Tayrona: The Spiritual Heart of the Sierra Needs to Breathe
Every year, Tayrona National Natural Park closes its gates. But it’s not just a tourist restriction or government policy — it’s something much deeper: a sacred pause.
For a few days, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta — known by its Indigenous peoples as the “Heart of the World” — goes silent. The beaches rest. The trails empty. And the land begins to heal.
🌿 A Closure That Is a Ritual
The closure of Tayrona Park is the result of a respectful agreement between Colombia’s National Parks authority and the four Indigenous nations of the Sierra Nevada: the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa, and Kankuamo.
During these sacred days, the mamos — spiritual leaders — perform pagamentos: ancestral rituals of offering, balance, and reconnection between humans, nature, and the spirits of the sea, mountains, rivers, and wind.
To these communities, pagamentos are not symbolic. They are real, vital work. A necessary act of care for Mother Earth, harmed by the constant presence of tourism, pollution, and modern spiritual disconnection.
🌀 Spirituality That Protects Life
In a world that often puts economics above essence, Tayrona’s closure is an act of cultural and ecological resistance. It’s a reminder that land is not something we simply visit — it’s something we honor. That sacred places are not attractions — they are living beings. That without spirituality, conservation is incomplete.
When the Indigenous peoples perform their rituals, they are not just preserving their traditions.
They are preserving the balance that sustains life. They are cleaning what we, often unknowingly, have disturbed.
📅 Dates of Sacred Reconnection
Tayrona Park closes three times each year:
- February 1–15 – Beginning of the spiritual year (Kugkui Shikasa)
- June 1–15 – Season of renewal and planting (Saka Juso)
- October 19 – November 2 – Spiritual cleansing period (Nabbatashi)
During these days, the Sierra becomes a natural temple. The animals return. The ecosystems regenerate. And silence becomes medicine.
💚 Not a Closure. A Chance to Wake Up.
Respecting these closures is an act of awareness. It’s understanding that travel also means knowing when not to go. That protecting a place means giving it time and space to breathe.
More than a closure, this is an invitation to awaken.
To value other ways of knowing.
To remember that Tayrona offers not only beauty — but wisdom.
And that when the Earth speaks, the wisest thing we can do… is listen.
