Sailing To Tayrona With Luis And His Team: Unique!

Beautiful trip, we were on a catamaran, very smooth ride, beautiful beach, fun people to meet on the boat, nice snorkeling!

I’m sorry to say that this tour was extremely disappointing and fell far short of what was advertised. To begin with, the sailboat departed almost 40 minutes late. Despite booking the English-language tour, neither of the crew members in charge spoke any English, making communication very difficult throughout the day. The tour description promised access to snorkelling equipment and kayaks, but neither was ever provided. Lunch service was also poorly organized. Our family group of eight was served in multiple rounds, with only four people receiving food initially. The crew then had to return to the boat for more meals, serving three additional family members while my husband waited another 30 minutes before finally receiving his lunch. This was frustrating and unnecessary. The tour also advertised soft drinks and snacks. In reality, we received only a single slice of watermelon on the way to Concha Bay. Drinking water was not bottled and had a salty taste, and the only soft drink available was Coca-Cola. The most concerning part of the experience occurred when the sailboat broke down. Our group of 18 passengers was stranded on the beach for approximately an hour with very little information about what was happening. Eventually, another boat arrived to pick us up, but communication from the crew was poor throughout the situation. By then, it was already after 5:30 p.m., even though we were originally scheduled to depart for Santa Marta at 3:00 p.m. It was terrifying knowing that we might be at open sea on the dark as it was already sunset. When I asked whether the company’s head office had been informed and why a replacement boat had not been sent sooner, the response from the crew member in charge was essentially, “You can write a complaint. I need to leave. Another boat will pick you up and provide more information.” There was no apology, no reassurance, and no effort to keep passengers informed. To make matters worse, there was no cell service in the area, leaving us with no way to contact anyone. Overall, the lack of organization, poor communication, failure to deliver the advertised activities and amenities, and complete absence of customer service made this a very disappointing experience. We paid more than CAD $900 for our family and expected a professional and enjoyable excursion. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I would strongly recommend that others think carefully before booking this tour.

The whole experience was great! Timing was exactly as stated in the description. I think the value for the trip was well worth it. We were with a group of 15 travelers total and it didn’t feel too crowded. All the boat staff was fantastic, attentive and friendly. Would recommend!

Nice boat ride out to Bahia concha beach. Quiet beach, great lunch. We were hoping to see another beach but it’s only 1 stop. Would recommend if you don’t have much time in Santa Marta. Next time we will hike in to see more beaches.

Great experience out on the sea. The trip was relaxing even with the big waves, close to our destination. Service was great, also the fish w rice was delicious. We spent time on the beach, enjoying the nature and water... ...just the art of doing nothing.

Great, professional crew that took several guests on a ride of approximately one hour to a beach for relaxation, a great lunch, and the option of snorkeling. The beach has several people offering different types of drinks (so have cash, especially in small bills), and there are tents that a large group can split the cost for to get shade from the sun (they were approximately 130,000 or 140,000 pesos for the few hours we used one). There is no cell service available for much of the trip, which is a welcome way to unplug from your routine back home. Overall, a very nice trip and experience.

Very well organized, thorough instructions. The guides were respectful and the entire experience was exceptional

Such a great day, sailing to Tayrona! The crew were amazing and so attentive to everyone. Would definitely recommend for a relaxing day in Santa Marta.

A good, solid day on the water. We departed on a catamaran around 11:00 and motored about an hour to Bahia Concha. Normally it would have been a monohull but it was undergoing maintenance. There we anchored for 3-4 hours and had lunch. Lunch was included and consisted of one of two dishes.... grilled fish and rice or a ham/cheese wrap. We had the wrap and it was very good and easier to eat with the plate on your lap. Water and soda was provided free of charge throughout the day. Beer was extra. The day consists of time on the beach and experiencing a kayak or paddle board. At 3:00 we returned to the catamaran and sailed most of the way back. Very delightful. The crew was very nice, helpful, and committed to making your day as nice as possible. A good trip.

It was a very relaxing tour. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. The tour was done on an big catamaran. The beach was nice and clean, lunch was great. The snorkeling is awesome when you know what you are looking for underwater and take your time. The crew was very supportive and caring. They looked out for everyone and helped with all the needs. On the beach there are lots of sales people who are not affiliated with the boat crew, I can't recommend buying a drink from those people, the coco loco I ordered, came in an coconut and it tasted like pure alcohol with sand flavor. On top it was 60,000 COP. But again, those vendors have absolutely nothing to do with the cruise people.

