Palomino Tubing and the Seviaka Kogui Community

From $110 USD per person

This is the long version of the Palomino river day, and the difference is who you meet on the way. Three hours of hiking through the forest between the Caribbean lowlands and the Sierra Nevada foothills leads to Seviaka indigenous territory, where the mamo, the Kogui leader, talks to the group about their cosmology, their customs and what they believe the Sierra Nevada is for. Then you get in the river.

Five to eight hours depending on whether you start in Palomino or come from Santa Marta. It is the most demanding thing we sell here and the one people talk about afterwards.

Check live availability and prices — or read on for how the day unfolds.

How the day works

• Motorbike in and the forest hike (about 1 hour). From Palomino your guide collects you at your hotel by motorbike, the only way into terrain with no road. From Santa Marta you make your way to the meeting point at Hotel Playa Blanca, Rodadero.
• Seviaka territory and the mamo (about 3 hours). The trail reaches Seviaka, where you meet the mamo and hear about Kogui cosmology and custom directly rather than described second hand. Entry to the territory is included.
• Tubing the Palomino River (about 1 hour). Floating tire and life jacket, then downstream through the jungle corridor.
• Back (about 1 hour). Motorbike to your hotel in Palomino. From Santa Marta the return is at 3:30 PM from the bus stop, with time to see Palomino first.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide
• Hotel pickup and drop-off by motorbike, from Palomino
• Entry to Seviaka indigenous territory
• Floating tire
• Life jacket
• All-risk insurance

Not included

• Breakfast and lunch
• Extra purchases

Good to know

• Motorbike pickup is required, and this one is emphatic about it. The forest, the Seviaka territory and the river access points have no roads. Motorbike is the only way to reach them. If you are not comfortable riding pillion, this tour is not suitable for you.
• Three hours of hiking before the river. This is a long day on your feet in humidity, not a transfer with a stop attached.
• Bring a swimsuit, a towel, extra clothes and a waterproof or plastic bag. The guide provides the life jacket and the tube.
• You are a guest in someone’s territory. Ask before photographing people, and follow what the community asks of the group.
• It can be joined from Palomino or from Santa Marta. The Santa Marta version is the longer figure in the duration.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the shorter tubing tour?

The river tubing and forest hike is a 40-minute walk and then the river, finishing at the river mouth. This is a three-hour hike, time with the Kogui at Seviaka, and then the river. Different day, different length, different reason to go.

How is it different from the Tunkeka tour?

The Tunkeka tour is a different Kogui village, with three hours in the community and a river swim, and no tubing and no long hike. Take Tunkeka if the culture is the point and you do not want a hard day; take this one if you want both.

Who is the mamo?

The spiritual and community leader among the Kogui. On this tour he speaks to the group himself about their beliefs and customs.

How hard is the hike?

Three hours through forest in heat and humidity, on real trail. If you would not take a three-hour walk at home, you will find this long.

Is photography allowed?

Ask first, every time, and accept no as an answer. Sacred spaces in particular.

How do we get to Palomino in the first place?

We drive that leg. Our Santa Marta to Palomino transfer is the common one, plus Cartagena and Barranquilla.

Ready? Check your date and lock it in