Mendihuaca – Hidden Paradise on the Colombian Coast

Mendihuaca is a true hidden paradise on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. With not many backpackers stopping by and Costeno Beach being only a 20-minute walk by the beach away – Mendihuaca is a true gem, and you should visit before the world hears about it. Because inevitably – it will!

---

Where the river Mendihuaca enters the Caribbean Sea, you will find a hidden piece of paradise, not many tourists know about. Moderately popular among Colombians, Mendihuaca is hardly on the itinerary of your usual Colombia backpacker.

Suppose you happen to stumble across this piece of paradise on a weekday. In that case, you will find yourself lodged in a treehouse-like eco-hostel, put to sleep and woken up by the sound of the waves and spending days surfing, lazying by the river and admiring some of the most spectacular sunsets.

What’s not to love about this?

So let me tell you about this treasure I found only by chance – Mendihuaca, a hidden gem on the Colombia Caribbean coast.

Mendihaca is the name of the river starting at the Sierra Nevada and entering the Caribbean Sea roughly halfway between Tayrona National Park and Palomino.

In this area, you will find mostly eco hostels where electricity is limited to a few hours per day and wifi is unavailable. The sea can get pretty violent thus it is a very popular surfing spot, and the river at its mouth created a very pleasant pool which became a bathing and watersports spot.

Mendihuaca is also an excellent base for your Tayrona Park trip.

Mendihuaca wasn’t on my Colombian coast itinerary given I, as well as many other travellers, have never heard about it.

Initially, I was trying to book a stay at the Costeno beach, which proved unsuccessful.

Costeno Beach has become very popular in recent years, and the area offers only a handful of hostels. So when I tried to book my stay pretty last minute, I found out that all the hostels were fully booked well in advance. But I was determined to visit, so instead, I found an available hostel near Mendihuaca River.

The funny part is that I actually cancelled and rebooked this hostel three times. The moment I realised that there was no internet available in the area and the electricity is provided only for a couple of hours in the morning and then in the evening – I panicked.

Then I rebooked as I really didn’t want to miss this destination. So I decided to suck it up. In the end, I like going outside of my comfort zone. I knew I would not get any work done over there, but I decided to give it a go anyway. And this was the best decision.

At many, if not all, places along the Caribbean coast of Colombia, you will find life much slower and simpler. The further northeast you go, the more often you will encounter electricity or internet connection issues. But, in return, you will get paradise-like surroundings, kind and helpful people, and never-ending hot weather.

Mendihuaca is no different.

Mendihuaca Beach is stunning, and all the hostels and eco-lodges are located right at the beach, with the lush vegetation spreading behind. There is a very rustic and jungle-like style to those hostels, yet there is something hip about this location. That could be due to the prominent surfing culture around there.

It is absolutely normal for everyone to go surfing first thing in the morning and then again just before sunset. The few restaurants on the beach offer delicious traditional food and some exotic juices and cocktails. In addition, the river’s mouth provides a great swimming and sunbathing spot. Mendihuaca is a paradise on Earth.

So if you are convinced and you decide to stay for a few days at Mendihuaca Beach, here are all the things you can do in the area.

Things To Do in and Around Mendihuaca Colombia

Surf at Mendihuaca Beach

I have seen people walk all the way from Costeno just to surf at Mendihuaca. A surf school called ‘Surf Mendihuaca’ is located right on the beach, offering both surfing lessons and equipment rental. The sea around the area gets pretty violent as well. Those were some of the biggest waves I have seen around the Colombian coast. Mendihuaca is a surfers’ paradise.

Laze by the Mendihuaca River

If surfing isn’t your thing, don’t despair.

Beaches along the Colombian Caribbean coast can be pretty spectacular, yet very often, it is impossible to swim in the sea. This is the reason why many tourists and backpackers opt for hostels with swimming pools. You won’t find any of them at the front of the Mendihuaca beach, though.

But Mendihuaca offers another option. The river. As the river enters the sea, it is shaped into a great lake-like area where you can swim and chill. You can rent a sun tent and spend a few hours relaxing in the perfect Colombian paradise.

Go Kayaking along the Mendihuaca River

At the mouth of Mendihuaca River, you will find plenty of kayaks for rent with prices starting from 25.000 COP (€5.5/$6.6) per hour. The price goes up the further up the river you decide to explore, but nevertheless, it’s great fun at a very affordable price.

