing.

Secondary source checked 28 Oct 2026 larepublica.co

Safety

There are strong currents where the river meets the sea.

Secondary source en.wikivoyage.org
We found no official guidance on tubing or river levels — ask the operator how the river is that day, and don’t go in if it’s running high.

Secondary source alohapalomino.com

The Tía says

Get your cash in Santa Marta, leave the big suitcase with me and take just your backpack. And before you go, ask me how the road is.

What to bring

Your list: tick what you’ve packed.

Cash — Colombia Travel says there are no ATMs
Closed shoes for the walk
A dry bag
Biodegradable sunscreen
Insect repellent
Clothes for a night or two

Who it suits

Best as a stop of one or two nights, or on the way into La Guajira. A day trip means about four hours on the bus in total; if you do it, leave early and go tubing in the morning.

With children: River tubing suits most people, but the sea and the river mouth have strong currents. With children, take great care and always go with a local guide.