Beach conditions in Colombia (Caribbean)
 

I'm planning a winter trip to Colombia that mostly sticks to the Caribbean coastline from Cartagena north. I planned a similar trip 5 years ago but never took it. Now that I'm actually going, some google searches are indicating that many of the beaches that sounded great in 2019 have taken a turn for the worse -- several are described in blogs as "covered in garbage" now, and one (Palomino) is apparently almost entirely underwater due to erosion. Yet there are other posts that continue to describe all of them as lovely, so I don't know what's what. Can anyone who has recently been to Colombia recommend a good beach or two on the mainland, not super far from Santa Marta/Taganga, that still exists and is not covered in garbage?? (Not including Tayrona, which we do already plan to visit.) I don't mind a busy beach, I can deal with hawkers, etc. Maybe Santa Marta and Taganga themselves have been cleaned up? (or maybe they're worse?!) Thanks.

You could visit Baru Islands, but take care paying a higher prices from hawkers and restaurants. A meal would cost their highest price, almost 60.000 COP per plate, 12-15 US Dollars. Palomino still beautifull despite the erosion, is because there is the begining of "Guajira Desert", part of the beautiful view of that beach. The most polluted "with garbage" beach on the north is Bocagrande and in Santa Marta "El Rodadero" those are for tourists, not for travelers and are as same as Ibiza is... "To many people, to many problems".

Instead of go to Bocagrande, you could choose go to Laguito that is more quiet and avoid Bocagrande.

If you go to tayrona, is worth the whole travel, you could spend many days there looking for Cinto Beach and go to Neguanje Beach, Taganga and Palomino. Also: Playa Grande, Playa Escondida, Playa Genemaka... and many more. And also if you want to have a real deep experience go to "Costeño Beach", is not so popular and also have a beautiful woods hotel. In that beach was produced these two videos:

"Somos dos" by Bomba Estereo
"Playa Grande" by Soffi Tucker

Sorry I could not give you links, my account does not allow me to share URLs.

Have a great Trip