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 · 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.
Destination photo The Sierra Nevada on a clear day.
- Distance
- Visible from Palomino; peaks ~42 km from the coast
- How it is booked
- Only with an authorised operator or guide · not run by the hostel
What it is
Some 42 km from the coast, the Sierra Nevada rises to around 5,700 metres: the highest coastal mountain range in the tropics and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 1979. On clear mornings its snowy peaks are visible from Palomino.
It is the ancestral territory of the Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuaco and Kankuamo peoples. Their ancestral system of knowledge has been on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2022.
Looking at the Sierra is not the same as climbing it. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park is listed as closed to ecotourism, and tourist activities are not allowed in the high zones (páramo, lagoons and snow). What does exist are guided visits to some communities and sites in the lower areas, always with local or authorised guides.
Why you may love it
- Seeing snow from the Caribbean
- Understanding where Palomino’s rivers come from
- Learning from the communities who look after the territory
How to arrange it
- To see it: the beach or an open field on a clear morning.
- To visit communities or walk in the lower areas: only with local or authorised guides. Ask us and we will point you in the right direction.
- The trek to the Lost City (Teyuna) is a multi-day trip with authorised operators; Teyuna is a sacred site managed by ICANH.
Sources consulted (October 2026)
- Parques Nacionales Naturales · PNN Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (opens an external site)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (opens an external site)
- UNESCO · Ancestral system of knowledge of the Arhuaco, Kankuamo, Kogui and Wiwa (opens an external site)
- Hostelworld · Palomino travel guide (opens an external site)
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