Really enjoyed my time on this boat tour. Well organized and very friendly crew. Beautiful beach and fun snorkeling

You don’t enter the Tyrona nat park. It is a boat trip to a beautiful beach with a friendly and helpful crew. You can chat with other guests and drink some beers and eat. I had a fun day under the Tyrona sun 🙂 Thanks crew!

We had an absolutely incredible experience sailing to Tayrona with Luis and his team. From start to finish, everything was top-tier. The crew was professional, welcoming, and genuinely made the day feel special. You can tell they take pride in what they do — the level of service was outstanding without ever feeling forced. The boat itself was comfortable and well-maintained, and the views along the coastline were unreal. Tayrona is already beautiful, but experiencing it from the water like this takes it to another level. The food and drinks were also excellent — fresh, well-prepared, and exactly what you want during a day out on the ocean. We also had the chance to relax, swim, and even do some activities, which made the experience feel perfectly balanced between fun and relaxation. Overall, this was one of the highlights of our time in Santa Marta. If you’re considering it, don’t hesitate — this is a must-do experience. Highly recommend Luis and his team. We’ll definitely be back.

Fantastic day trip to Bahía Concha! We met the crew at Marina Santa Marta and were immediately impressed — everything was explained clearly in both Spanish and English. The voyage out was enjoyable, with crew members sharing interesting information along the way. We spent about three hours relaxing on the beautiful beach, took advantage of the free kayak, and had a wonderful lunch provided by the tour, along with water and soda. Shade and chairs are available for 70,000 COP if you want extra comfort. Some reviews mention language barriers, but that wasn’t our experience at all — nearly everyone spoke some English and was warm and helpful throughout. Highly recommend!

Sailing is not actually sailing- it is just being on the sailing boat for the trip. The boat is powered by motor, so it means slow, noisy and a lot of guests. It is not what is advertised for-seeing Tyrona park from the other perspective-you will not go to Tyrona beautiful beaches but to a beach before the park-nothing to write home about. No snorkelling - it is not a calm water with good enough visibility to snorkel. On the way back the crew used one “pro forma” sail to give the impression of sailing but the ship was still powered by motor. The scam. The crew was really doing their best but this trip is not sailing nor Tyrona park.

This tour is strictly for Spanish speaking people. I had no idea what was going on, where and when lunch was served, or when the boat was leaving. Came back from snorkeling (which was poor) and everyone was already back on the boat.

Went on this trip with my husband and 2 teens. Had a great time. Punctual and accurate. Boat ride was so fun. Kids loved it. Got really big waves and splashed us at the front of the boat. Provided us with constant snacks and drinks and delivered a delicious fish lunch to us on the beach. Beach itself was gorgeous. Were able to rent chairs for a reasonable cost and could buy more drinks etc from local vendors. Water was cool and clear. Snorkeling not great but the kids had fun. All staff spoke spanish only so tough for us english speaking folks..but we made do..fortunately someone translated for us so we knew what was going on. They were all very friendly tho! For the price would definitely recommend.

The day was compromised as the park beaches were inaccessible. The tour was therefore adjusted and so not as beautiful as we’d hoped but still great fun with a lovely crew. Sadly Luis couldn’t come and we would have liked to sail more as only one small sail was used and the motor never turned off. Food was great and plenty of it and safety taken seriously. A varied and relaxed day with the chance to snorkel. There’s only 1 kayak but we were only a group of 10 so all got to meet each other.

Great experience overall, would’ve like a bit more “story telling “ about the beautiful sights in both languages, the snorkeling experience could be better placed rather than having one straight swim to the shore line, guides were really kind and friendly at all times, great people!

A wonderful experience , very relaxing sail with an excellent crew. Lunch, swimming and snorkelling and a fish caught on the way! A memorable trip and I would recommend.

We really enjoyed this tour although it was completely in Spanish and we were not always sure what we were being told. Another guest helped us with some information. We sat at the front of the boat and the waves were very big. We were absolutely soaked by the time we arrived at the beach and laughed through it all. One thing to know is that you must rent a chair there for 10000 cop. The meals were good. I had the fish and it was fresh and tasty. The water was beautiful and refreshing for a swim. We didnt sail to the beach but they put up the jib for a short time on the way back with the motor still doing most of the work. Im not sure if that is the norm or if it was because of wind. There are some snacks and drinks offered as well during the trip. They have a paddle board that you can use and they will also take you for a short snorkeling trip nearby after the lunch. I would recommend this tour

The location marked on the app of where to go is wrong, it’s on the other side of the Marina. It was a great day though. Very relaxing. Was just as they wrote it up, and we enjoyed it a lot.

