Why Taganga is worth a Visit
is a small village popular with backpackers. It also has a reputation for drugs, theft and muggings – I read a description of the town that basically summed it up like this: “Great if you are the hippy backpacker type who likes drugs and selling beads”.
It’s not a pretty town and the beach is dirty. But I do think Taganga is worth seeing if only for its geography. The hills surrounding the village are full of cactus and I was struck by the beauty in the different hues of brush, dust, and rock. In the right light, the hills look almost purplish. I thought it was gorgeous. For this reason I think Taganga is worth a visit, even if only for a few hours. Take a hike in the hills and a boat ride in the bay.
Update: I read quite a lot of traveller reviews since posting the above. There’s been a lot of stories of muggings and theft in Taganga. Police here seem to be useless or even complicit in criminal activity. I love Colombia and have been enthusiastic in recommending the places I’ve covered in this blog. I would recommend however that Taganga shouldn’t be the place to spend the night.
Have you been to Taganga? What did you think of it?
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I live in the US and have my winter house in Taganga. I usually spent about 4 month in Taganga and I have never had an issue in this beautiful town. Locals are super friendly there is lots to do if you like nature, if you want to get out Santa Marta is just 10 min away.
Thank you Bill, good to know. I wrote this post quite a long time ago and maybe things have changed for the better?
That town is rich in nature but it’s a shame the local people were not able to preserve its beauty. I think they should develop programs that will preserve their nature so that they can invite more tourists. Or maybe tourists still go there and could have contributed to the mess so, they should impose some rules then.