After a few full days of bus rides and beach hikes we decided to snuggle into the sleepy beach town of Taganga for a relaxing day of absolutely nothing. Turns out, Taganga is the perfect destination for doing just that.

Nestled in like an armpit along the coastal Sierra Nevada mountains, Taganga is a cheap 20-minute taxi ride away from Santa Marta.

When you first catch a glimpse of the Spanish-style houses that trickle down towards the fishing-boat-dotted bay, you can’t help but get caught up in its beauty. However, once you hit ground level the mini-oasis becomes tainted by the reality of a real fisherman’s income.

Taganga’s tourist indulgences are rare, oceanfront cobblestone streets are limited and the white-sand beaches and crystal-blue Caribbean water is non-existent. It’s a true fisherman’s village that has developed into a nice sanctuary for bead-necklace-selling hippies. It’s cool, raw and perfect for a day or two.

Most hostels, including the wildly popular La Casa de Felipe, were all booked up so we setup shop on the far side of town at the Hotel Bahia Taganga. For $60,000 COP (about $33 US) we got a clean room with a great view and free breakfast (side note: I’m a big sucker for free breakfast). I really think The Hotel Bahia Taganga is a perfect stop for your budget holidays in Colombia.

That evening we followed the hippie trail down towards the beach to admire the sunset as street performers gathered a crowd on the nearby promenade. We made ourselves comfortable on the rocky sand as locals struck up a soccer match and guitar players circled together.

As people moved from the beach to restaurants, one roof-top club stood out as the featured attraction for the night. Although the heavy latin/electric bass beats were enticing we kept things low-key and opted for the cool breeze coming into the open bay window of our hotel room. I guess the hippie lifestyle rubbed off on us in Taganga.