This tour was disappointing. You get taken to one super busy beach and stay there for the whole day, there is no shade on the boat and not much on the beach unless you pay for it. We were the only English speakers (but with enough Spanish to understand basic instructions) and were ignored and given no information all day. Also, if you use the bathroom make sure someone comes to let you out because there is no way to open the toilet door from the inside.

The boat was extremely slow, we were overtaken by every other boat and it took away time from visiting beaches. If I’d know. I would r have done this

Had an amazing experience with Luis and his crew. They were extremely hospitable and attentive. They went above and beyond to help recover my phone from 10 meters deep!! I cant recommend this team enough. Truly a 5 star experience.

We left on time, did not use the sails on the way to Bahia Concha but did use the front sail on the way back. In full disclosure the headwind going out was quite strong that we would have had to zigzag for ever. The crew was very attentive and professional. We had 22 passengers and it felt full but not uncomfortable. At the beach we were offered plastic chairs under the shade of a tree for about $3. Lunchtime came in batches and was quite tasty. Sone went snorkeling after and described it as nice. Came back to the marina around 5:30 pm. Full and enjoyable day. Not a true pure sailing experience but recommended nevertheless

What a day!! Sailing to Bahia Concha was a great experience, and the beach was beautiful!! I am soooo glad we did this trip. I was worried it would be similar to the beaches you hike to in the national park but it’s not - it’s a better beach. It’s the longest beach in Tayrona and we parked up on the quieter side so it was lovely and relaxing. Might not be as pretty or picturesque as some of the other beaches in the National park but it wasn’t over crowded (like cabo San Juan, la piscina, etc), and the sand was nicer. Cold drinks available all day, even beers! The lunch was fantastic - we had the grilled fish and would go back just to have this lunch again! Snorkelling was fun and we saw a lot of sea life , but visibility wasn’t great. If the main reason you’re doing the trip is for snorkelling you may be disappointed. The crew were amazing, they even let us try fishing at the end of the day which wasn’t part of the tour. Unfortunately we didn’t catch anything 🥲

Very good value for money. Time anchored at beech was over 3 hours and much too long Description quotes. During the trip, we will share interesting stories and curiosities about the park and its people. We’ll also set up our fishing rods along the way. Neither of these were provided Regrettably Luis did not accompany us and the crew only spoke Spanish which detracts from the trip If visiting on a.cruise ship I would highly recommend this day out The coral on the snorkelling trip was some of the best that I have enjoyed

Great day out to a beach in Tyrona Park. The tour was good value and lunch was delicious. The team on the boat were very welcoming. Unfortunately Luis wasn't on the tour so we had no English translation and missed a lot of the information provided on the trip. It was still enjoyable and worth a go

We are English speaking and know a bit of Spanish but the Captain only spoke Spanish and very fast. I feel we missed out on some information he might have been giving out about our surroundings. Fortunately, there was a gentleman that translated the important things when we got to the beach. We are sailors ourselves so we had no problems being on the boat. The crew did a good job but we felt like we got dumped at the beach with nothing to do.

Amazing experience! The staff was very friendly and attentive. We enjoyed our entire day. Food and drinks were great, the beach they took us to was beautiful

Captain and crew were great and very accommodating. Vessel is an older sailboat that appeared seaworthy. Only complaints are that it was advertised as having English speaking captain, while none of the crew or captain spoke English…not a huge deal. Also it is advertised as “sailing” to Tayrona, while in reality you just motor there. Captain put up a tiny jib on the way home that could barely move a small canoe and appeared to have come out of a mud hole, clearly just for show for the guests. Other than that it was still a great experience.

Wonderful day sailing to the beach, chilling, swimming and having lunch there. Snorkeling experience was also very nice and I would say suitable for kids. Beautiful nature and a relaxing experience with very friendly crew.

The crew was nice but no one spoke English. I received message on Whatsapp at 9pm the night before saying we were changing from a sail boat to a catamaran and we were leaving at 9h instead of 10h30. The food was good. We were only 8 people so that was nice. Snorkeling was not good way too much waves. The beach Palmata was horrible. Brown water with lots of débris floating.

Sailing to Tayrona with Luis and his team was incredible! The crew was friendly and fun, the views were stunning, and the lunch and snacks were great. We loved swimming in the clear blue water. A relaxing, unforgettable day — ihighly recommend! The beach did charge for lounge chairs 10,000 COP per chair. Several vendors selling drinks priced up to 45,000 COP as well as cut up fruit.

The trip was to a developed, commercial beach, not to a beautiful unspoiled beach. Very disappointing!

