Paddle Board on the Palomino River (2 Hours)

From $69 USD per person

The Palomino River comes down off the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range in the world, carrying meltwater from peaks above 5,700 metres into Caribbean heat. You notice the temperature difference the moment you get in. The water runs clear over smooth stones through a jungle corridor, and nothing built downstream has altered it.

Two hours door to door, of which 45 minutes are on the board. It is the shortest thing we sell in Palomino and the easiest to fit around a beach day.

Check live availability and prices — or read on for how it works.

How the session works

• Motorbike pickup and the ride to Caracoli (about 30 minutes). Your guide collects you from your hotel and rides out with you to Caracoli, a stretch of the Palomino River about ten minutes away. Board, paddle and life jacket are handed over there.
• 45 minutes on the water. The section used here is calm and cold, running clear between dense banks. Your instructor is with you the whole time.
• Motorbike back (about 30 minutes).

What’s included

• Instructor for the full two hours
• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Palomino by motorbike
• Paddle board
• Life jacket
• All-risk insurance

Not included

• Breakfast and lunch
• Extra purchases

Good to know

• The motorbike is not optional. The Caracoli stretch of the river is reachable only by motorbike from the town centre. Each guest rides with their own driver. If riding pillion is not for you, this tour is not for you.
• No experience needed. You get a safety briefing and a short technique lesson before you go in, and this section of river is calm and suited to beginners.
• You will get wet. Swimwear, a towel and a dry change of clothes.
• This is a rural region and local guides may not be fully bilingual. If English-only communication is critical for your group, factor that in. We would rather tell you than have you find out on the riverbank.
• The water is cold, which is the point. It comes off the Sierra Nevada.

Frequently asked questions

I have never been on a paddle board.

Then you are the normal customer for this. The briefing and lesson come first, the water here is calm, and the instructor stays with you for the full session.

Two hours for 45 minutes of paddling?

Yes, and that is honest rather than padded: the rest is the ride out, the kit, the briefing and the ride back. Caracoli is not somewhere you walk to.

Is it safe for children?

The river section is calm and life jackets are included, but children would also be riding pillion on a motorbike to get there. Tell us their ages when you book and we will say plainly whether it works.

How cold is it, really?

Cold enough to be startling in Caribbean heat. That is most of the appeal.

What if it rains?

Message us on the day. Unlike the tubing tours, a short session on a calm stretch is usually fine in rain, but the guide makes the call on conditions.

How do we get to Palomino in the first place?

That part we drive. Our Santa Marta to Palomino transfer is the usual route, and we also cover Cartagena and Barranquilla.

Ready? Check your date and lock it in