The Tayrona National Natural Park ( es, Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona) is a protected area in the Colombian northern

Caribbean region The Caribbean region of Colombia or Caribbean coast region is in the north of Colombia and is mainly composed of 8 departments located contiguous to the Caribbean.Santa Marta, from the city centre. The park presents a biodiversity endemic to the area of the

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...

mountain range, featuring a variety of climates (

mountain climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions of ...

) and geography that ranges from arid sea level to 900 meters above sea level. The park covers approximately of maritime area in the

Caribbean sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

and approximately of land. It was the second most visited national park in Colombia in 2019, with 458,755 visitors.

History

The Tayrona National Park was created by the 191st Law of the Colombian. Institute for Agrarian Reform (INCORA), in order to guarantee the protection of the region and the preservation of the ecological environment.

Geography

The park has an area of . It is located in the jurisdiction of the Santa Marta municipality, in the Department of Magdalena, alonged the north coast of Colombia which borders on the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

. Taganga is its most southern part; its western boundary goes toward the northeast following the coastline, including a kilometer of sea area, until the Piedras River. The boundary follows the left side of the river until the North Highway, and then toward the west, crossing the following places with clear demarcations in the terrain: * Santa Rosa Hill * Tovar Hill * Guacamayo Pick * Aguas Muertas Hill * Cielito Pick * Hondonada Site * Humo Hill It also crosses several creeks, like the Piedras River, Cañaveral, Santa Rosa, La Boquita, Cinto, and other water branches, including the Rodríguez and Gairaca creeks.

Climate

Temperatures in the park and surrounding citites range from at sea level. Rainfall in this region varies from nothing to around per month, but overall the climate is

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

and hot, with agriculture requiring

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

from streams that drain from the snowy peaks.

Flora and fauna

127 Cotton-top tamarin extinction Tayrona Colombia

Scholars have done an extensive classification of animal species living in the park, which include about 108 species of mammals and 300 species of birds. The

Mantled howler The mantled howler (''Alouatta palliata'') is a species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central and South America. It is one of the monkey species most often seen and heard in the wild in Central America. It takes its "mantle ...

, the

oncilla The oncilla (''Leopardus tigrinus''), also known as the northern tiger cat, little spotted cat, and tigrillo, is a small spotted cat ranging from Central America to central Brazil. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and the popul ...

, deer and more than 70 species of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most ...

s are among the park's typical residents. The park's 300 species of birds include the

montane solitary eagle The solitary eagle or montane solitary eagle (''Buteogallus solitarius'') is a large Neotropical eagle. It is also known as the black solitary eagle. Range and habitat The solitary eagle is native to Mexico and Central and South America. It i ...

, the

military macaw The military macaw (''Ara militaris'') is a large parrot and a medium-sized macaw that gets its name from its predominantly green plumage resembling a military parade uniform. It is native to forests of Mexico and South America and though conside ...

black-backed antshrike The black-backed antshrike (''Thamnophilus melanonotus'') is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. The black-backed antshrike wa ...

white-bellied antbird The white-bellied antbird (''Myrmeciza longipes''), is a passerine bird which breeds in the tropical New World from Panama to northern Brazil and in Trinidad. It is also called Swainson's antcatcher (usually in historical sources) after William ...

and the lance-tailed manakin. There are also approximately 31 species of reptiles, 15 species of amphibians, 202 species of

sponge Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate throug ...

s, 471 species of

crustacean Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group can ...

s, 96 species of

annelids The annelids (Annelida , from Latin ', "little ring"), also known as the segmented worms, are a large phylum, with over 22,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecolog ...

, 700 species of molluscs, 110 species of corals and 401 species of sea and river fish. There are more than 350 algae and more than 770 species of plants. It is one of three national parks in the Colombian Caribbean with coral reefs on its territories, the other two being Old Providence McBean Lagoon and Rosario and San Bernardo Corals.

Archaeology

There is archaeological evidence of ancient human settlements in the area of the park up until the 16th century. The place now has facilities for the eco-tourism, with paths suitable for walks. The Archaeologic Museum of Chairama is located in the Cañaveral Site, near the mouth of the Piedras River. Other places which attract visitors are Los Naranjos Path, Castilletes Beach, The Pool, the Piedras River and the San Juan Out. The site of El Pueblito was a popular hike but is currently closed in 2019 due to the wishes of the indigenous residents.

References

Bibliography

External links

Complete Guide to Tayrona Park

Best Pictures of Tayrona Park
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The park's page
at Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia {{authority control National parks of Colombia Protected areas established in 1969 Geography of Magdalena Department 1969 establishments in Colombia Tourist attractions in Magdalena Department Underwater diving sites in the Caribbean Underwater diving sites in Colombia