Visit Costeno Beach

It takes around 20 minutes of walking by the beach to get to Costeno Beach from Mendihuaca.

The prices of the hostels at Costeno can be pretty steep so staying in Mendihuaca instead is a great and more affordable option.
If you need to use the internet or work for a bit – visit Costeno Hostel. I spent a whole day there. The food is delicious (they even have a Poke Bar!), and as long as you order something, it is fine to stay and use their pretty good wifi.

You can also visit Los Hermanos or La Brisa Tranquila Hostel, where you will be able to have a nice meal and cocktail.

Visit Tayrona National Park

Mendihuaca is also an excellent base for the Tayrona National Park trip. Although you will find hostels and nice locations much closer to the Zaino entrance, Mendihuaca is definitely one of the most spectacular.

It only takes 10 minutes for the bus to get from Mendihuaca to the entrance of Tayrona Park, and the one-way ride will cost you 2.000 COP (€0.45/$0.50).

Chill, Eat and Drink (including Homemade Cake)

For such a remote location, I was very pleasantly surprised by the restaurants and bars. There are not many, but those that are there are excellent. The food is lovely, and all the restaurants are located right on the beach. You can have breakfast for 6000 to 15000 COP and great fried fish for 25000.

A true gem is Belaonda, a little cafe/bar run by Isabela. It is a super cute little place with swings and comfy cushioned chairs. There is a happy hour on Cuba Libre and Caipirinha. Isabela also bakes a cake daily and served a great cappuccino (which is a real treat around the coast)! I also had breakfast there, and it was delicious!

Right next to the river, you will find a nice restaurant where I had fantastic fish with coconut rice. The owners of this restaurant also run a kayaking and sun tents business and are all very lovely!

Watch the Sunset

Colombia has some of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever experienced, and I have experienced many.

Mendihuaca is no different. There is nothing better than chilling at the beach bar and watching the sun going down and painting the sky in all shades of orange and purple. I could never get bored of it!

It is very worth going out of the beaten path and letting the chance lead your way from time to time. What I found at Mendihuaca was a true paradise on the Colombian coast. 

You don’t read much about Mendihuaca in backpackers’ guides. But I have a feeling this will change soon. So if you fancy a few relaxing days, being cut out from the internet and media noise, surrounded by incredible nature, with great surfing, kayaking opportunities and spectacular sunsets – head to Mendihuaca and enjoy this piece of paradise while it lasts.

Where to stay in Mendihuaca

There are few options as to where to stay around Mendihuaca.

Right on the beachfront, you will find a number of eco-hostels and lodges. Some are very beautiful, overlooking the sea – all built in traditional style and often without the actual walls. I stayed in Eco Hostal Paraiso and really enjoyed it!

There is also a campsite located at the entrance to Mendihuaca with pretty basic facilities. I have seen a couple of tents parked there as well as a simple shower and toilet facilities. 

If you fancy a little bit of luxury you can also stay at the Mendihuaca Hotel. It is a 3-star, resort-style hotel offering swimming pools, restaurants and wifi.  

I have also written a complete guide to all the most legendary hostels in Colombia!

How to get to Mendihuaca Beach from Santa Marta.

The best way to get from Santa Marta to Mendihuaca is by taking a bus from in front of Santa Marta Market. This is the same bus that goes to Palomino and stops along Tayrona National Park. The ticket will cost you 7000 COP.

Ask the driver to drop you at the entrance to Costeno Beach by the moto-taxi stop.

From there it is 10 minutes walk by the dirt road, but you can also take a moto-taxi. 

Things to keep in mind before visiting Mendihuaca / What to pack

• Make sure you have some kind of torch available – once the lights go off, you will need to navigate around or simply use the toilet at night. I take my head torch everywhere with me. Once the battery is charged, it lasts forever, and it is also a great reading light. 
• mini fan can be a good idea in this area of the world.
• Take plenty of cash. Some hostels accept card payments, so do double-check prior to your arrival. Yet, the restaurants and bars will only accept cash payments. You can pay by card at Costeno Hostel, yet the minimum amount is 30000COP. 
• Enjoy! And let me know if you went! I will be looking forward to your comments!

This post may contain affiliate links which means that if you purchase the product or make a booking via one of my links, I will receive a small commission. Please know that I will never recommend or promote a product I don’t believe in or haven’t used. This way, you are supporting this blog at no extra cost to you. Thank you!