A Breakdown: Tayrona vs. Cocuy

Colombia may only be 1/9^th the size of the U.S., but man, does this country have a diverse terrain – from the mountainous Andes of Bogota to the ancient walled city of coastal Cartagena to the beautiful Caribbean coast lined with beaches and lush forests to the fake, plastic boobs of Medellin to the many national parks in the Andean highlands. This country allows you to pack-in 4+ different types of vacations in one, not to mention, it requires you to pack for 4+ different types of climates!

And to further exemplify my point, I have broken down my experience during 3 days in Tayrona National Park (Caribbean Coast) vs. 3 days in Cocuy National Park (Andean highlands)

WEATHER

Tayrona: Sunny, blue skies

Cocuy: (In a 24 hr period) Crisp air, blue skies, cloudy rain storms & pure, white snow (1^st snow the area had seen in 20 years!)

TERRAIN

Tayrona: A National Park with coastal & forest paths, taking you from beach to beach - some crowded with tourists & others, like the nudist beach, sparsely covered with bare butts (including my own)

Cocuy: A National Park with multiple mountainous paths, taking you by lakes, through high peaks and passes and along the most spectacular scenery.

ALTITUDE

Tayrona: Sea Level

Cocuy: 4000 – 5100 meters above sea level

TRANSPORTATION

Tayrona: Public local bus / private transport

Cocuy: Colombia night bus hell crammed next to a large woman with her 8yr old on her lap, who ended up in my lap on every bump & turn. Meanwhile, the same Colombian songs were BLARING – even at 3am - about jilted lovers and unrequited love

ACCOMMODATION

Tayrona: I stayed in an amazing Cabana nestled on a hill (distanced from the 13 other cabanas) with a view of the beach, my own private hammock area & clear sounds of the waves crashing ashore each night

Cocuy: Night #1 – a tent with collapsing sides, a broken zipper & a threshold to withstand the cold of Los Angeles. Night #2 – After narrowly escaping hypothermia on snowy night #1, we ended up staying in a paper thin-walled cabin where we could see our breath in the air.

CLOTHING

Tayrona: Bikini & Sarong

Cocuy: Sample evening wear: 3 pairs of socks (including wool), 3 pairs of running pants, 1 running tank top, 1 biking top, 1 hooded thermal, 1 long-sleeve running top, 1 fleece-lined ski jacket, 1 north face jacket, 1 pair of gloves, 1 ski mask, 1 neck warmer

FOOD

Tayrona: Fresh Juice. Fresh Food.

Cocuy: Packaged camping food, hot Aguapanela & enough snacks to last us a week, including condensed milk in a tube – absolutely brilliant

EXERCISE

Tayrona: Morning beach yoga & occasional dips in the water to cool off

Cocuy: 4-6 hr hikes in the altitude, challenging our heart, lungs & mind as every breath felt like it needed 2 to get our necessary oxygen & every step felt like it required the energy of 3

ENTERTAINMENT

Tayrona: Read 2 books, journal writing, went to bed at 8:30, woke up at 5:30 for the sunrise

Cocuy: Card games & 10yr old summer camp games, i.e. never have I ever, I spy, 20 questions

PEOPLE

Tayrona: Talked to no one for 72hrs (except 20 yr old Colombians, Brenda & Jorge, who invited me to their table for lunch & resulted in an English / Spanish conversation class!)

Cocuy: Non-stop chatter and laughter with 4 amazing women (Tanita, “Cherry”, Diana & Lacey.)

A quick skim through the different variables clearly shows the vastly different experiences i had in each place. To be honest, if you made me choose my favorite, I would not be able to pick one over the other. They were both equally amazing, entertaining and filled with beautiful landscapes. And they were both fabulous ways to start bringing my vacation to an end in Colombia.