Palomino between beach and river

In Palomino, long beach walks go hand in hand with activities on the Río Palomino and in the sea. This lets you explore the area according to your interests—on foot, on the water, or with a view of the horizon. Palomino also offers workshops in cooking, weaving, and dance, as well as spaces for yoga and meditation.

Beach walks and time by the sea

You can walk along Palomino’s miles of beaches. The beach is also a good place to watch the horizon and the sunset. If you enjoy spending your days outdoors, these walks offer a different focus from activities on the river: here, the seaside route and the view of the horizon shape the experience. You can combine them when planning your trip with days focused on water activities or a surf lesson.

Tubing, stand-up paddleboarding, and surfing

On the Río Palomino, you can float downstream in an inner tube. Stand-up paddleboarding and tubing are also offered on the river. The tubing trip ends at the beach, where the Río Palomino flows into the Caribbean Sea. For tubing and stand-up paddleboarding, it is advisable to use certified local agencies or guides.

Several local surf schools offer lessons by the sea for all experience levels. Surf lessons include boards, instructors, and supervision in the water. Check which surf schools are currently operating before booking. Whether you choose to include a river trip, stand-up paddleboarding, or surf lessons in your plans will give your trip a different focus.

Workshops and quieter interests

In addition to the beach and water, Palomino offers workshops in cooking, weaving, and dance, as well as spaces for yoga and meditation. These give you more options if you don’t want to focus your trip solely on activities by the sea or river. When planning, consider what mix of walks, water sports, and these offerings suits your interests.

Magdalena: nature and cultural perspectives

In the wider destination of Magdalena, Vía Parque Isla de Salamanca offers a distinctive natural setting. The park’s main ecosystems include coastal marine areas, mangrove forests, bodies of water, sedimentary soils, and semi-arid and subxerophytic forests. The park has three land trails: El Cangrejo, Olivos y Clemones, and El Cocodrilo. El Manglar is a raised platform above Caño Clarín Viejo. Along the trails, hiking offers opportunities for bird, wildlife, and plant observation, as well as environmental interpretation. The park administration also lists two water routes—La Cuna del Caimán and Ciénaga de Marchena—as currently active and staffed; check their operating status before visiting.

Magdalena’s cultural sites also offer a different perspective on the destination. The stilt settlements of Bocas de Aracataca, also known as Trojas de Cataca, Buenavista, and Nueva Venecia, also known as El Morro, have existed since the mid-19th century in the Ciénaga de Pajaral wetlands and along Ciénaga Grande. In Aracataca, a mural by the old irrigation canal next to Parque Lineal Macondo features nearly thirty paintings depicting parts of Gabriel García Márquez’s novels. More than fourteen artists from Aracataca and neighboring communities contributed to it. Casa del Telegrafista is a white house with red doors and is considered part of Colombia’s historical and cultural heritage; Eligio García, the writer’s father, worked there.

Find the right holiday rental for your trip

If you’re looking for a holiday rental in Palomino, the experiences you want to prioritize can help guide your choice of location: beach walks, river activities, surfing, or workshops each offer a different focus. Magdalena adds broader nature and cultural themes to this local perspective. Consider which interests matter most for your trip and use them to help choose where to stay.

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View the wider travel overview: La Guajira.