The Wayro route from Riohacha to Rincón del Mar is 298 miles (479 km), about 6 h 30 min of driving without stops.
Read the full advisory before you go: Colombia. Advisory issued: Colombia March 31, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Colombia: “Highways may not have lights or signs showing destinations.”
| Total distance | 298 mi (479 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 6 h 30 min |
| Main roads, in order | 25ATA |
| Departments on the route | La Guajira, Magdalena, Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.9 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 7 |
The Riohacha–Rincón del Mar drive in a few lines
25ATA (7 mi) carries about 2% of the 298 miles. It runs through 5 departments: La Guajira, Magdalena, Atlántico, Bolívar, Sucre. Of the 7 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.
Riohacha to Rincón del Mar: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–167 | 167 | La Guajira, Magdalena, Atlántico |
| connecting roads | 167–168 | 1 | Atlántico |
| local roads | 168–174 | 6 | Atlántico |
| 25ATA | 174–181 | 7 | Atlántico |
| local roads | 181–298 | 117 | Atlántico, Magdalena, Bolívar, Sucre |
- Mile 58 of this route: La Guajira → Magdalena (department line)
- Mile 162 of this route: Magdalena → Atlántico (department line)
- Mile 208 of this route: Atlántico → Magdalena (department line)
- Mile 219 of this route: Magdalena → Bolívar (department line)
- Mile 272 of this route: Bolívar → Sucre (department line)
What to see on the way from Riohacha to Rincón del Mar
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Salamanca Island Road Park (mile 144)
- Nature and outdoors: Tayrona National Natural Park (mile 90), Salamanca Island Road Park (mile 144)
- Museums and history: Cathedral of Santa Marta (mile 105), Casa de la Aduana (mile 105), Queen Mary Cathedral, Barranquilla (mile 163)
Tayrona National Natural Park
About 34 km from central Santa Marta, Tayrona National Natural Park protects Caribbean coast and Sierra Nevada terrain rising from sea level to 900 meters.
Piedra de Donama
Piedra de Donama is a rock about 4 meters across and 3 meters high in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, carved with zoomorphic and abstract petroglyphs.
Cathedral of Santa Marta
Set in Santa Marta's historic center, the Cathedral of Santa Marta is a Renaissance-style Catholic church that held the remains of Simón Bolívar for 12 years in the 19th century.
Casa de la Aduana
On Plaza de Bolívar in Santa Marta, the colonial Casa de la Aduana houses the regional Gold Museum of Colombia's Banco de la República.
Salamanca Island Road Park
On the western outskirts of Ciénaga in Magdalena, Salamanca Island Road Park is a protected area where fresh water from the Magdalena River meets the salt water of the Caribbean, supporting abundant plants and wildlife.
Queen Mary Cathedral, Barranquilla
Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the Queen Mary Cathedral (Metropolitan Cathedral of Queen Mary) stands in central Barranquilla on the western side of Plaza de la Paz, the city's zero point.
Teatro Rex
Designed as a theater in the mid-1930s by Cuban architect Manuel Carrerá, Teatro Rex is an Art Deco building in Barranquilla, Colombia.
More drives to Rincón del Mar
- Cúcuta to Rincón del Mar
- Manizales to Rincón del Mar
- Quibdó to Rincón del Mar
- Tunja to Rincón del Mar
- Pereira to Rincón del Mar
- Cartago, Colombia to Rincón del Mar
From Riohacha to other places in Colombia
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Riohacha to Rincón del Mar?
About 6 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 298 miles.
How far is Rincón del Mar from Riohacha by car?
About 298 miles (479 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
Is it safe to drive from Riohacha to Rincón del Mar?
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Riohacha and Rincón del Mar?
Closest to the road: Tayrona National Natural Park (national park, mile 90, 2 mi from the route); Cathedral of Santa Marta (cathedral, mile 105, 2 mi from the route); Salamanca Island Road Park (park, mile 144, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.