River · half a day
Tubing down the Palomino River
Float down the river on an inner tube, from the forest to where fresh water meets the sea.
With local operators or on your own · we can advise
Experiences
Calm inside. Adventure outside.
What happens at the house and what you can do around it are different things, and we keep them clearly apart here. Outside, we do not sell tours: we tell you how to arrange things.
At the house
What happens in the garden
Ask about activities during your stay.
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Garden time
Acapulco chairs in the shade, hammocks and tables under the lights. The most underrated plan in Palomino is having no plan.
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The yoga deck
A wooden platform among the trees for stretching at your own pace. There are no fixed classes: ask whether a session is happening during your stay.
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A kitchen to share
A fridge, a stove, pots and conversation. Plenty of hostel friendships start while waiting for a turn at the stove.
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Birdwatching from your chair
Parakeets in the starfruit tree, hummingbirds in the flowers. The birds come when they please: keep your camera handy in the mornings.
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Bicycles
Available to hire at the hostel (for a fee) to reach the river or the beach, or to ride around the village.
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Games and the lounge
Board games, the green lounge with its blue Buddha and a guitar that rarely sits still.
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Signed walls
Muralists passing through have left their mark on the walls, the jaguar among them. The house keeps changing with its visitors.
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Every now and then
- Movie nights
- Themed dinners
- Cooking get-togethers
- Live acoustic music
- Karaoke
- Mural projects
Ask about activities during your stay.
Around Palomino
Between the forest, the river and the sea
A short, honest guide: what each outing is, how it is arranged, what to bring and what to watch out for.
Sea · a 15-minute walk
Palomino beach
A long, wild, palm-lined beach, with the snowy Sierra peeking out on clear mornings.
Free to do: nothing to book
River · a walk along the beach
San Salvador River
Palomino’s other river meets the sea at the eastern end of the beach, about 3 km from the hostel.
Free to do: nothing to book
Mountains · sacred territory
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
From Palomino you can see the highest coastal mountains in the tropics. It is scenery, but above all it is the living territory of four Indigenous peoples.
Only with an authorised operator or guide · not run by the hostel
Mountains · a two-day trip
Cerro Kennedy
A mountain ridge above Minca, over 2,800 metres high, with views of the snowy peaks and the sea on clear days. It is not a day trip from Palomino.
Only with an authorised operator or guide · not run by the hostel
Village · at your own pace
Walking and cycling around Palomino
Palomino is a walk-or-cycle kind of place: one main street of shops and sandy lanes running down to the sea.
Free to do: nothing to book
Stream · 30–60 min by road
Quebrada Valencia
Natural pools and waterfalls on a stream coming down from the Sierra, on the way to Santa Marta.
With local operators or on your own · we can advise
National park · ~1 h by bus
Tayrona National Park
The eastern entrances to Tayrona National Park are about an hour away by bus along the coast.
Entry per National Parks rules · check closures
How we help
We do not run tours or take commissions on this site. Message us and we will explain how each outing works and point you in the right direction depending on the weather, the river and your days.