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
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.
- Distance
- 5–6 h or more each way from Palomino
- Duration
- Two days recommended from Palomino
- How it is booked
- Only with an authorised operator or guide · not run by the hostel
What it is
Cerro Kennedy lies in the San Lorenzo sector, above Minca, in the Sierra Nevada. Sources put it above 2,800 metres (some say 3,100). On clear days you can see the snowy peaks, Santa Marta and the Caribbean.
It is cold up there: temperatures range roughly from 7 to 18 °C, and dawn is the coldest part of the day.
Why you may love it
- One of the highest accessible viewpoints in the region
- Cloud forest and birds
- Sunrise facing the snowy peaks
How to arrange it
- You go up from Minca: about 30 minutes on a paved road to the “la Y” junction at La Tagua, then 2.5 to 3 hours on a dirt track by 4x4 or high-clearance motorbike, through the El Dorado reserve.
- From Palomino, add about two hours by road to Santa Marta: five to six hours or more each way in total. In practice it is a two-day trip with an operator.
- There are places to stay in the El Dorado reserve, in the San Lorenzo sector and near the top.
- It is not a hostel excursion: we can help you think through the logistics, but transport and guiding are hired from operators in Santa Marta or Minca.
More outings
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
