Tunkeka Culture Tour: the Kogui Community above Palomino

From $81 USD per person

A short motorbike ride up into the Sierra Nevada foothills above Palomino, Tunkeka is a Kogui village. The Kogui are descendants of the Tairona, and they receive visitors in their own space and on their own terms: their history, their knowledge of medicinal plants, their handicrafts made by hand while you watch.

Five hours, shared, of which about three are in the village. It closes with a swim in a cold mountain river nearby. It is the least strenuous way to spend real time with the people of the Sierra Nevada rather than reading about them.

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

How the day works

• Motorbike into Kogui territory (about 30 minutes). Your guide collects you from your hotel or inn in Palomino and you ride together toward the foothills. The road narrows as the town falls behind.
• Three hours at Tunkeka. You meet members of the community, who talk about how they live, their relationship with medicinal plants and the natural world, and the beliefs that have guided them. Entry to the village is included.
• The river (about 1 hour). A walk to a nearby river fed by the Sierra Nevada. The water is cold and the contrast with the heat is the point.
• Motorbike back (about 30 minutes).

What’s included

• A Cielo Travel guide, who also helps with translation
• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Palomino by motorbike
• Entry to Tunkeka village
• All-risk insurance

Not included

• Breakfast and lunch
• Extra purchases, including handicrafts and souvenirs

Good to know

• Be a good guest. Ask before photographing people or sacred spaces, and respect what the community asks of visitors. This is somebody’s home, not a display.
• Pickup and drop-off are by motorbike. Comfortable clothes and shoes that can take some dust on the ride.
• Rural and mountainous. Sunscreen, insect repellent and a refillable water bottle.
• If you want to swim, wear your swimsuit under your clothes and bring a small towel.
• Local guides may not be fully bilingual, which is why your Cielo Travel guide comes along to translate.
• Handicrafts are for sale and are not included. Buying directly from the community is the straightforward way to support it.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the Seviaka tour?

Different village and a different day. The Seviaka tour involves a three-hour hike, meeting the mamo, and tubing the Palomino River afterwards. Tunkeka is a 30-minute ride, three hours in the village and a river swim. Take this one if the community visit is the reason you are going and you do not want a hard day.

Is this respectful, or is it a tourist set-up?

The community receives visitors in their own village, on their own terms, and is paid for it. Your part is to arrive as a guest: ask before photographing, listen more than you talk, and take no as an answer.

Who are the Kogui?

Descendants of the Tairona civilisation, living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. What they will tell you about their relationship to that mountain range is the substance of the three hours.

Do I need to speak Spanish?

No. Your Cielo Travel guide translates, which is specifically why they are on the tour.

Can children come?

Yes, with the same caveat as every Palomino tour: they would be riding pillion on a motorbike to get there. Tell us their ages when you book.

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, Barranquilla, and Palomino to the airport at the end.

Ready? Check your date and lock it in