cristal beach

a gorgeous beach which actually sparkles, unsure what mineral is the sand but when the sun catches is it the beach has a beautiful shimmer to it! Not many facilities but a great beach to wander along

If you are staying in Taganga and want to swim at the beach, you dont really have a choice because Taganga is definately not swimmable. The boat ride to Cristal beach is 45 minutes and it can be very rough. I did it on a hangover and couldn't wait to get off the boat. Once we got there the beach was nice, but nothing spectacular. Actually getting there was very expensive and so was the only food available. I would recommend taking your own if your that organised.

Tale the roller coaster boat from Taganga its just great fun but be prepared to get wet en route! The beach is picture postcard stunning and as good a reef to snorkel on as you will find anywhere in the world.

We were spending two nights in Taganga and were convinced that Playa Cristal was the most beautiful beach in Colombia. White sand even. This isn't true--it's 'light' sand, not white. It's nicer than Taganga's beach, for sure--but, spending $40 US to get to it is not worth it. Plus, the sea is SO ROUGH. You are going through 10-12 foot swells, close to the rocks--for an hour. The boat stops at two other beaches (about 15 passengers per boat) and if you go to Playa Cristal, they round you up at 3:30 to return. We have both been in lots of boats around the world, but, this was extreme, dangerous and not enjoyable.Locals tried to overcharge us for a simple chicken and coconut rice lunch ($40,000 pesos??). We battled it out and paid only $20,000. It was delicious, but, settle a price before ordering as there are no menus or prices posted. There are a few restaurants (fish or chicken with rice), a few vendors (selling cookies or ceviche or avocadoes) and at the mirador (Take the steps up to the 'restaurant') you can find cold beer and a cool view.If you're an avid snorkeler, maybe this will be a draw. The water is much calmer here in the inlet and a little more turquoise. But, total hell ride to get there!

This is. Nice beach.water is crystal clear. But it is expensive to,get,here takes a long time. Our problem is we have been to hundreds of beaches in the world and this does not come near some others. But it is nice. Rent a lounger for 15'ooo each. Sit back and order a beer. Setting is wonderful but the road in needs some work.

The drive to the beach is insane and definitely very tricky. But the beach is incredible and our boat guide/valet was the nicest and helped us get a wonderful meal, cabana, and all that we needed.

The beach is nice, but the atmosphere destroyed by the Colombian sellers that bothers you all the time. Also, there is no restaurant so bring enough food and drinks.

one the first day in Santa Marta we went to Playa Cristal, you get a boat that takes you there for a small fee, ou havethe otion to stop at the aquarium if you want (we did so, the best thing was the dolphins) you are also given the option to pay for lunch, i would really recommend doing it, it works out cheaper. on the beach you have tents that you can hire. there is also a lot off water activities that can keep you busy all day. muy buena expriensa.

This is the closest nice beach to Santa Marta / Rodadero. It takes about an hour and a half to get here, involving both bus and a short speedboat ride, but well worth it. The beach has nice sand and clear, warm water. Unlike the other beaches in the area, there's no one here selling you massages, braids, bracelets, sunglasses and such. However, there are people here willing to rent you some nice covered chairs, beer, cocktails, or lunch by the beach. We spent a very relaxing day at the beach.Some info on prices:You can take a tour from Santa Marta or El Rodadero for a fixed price of $55,000COP which includes the Tayrona Park entrance fee and the 5 minute speedboat ride from Neguanje. Even with all the stops a tour makes to take photos and such you'll still get about 4 hours at the beach.You can take a taxi here for $170,000COP and the driver will wait all day. You'll have to cover the park entrance fee ($21,000COP) and speedboat ride ($7,000COP) yourself.Fresh fish lunch: $30,000COPBeer: $4,000COPChairs/tent: $25.000COPBathroom: $1,000COP

This is classic example of a beautiful place that suffers because it is used to balance too many needs. The beach is gorgeous and it should be one of those picture perfect spots for a romantic stroll, especially given that it is in a national park. But it is part of the local economy that relies on lots tourists. Therefore, there are restaurants, boats with loads of people, a continuous line of blue sun tents, radios, and vendors peddling their wares. If you're looking for this sort of thing or if some amenities make your day at the beach better, this is a great beach; not if you're looking for that iconic travel magazine picture. On the positive side, the water is clear, the surf gentle, the view across the bay stunning, the local food decent, and overall, the place is much better than any beach in Santa Marta.I don't agree with reviewers complaining about the expense. The prices are reasonable considering that this beach is far from everything and transporting goods there is expensive. The restaurants are rustic and the bathrooms even more. The boat ride from Taganga and back is part of the adventure; the choppy seas make the ride rough, not the boat captain. If you like thrills, sit at front of the boat and ride the bronco; it's like a 50-minute long roller coaster run. For a much smoother ride, sit in the back closer to the motors. Either way, anything you bring is likely to get thoroughly wet so, take appropriate precautions. Bring your own snorkel gear if at all possible or plan on renting it from the outfitter on site. The boat operator that I used supposedly included the gear in the price but the gear was in bad shape and they couldn't care less.The relative remoteness of this beach has lessened the tourist impact somewhat, despite the crowds. The rustic facilities are preferable to high-rise development. However, the park administration could do a much better job in protecting this beach and softening the visual and physical impact that public use places on the site.

It's a Little bit expensive the trip to arrive tehr but the place it's absolutely awesome, cristal wáter, lots of fishes, the lunch was quite aceptable, very nice the cocnut rice. The beach is clean and calm for swimming. They shoud change the awful blue tents but it's a special beach

Most expensive beach I've ever been! Prices: about 10USD for locals and 250USD for foreign(?). I was glad to hire a 4x4, so we could enjoy the bad road through the mountains to reach the beach inside park Tayrona. The landscape on the way is even better than the beach itself.

Overall, it was a cleaner beach than really most beaches in and around Santa Marta.I enjoyed the wild and the distance this beach has to offer away from the city. However, just as in all things in Colombia...you can expect infrastucture to be lacking and in need of serious road repairs. Furthermore, be patient and flexible with the guide...time has no real meaning. Lastly, stay away from the restuarant that serves you food on this beach..They are rip offs for the same dish it cost 6 times more on-site...so bring your own food and sandwiches along! Enjoy...

great beach and almost empty, we had it for urself!water was cristal clear, food was okperfect day

I have been coming for 23 years (i'm 25) and possibly the loveliest place i've been too, friendly staff, Nice food and veiws are #wow fully recommend xxx