Tayrona National Natural Park closes on 19 October 2026

Tayrona National Natural Park will close to visitors from 19 October to 2 November 2026, with the protected area near Santa Marta scheduled to reopen on 3 November. The closure is part of the Nabbatashi period agreed by Colombia's national parks authority and four Indigenous peoples.

Tayrona National Natural Park closure starts on 19 October

Visitor entry and ecotourism services will be suspended across the park during the 15-day period. The measure was announced for the final scheduled closure of 2026 and covers the protected area rather than a single beach, gate or trail.

The national parks authority has linked the pause to agreements with the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa and Kankuamo peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The period is used for conservation, monitoring, research and the care of terrestrial and marine coastal ecosystems. Caracol Radio reports the closure dates and the planned return of visitors on 3 November 2026.

The closure follows Tayrona's ecological and cultural map

The protected area lies on Colombia's Caribbean coast in the Magdalena department, within the jurisdiction of Santa Marta. The authority records its declaration as 31 August 1964 and its total extent as 19,309.4 hectares.

Its mainland landscapes include thorn scrub, dry forest, humid forest and cloud forest. Along the coast are beaches, lagoons, mangroves and rocky shores, while the marine area contains coral formations, seabeds, seagrass meadows and algae communities. The Nabbatashi pause therefore affects a place where the visitor experience and the conservation programme share the same land and sea.

The park is also part of the ancestral territory known as the Linea Negra for the Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuaco and Kankuamo peoples. Its management plan was developed jointly by those four peoples and Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia. The official park profile records its ecosystems, cultural setting and visitor access points.

Visiting Tayrona National Natural Park: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The closure runs from 19 October through 2 November 2026. Visitor access is scheduled to resume on 3 November 2026.
• No visitor entry or ecotourism service is available inside the protected area during the closure, including its beaches, coastal paths and other visitor sectors.
• The park is near Santa Marta in northern Colombia. Official access information lists land entrances at Bahia Concha, Palangana, Calabazo and Zaino, as well as maritime routes from Santa Marta, El Rodadero and Taganga.
• The terrain combines beaches, coastal paths, dry forest, humid forest, mangroves, rocky shore and marine areas. Visitors should expect changing surfaces and forested sections rather than a single urban attraction.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Tayrona National Natural Park

When does the Nabbatashi closure take place at Tayrona National Natural Park?

Visitor access is suspended from 19 October to 2 November 2026. The park is scheduled to receive visitors again on 3 November 2026.

Why is Tayrona National Natural Park closing?

The closure is part of an agreement involving Colombia's national parks authority and the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa and Kankuamo peoples. The period supports conservation, monitoring, research and cultural work.

Where is Tayrona National Natural Park and how do you get there?

The park is on Colombia's Caribbean coast near Santa Marta. Official access information lists land entrances and maritime routes from Santa Marta, El Rodadero and Taganga.