{"id":20682,"date":"2021-01-18T09:28:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T14:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?p=20682"},"modified":"2021-09-17T16:15:13","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T21:15:13","slug":"how-to-go-tubing-in-palomino-colombia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2021\/01\/how-to-go-tubing-in-palomino-colombia\/","title":{"rendered":"“How To Colombia” – Go Tubing in Palomino"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Palomino is fast becoming one of Colombia’s must-visit spots<\/strong> for visitors to the Caribbean coast: the small, beachside town offers good quality hostels, a long, palm-fringed beach, a variety of restaurants, and unparalleled access to both the Colombian Caribbean coast and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta<\/strong>. I first visited Palomino 4\u00a0years ago, as a stop-off between learning to dive in Taganga, a few days in Tayrona and a visit to La Guajira – this route is now practically standard for many Colombia backpackers – tubing in Palomino<\/strong> even has a (solid) TripAdvisor page<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back then Palomino offered one hostel near the beach<\/strong>, a few fast-food joints, and not much else…besides the majestic scenery anyway – The BBC even wrote an article the same year I visited, calling Palomino “Colombia’s virtually vacant paradise<\/a>” (needless to say, it’s slightly less vacant these days!).\u00a0The activity I was there to do was tubing along the Palomino river<\/strong> – back then it was hard to come across a tube to float in; nowadays tubing in Palomino<\/strong> is a big(ish) business, as more and more people realize how amazing the trip is…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to try and have experience tubing in Palomino, ask for information here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, for all of you planning to go tubing in Palomino<\/strong> (which you really should), here’s a complete “How To” guide to make your tubing experience go swimmingly (although hopefully not literally, that’s completely not the point!)… Costs, practicalities, timings, and, of course, some of those magic little tips from someone who’s been tubing in Palomino<\/strong> 3 times, and knows all the tricks of the trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tubing
Enjoying tubing in Palomino (Photo: Heather Wilson)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How to organize tubing in Palomino:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is now the easy part – it used to take a bit of asking around to secure the requisite equipment (a tube, basically), now it’s really easy – any decent hostel will be able to point you in the direction of tube-rental places<\/strong>, or you can just find the guys sitting next to the giant pile of tubes along the track between the road and the beach: they are usually set up on the roadside just behind the Tiki Hut<\/a> and Dreamer Hostels<\/a><\/strong> (probably where you should stay anyway; the best 2 hostels in town for my money). They will rent you out a tube any time of day (assuming it’s not about to get dark…or still dark! They seem to arrive for work at about 7:30\/8 am<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or you can plan, quote, and reserve here!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tubing
Here\u2019s what your tube should look like\u2026if it doesn\u2019t look like this\u2026maybe it\u2019s not a tube! (Photo: Heather Wilson)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cost of tubing in Palomino:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also really easy these days: it used to be a matter of haggling<\/strong>, and, a year or so back, there was a bit of tension between all the operators and there were instances of people being massively overcharged. Now, however, the tubers union (NB. Not a real union) has agreed upon a fixed cost for the activity: 25.000 COP<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t pay any more than this! What do you get for your fee: a good, sturdy tube, a mototaxi <\/em>up to the trailhead in the hills behind Palomino, and a ‘guide’, who will hike with you to the starting point of the trip, and assist you as you tube down the river? See the later section “Tips” for my thoughts on the guide portion of this trip…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a quote for all you need in Palomino by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fee is definitely reasonable for an activity that can easily take half a day (2\/4 hours)<\/strong> and offers such a variety of experiences and environments in one trip. It’s certainly increased a little bit, but for that increase, you’re getting a much better service than before<\/strong>, along with a guarantee that you’ll be able to set off tubing at basically any time of day…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palomino Tubing: the Route<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tubing
It can be a slightly precarious bike ride! (Photo: Heather Wilson)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The mototaxi <\/em>will take you (as you awkwardly clutch your massive tube!) into the hills behind the town for about 10 minutes. From that point, the road ends, and it’s about a 20\/30-minute walk further up into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada<\/strong> – this extra walking maximizes the time you’ll spend on the river, and also ensures you will be further into the jungle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my hostel this past December I overheard a series of conversations bemoaning the ‘hike’ to the starting point – honestly, if this walk constitutes a ‘hike’ for you, then maybe don’t bother, but you’d be missing out: the jungle walk at the start is a lovely additional chance to enjoy the startlingly diverse ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada<\/strong>. It starts with a steady uphill, and then gradually slopes back down to the river. Take your time and enjoy it!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tubing
Enjoying the (quite easy) hike to the starting point for tubing in Palomino (Photo: Heather Wilson)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It’ll be obvious when you reach the starting point<\/strong> – if you’re with a guide, they’ll tell you, and, if you follow my little tip, you also can’t miss it: the path reaches a rocky stream and then continues up the hill over the stream – don’t cross the stream, turn right and follow it down to the river<\/strong> (only 100m or so). Here there is a small beach: this is where your tubing experience in Palomino<\/strong> finally begins!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So jump in your tube and get floating:<\/strong> that’s pretty much it from this point! The first hour or so is along much faster river and may require some minimal paddling to keep your tube from hitting the bank or getting caught in an eddy. Safety-wise however, there’s nothing to really worry about<\/strong>: the river is mostly quite shallow, and, as long as you can swim, you’ve got nothing to worry about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are in Colombia, don’t miss out on this experience!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latter part of the trip is when the river begins to widen and slow down, and you leave the thicker forest and enter pasture land approaching the coast. At times, if the water is especially shallow, you may have to jump out and drag your tube back to deeper, faster-moving water.\u00a0<\/strong>Check out this excellent traveler YouTube video of tubing in Palomino<\/a> for a look at how stunning the journey is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tubing
Tubing down the Rio Palomino: from the jungle to the sea\u2026(Photo: Heather Wilson)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

You will then approach the bridge that carries the highway along the coast between Santa Marta and Palomino – if the river is really shallow, and you’re finding it hard going, then you can jump out here and hitch a ride on a moto <\/em>back into Palomino for a few thousand pesos<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you still want more tubing, then you can keep going for just under an hour until you reach the sea! Here the river meets a spit of the beach and curves around before reaching the sea. Make sure you get out of your tube on the riverside beach<\/strong>: where the sea and river meets is a devilish collection of currents and waves and isn’t that safe to float out into, no matter how good a swimmer you are!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tubing
Make sure to get off your tube here (Photo: Heather Wilson)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Then just grab your tube and walk back along the beach to the turn-off back towards town: this takes less than half an hour.<\/strong> Then just drop off your tube, say thanks, and get on with your day. See, easy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The entire trip should take between 2-4 hours: from rental until dropping off the tube.<\/strong> If you choose not to stop, then you could do it in less time, and you could easily stop off at a riverside beach along the route and enjoy a swim and a relaxing hour or so (which I did!) to stretch out the trip. Take your time, it’s nicer that way!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tubing
Not a bad spot to arrive! (Photo: Heather Wilson)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Tubing in Palomino:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n