The staff was nice, the place was beautiful, overall the trip was great. So why 3 stars? False advertising. NO Sailing, no tranquil quiet sail ride. They motored the whole way, gave a bunch of excuses, but if you’re a sailor, then you know they are excuses. I even wondered if they had working sails or it was a scam. Second, picked the English tour, not one person spoke English. No fishing as advertised. The crew dragged one pole while the boat was motoring. Hard to fish when the boat is motoring. And the romantic story of the economist pursuing his dream? There was no Luis. He is a businessman trying to make money, if he even exists. With so many lies I didn’t know what to believe.

I saw this in another review and it was also true for our tour. I booked the tour in English, but everything was in Spanish. My husband translated for me, but I would have been out of luck if I didn't have him. Keep that in mind if you're English only. My other complaint was that the snorkeling was too rushed. We've been on many other snorkeling trips in the Carribean and there were a good amount of fish to see here. However, snorkeling was done at the end and we felt like we had to rush to catch the boat back. The dingy drops you off and you just snorkel back to shore. I felt like we could have been doing that the whole time rather than chilling at the beach. Overall, we really enjoyed our sailing trip to Tayrona. We had perfect weather and the waves weren't too rough. The lunch was delicous and the staff was very friendly. Even with my complaints, I'd recommend this tour.

Great experience. The beach is really fantastic and the crew is great. Highly recommended. The crew know what they are doing.

This experience was so beautiful 😍. The captain an expert, Noemí very helpful as well the others two guys part of the staff. The “Artevela” ship 🛳️ so solid and clean. The nature and the weather so excellent 🤩.

The trip was okay, but not what was advertised. Rather than “sailing” to Tayrona, the boat motored all the way to Tayrona. The captain was not “bilingual,” or if he was, English was not one of his languages. There was no “talk about the park” on the journey; in fact no talk whatsoever except to ask if we wanted potato chips or plantain chips. We were not offered “fishing rods while passing in front of the bay of Taganga and Granate.”

The crew was extremely friendly, helpful and accommodating. The boat left at 11am, you get about 3 hours of actual time at the beach/Tayrona park. Then the boat leaves at 3:15 and takes you back to the marina. It's a sail boat but they motored the whole way.

Excellent service, friendly and very attentive staff. Kids liked the boat, but wish they used the main sail. Beach was nice, water crystal clear. Snorkeling was fun, saw a lot of fish, urchins, anemones. Lunch was tasty (grilled fish).

First - Luis’ sailing team is amazing and do a wonderful job to ensure the journey is enjoyable from start to finish. Our English speaking guide, Herman, is very kind and extremely helpful. The only exception had nothing to do with Luis and his team: once you arrive at Bahía Concha there will be some vendors selling items on the beach - food, beverages, etc. Strongly suggest - do NOT buy anything. You’re better off bringing your own extra snacks and beverages if you like to snack throughout the day (I think only water may be allowed on the ship). Or, if you decide to buy any food items, ask to see the price in WRITING FIRST and make sure you understand who you are paying and for which food items. Also, credit cards are not accepted (regardless of what the vendors tell you).

Absolutely incredible time! We went not knowing exactly what to expect, and it’s safe to say we had a spectacular day! The guides were very kind and knowledgeable. We both got the grilled fish and it was amazing (I usually hate anything fish related but it was so good!) When you think about it, they could be charging more than what they are! Lunch, a beautiful boat ride, unlimited drinks and snacks, snorkeling tour, a very unpopulated beach with incredibly clear water and spectacular views, insurance, and peace of mind for all your personal belongings while you’re swimming! Keep in mind, though, that there are vendors at the beach! We got 2 beach chairs for 10,000 each (highly recommended), but other than that, we just ate and drank what the tour was already providing! We highly recommend it!

Fantastic crew and experience. The trip is nice and the food is good. We had a little trouble with lunch delivery but nothing that hurt the good times.

We had a good experience. The tour was very good. It met our expectations. The lunch was very good and the crew was friendly and helpful.

The crew was fantastic. Friendly, professional, and attentive, making everyone feel welcome and relaxed. The food onboard was fresh and delicious—definitely a highlight! There were a couple of small hiccups: the paddle board mentioned in the ad wasn’t available, and the snorkeling instructions were a bit unclear. We didn’t realize we could use the life vests, so we ended up missing out on that part of the adventure. Still, the overall experience was wonderful, and with just a bit more clarity on the activities, it would have been perfect. Would definitely recommend!

We really loved our experience. A beautiful way to enjoy the water in the Tayrona bay. The lunch (fresh fish) was amazing. The crew is kind, helpful and want everyone to have a good time. I recommend! We loved it even if it rained just to say