Photographing Colombia - Tayrona

in #photofeed3 years ago

Ok, so I just learned about Hive and that after the fork from Steemit my posts are also here. I was already wondering where everybody went. So I'll now also give Hive a try and continue where I left off more than a year ago with my posts on Steemit.

And we will start with the third and final article from Colombia. I already have one about Cerro Kennedy and the Pacific Coast here, if you are interested. But now lets get to the Caribbean.

A visit to Tayrona National Park concluded our stay in Colombia. To be able to photograph both sunrise and sunset inside the park, we also had to stay inside, because the park officially opens only between 8am and 5pm. Luckily there are a few options, most of them campsites at the various beaches.

Because we had a lot of luggage we wanted a hotel and this didn't leave that many options. There are the beautiful Ecohabs, which were way above our budget. From the remaining options we went with the one that got the best reviews on Booking and this was the Yachay Ecohotel close to Zaino entrance.

Considering the price it's not a very good hotel though. All other places we stayed at during our travels through Colombia provided much better value for money. But in Tayrona you largely pay for the location.

And here's an important tip right away, in case you plan to stay at any place inside Tayrona: At Zaino Entrance you can buy water by the gallon, which I would recommend. Otherwise you'll have to buy many little bottles of water inside the park, which is way more expensive.

Sunset view overlooking the Tayrona coastline

From our hotel to the first viewpoint I wanted to photograph it was just a half an hour walk. Playa Castilletes is a beautiful beach with a spacious campsite. If you want to camp inside Tayrona National Park, this could be a good option. The only reason you wouldn't want to stay there is, if you want to swim. La Piscina and Cabo San Juan are the only places where you can do so I think. But those are also the most crowded.

But if you're after a long beach and some beautiful viewpoints, then Castilletes is just right. At the western end of the beach I found the view you see in the photo above. From the viewpoints I visited inside Tayrona it provides, in my opinion, the most photogenic and dramatic view.

The funny thing is that I found this view only by flying along the coastline of Tayrona National Park in Google Earth. Because the typical photo research didn't work very well. Everybody goes to Cabo San Juan to take nearly the same photos. This makes it hard to find out how the rest of the park looks.

And what I like to do, when visiting a new location, is to find viewpoints that haven't been photographed that much. This doesn't always work, because the most photographed places are often also the most photogenic. But it's still a good idea to put in the work and explore other locations nearby. Sometimes you can find real gems, which you then have nearly for yourself.

Sunrise colors at Playa Castilletes in Tayrona

In the video below I show you a bit more of the park and also a beautiful beach just outside of Tayrona. Because, if you want some Caribbean feeling, you don't need to enter the park. Driving only a few kilometers past Zaino entrance you'll get to Playa Los Angeles, where you'll encounter only a few people.

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Welcome back! :) Stunning shots as always.

Thanks.. Man I'm so glad I finally figured out what has happened. I had taken a break from posting and when I got back to Steemit a few weeks ago everybody was gone. It was strange and it took me some time to end up here :-)

Welcome back!
I still remember your awesome photos. Especially seascape and you proved that today as well!
I am glad to see another photographer sharing his work with us here on Hive.
Feel free to post in Photography Lovers Community. You will have great chance for bigger curation sharing multi photos posts.

Well, happy to see you back and all the best in 2021!

Thanks Andy, I will do so. Wish I had found Hive sooner ;-)

Welcome back, your photos are excellent. Where is this Natural Park in Colombia? It seems an incredible place.

Hey there. Tyrona National Park is in the north east of Colombia - just next to Santa Marta and about 4 hours drive from Cartagena. Cheers

Thanks buddy, it really is a spectacular place