Plan on about 11 h 40 min of driving for the 551-mile (886 km) trip from Tunja to Palomino, before any 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: “Travel only during daylight hours.”
| Total distance | 551 mi (886 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 11 h 40 min |
| Departments on the route | Boyacá, Santander, Cesar, Magdalena, La Guajira |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 22.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
The Tunja–Palomino drive in a few lines
It runs through 5 departments: Boyacá, Santander, Cesar, Magdalena, La Guajira. None of the 6 stops below is right on the road, so plan each as a short side trip.
Road-by-road breakdown: Tunja to Palomino
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–551 | 551 | Boyacá, Santander, Cesar, Magdalena |
- Mile 42 of this route: Boyacá → Santander (department line)
- Mile 222 of this route: Santander → Cesar (department line)
- Mile 426 of this route: Cesar → Magdalena (department line)
- Mile 551 of this route: Magdalena → La Guajira (department line)
What to see on the way from Tunja to Palomino
- Nature and outdoors: Tayrona National Natural Park (mile 518)
- Museums and history: Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón (mile 39), Casa del Telegrafista (mile 454), Cathedral of Santa Marta (mile 503), Casa de la Aduana (mile 503)
Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón
On Tunja's Plaza Bolívar, the Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón is a museum honoring the founder who established the city for the Spanish Crown in 1539.
Casa del Telegrafista
Casa del Telegrafista is a museum in Aracataca, the town where author Gabriel García Márquez and photographer Leo Matiz were born.
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.
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.
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.
More drives to Palomino
- Barranquilla to Palomino
- Sabanalarga to Palomino
- Cartagena to Palomino
- Santa Cruz de Mompós to Palomino
- Magangué to Palomino
- Sincelejo to Palomino
From Tunja to other places in Colombia
- Tunja to Girardot City
- Tunja to Cartago, Colombia
- Tunja to San Cipriano
- Tunja to Quibdó
- Tunja to Yopal
- Tunja to Pitalito
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Tunja to Palomino?
About 11 h 40 min of driving without stops, over 551 miles.
What is the driving distance from Tunja to Palomino?
About 551 miles (886 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 Tunja to Palomino?
The U.S. State Department rates Colombia Level 3: Reconsider Travel. Read the full advisory before you go.
What are good stops between Tunja and Palomino?
Closest to the road: Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón (museum, mile 39, 1 mi from the route); Casa del Telegrafista (museum, mile 454, 2 mi from the route); Tayrona National Natural Park (national park, mile 518, 2 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.