3-day Punta Gallinas tour from Santa Marta: Northernmost tip

Three days across desert plateaus, 60-meter dunes and the Caribbean edge of a continent

A 3-day tour from Santa Marta to Punta Gallinas and Cabo de la Vela on Colombia's Guajira Peninsula, traveling through desert terrain and Wayuu territory to reach the northernmost tip of South America. The route crosses plateaus and dunes, stops at salt works in Manaure, and includes nights in traditional chinchorros (hammocks) at beachfront rancherias. Hotel pickup in Santa Marta is included. A Spanish-speaking guide leads the group throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Santa Marta to Cabo de la Vela

• Pick up at hotels from 4:30 am
• Drive from Santa Marta to Palomino
• Breakfast break at Palomino
• Continue to Riohacha and Uribia
• Stop in Uribia for snacks and photos
• Drive through Ahuyama desert to Cabo de la Vela
• Lunch at Wayuu ranch in Cabo de la Vela
• Free time to rest and take pictures
• Visit El Pilón de Azúcar and Playa Dorada
• Watch sunset at the Lighthouse
• Bathe at Ojo de Agua
• Dinner and overnight in chinchorro at Rancheria

Day 2: Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas

• Depart ranchería at 4:00 am to Puerto Bolívar
• Drive from Puerto Bolívar to Punta Gallinas
• Breakfast in Punta Gallinas
• Visit Hondita Bay, Taroa Dunes, and Lighthouse
• Lunch at the Rancheria
• Free time to rest and take pictures
• Dinner and overnight in chinchorro at Rancheria

Day 3: Return to Santa Marta via Manaure and Riohacha

• Depart Puerto Bolívar and breakfast at Cabo de la Vela
• Stop in Manaure to learn salt collection
• Optional 15-minute walk and free time
• Continue to Riohacha
• Lunch in Riohacha
• Visit Malecón for handicrafts and souvenirs
• Return to Santa Marta and end tour

The experience

The tour starts before dawn (pickup from your Santa Marta hotel at 4:30 am), and heads south toward Riohacha across the Caribbean coast. After two hours by car, you stop at Palomino for breakfast and, if the weather clears, a view of the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The route continues inland through Uribia, the administrative center of La Guajira, then pushes into the Ahuyama desert toward Cabo de la Vela, where you arrive for lunch at a Wayuu ranch and have time to rest.

The first afternoon takes you to El Pilón de Azúcar and Playa Dorada, where you can swim, then to the Lighthouse at Cabo de la Vela for sunset. Before dark, you stop at Ojo de Agua for another swim, then return to the rancheria for dinner and your first night in a chinchorro overlooking the sea. Day two leaves the rancheria at 4 am for Puerto Bolívar and the drive north to Punta Gallinas itself. After breakfast there, you venture into the desert to Hondita Bay, the Taroa Dunes, and a lighthouse, then return to the rancheria for lunch, free time and another night in a chinchorro. The final day heads back south: breakfast at Cabo de la Vela, a stop in Manaure to watch salt collection, an optional 15-minute walk, lunch in Riohacha, time to browse the Malecón for handicrafts, then the drive back to Santa Marta, arriving in the afternoon.

Accommodation is in a rancheria or tourist inn facing the sea. You sleep in a chinchorro, a traditional Wayuu hammock. The Wayuu community near Punta Gallinas maintains ancestral traditions largely intact. The landscape is stark: plateaus, rocky cliffs rising from the water, and a 60-meter dune that stands like a wall on the shoreline. This is not a circuit of towns. It is a passage through one of South America's least developed coastlines, where the land ends and the Caribbean begins.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Santa Marta at 4:30 am on day one.
• Spanish-speaking guide throughout the three days.
• transportation by car from Santa Marta to Punta Gallinas and back.
• two nights in a chinchorro at a beachfront rancheria.
• stops at Cabo de la Vela, El Pilón de Azúcar, Playa Dorada, the Lighthouse, Hondita Bay, Taroa Dunes, Manaure salt works, and the Malecón in Riohacha.
• swimming time at Playa Dorada and Ojo de Agua.
• sunset viewing at the Lighthouse.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 04:30

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (4 to 17 years) · Child (under 4)

GroupUp to 20

Live guideSpanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Travesia Pro Agency

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to reach the northernmost point of South America and spend two nights in the desert landscape and Wayuu territory that few tourists see. The early starts and long driving days are what make the remote sites reachable within three days. If you prefer a slower pace or shorter distances, a 2-day version may suit you better.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (4 to 17 years); Child (under 4).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Punta Gallinas and why does it matter?

Punta Gallinas is the northernmost tip of South America, located at the northern end of the Guajira Peninsula where it meets the Caribbean Sea. The tour reaches this geographical endpoint as its primary destination, traveling through desert and Wayuu territory to arrive there on day two.

Where do I sleep on this tour?

You sleep in a chinchorro, a traditional Wayuu hammock, at a rancheria or tourist inn facing the sea. There are two nights: one at Cabo de la Vela after the first day, and one at Punta Gallinas after the second day.

What happens in Manaure on the way back?

Manaure is a salt-collection center on the Guajira Peninsula. On day three, the tour stops there so you can watch and learn about the salt harvesting process before continuing south toward Riohacha and Santa Marta.

What time does the tour start and end each day?

Day one begins with pickup at 4:30 am from your Santa Marta hotel. Day two departs the rancheria at 4 am. Day three ends in Santa Marta in the afternoon. Early starts allow the tour to cover long distances and reach Punta Gallinas before the heat peaks.

Is food included in the tour price?

Food is not included. The itinerary mentions meals at rancherias and stops in towns, but you pay separately for breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the three days.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Day two includes an optional 15-minute walk in the desert. The rest of the experience is travel by car, time at stops, and swimming at designated beaches.