Comments on: Taganga

By: Eve

Eve — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:56:34 +0000

At first Taganga seems friendly and like great fun. I have been 5 times now and every time I go things get worse. Maybe its because I am married to a Tagangan now and locals dont like to see happy couples. People dont respect couples and when you are happy both women and men try to pick you or your partner up and seperate or destroy your relationship by spreading rumours. It is very rare to see older couples still married and happily living together and there is alot of domestic violence towards women. I also found it hard being there as a mother and in general a free thinking and free spirited women. People expect you to be at home all day serving your husband, without any opinions about how you should be treated even if your husband lives on the streets drinking and women in general should not have any opinion whether it is political, sexual, human rights or whatever. If you are outgoing with your child or even go out for a dance they think you are a slut and automatically start talking about you even to your partner. It happened to me and my husband and we fought the whole time we were there because he was worried about what people thought even though he knows me and trusts me. There is a lot of jelousy there and even my friends there tell me not to trust anyone. As for the beach, I have seen childern swimming and playing with condoms and menstruation pads while swimming. People throw rubbish everywhere and dont care about their land. Drugs have taken over the town and so has prostitution and people now get robbed all the time. Even locals who struggle get broken into and robbed.

Overall Taganga is not a good example of Colombia or its people and there are so many beautiful people and places in this country. Taganga is shit but every country in the world has the good and bad areas. Don’t judge Colombia because of this trashy village and do remember that it was once a different place and tourism has actually destoyed the place and so has the governments lack of support to educate and give oportunity to locals and women in particular.

By: pamela

pamela — Thu, 19 May 2011 13:37:05 +0000

had a wonderful time in taganga. people were friendly, offered us free boat rides, even free drink and food. beach was clean. water not. but remember its a fishing village. took us to playa cristal and it was one of the best i have ever seen. didnt pay that much for our meal. one lady even made my favorite drink and brought it to me on the neach, panela…. remember these people feel invaded. they are making the best they can of it and are probably worried some foreigner will come and change it or take it all away…

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 14 May 2011 21:09:59 +0000

Hi Greg
I’m sorry, but how can you be so wrong about paradise? I have travelled all over the world since 1987, china and tibet included, and i spent more than two years in most countries of south america. I am married to a colombian women now and I have just bought some land in taganga.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:32:21 +0000

@Tom Based on my experience, I can’t even fathom returning there five times as you have; however, we are both entitled to our opinions. I have been to quite a few places in the world – and can appreciate “spirit” – but they sure don’t fit my paradigm of friendly. I went there very open minded, and if you were familiar with the rest of my blog, you would realize that.

I agree, I should learn Spanish…as soon as I am finished with Bahasa Indonesian, Malay, Mandarin, and all the other languages I practice which apply more to my locale. How’s your Mandarin?

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 12:03:16 +0000

If the people treated you unfriendly, you probably deserved it. Taganga has its own spirit and the locals are the most friendly people in the world. But you have to adapt (as travelers do..) or else don’t come here! Maybe you should learn spanish…
Btw: I have been to Taganga in 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2012.

By: Greg

Greg — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:24:41 +0000

Hi Diana,

Thanks for commenting, I’m very interested in other opinions. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Colombia, but Taganga was certainly my least favorite place. When were you there last? It was apparent – with new construction everywhere – that this is no longer a fishermen’s village, it has become a place where even budget travelers are begging other travelers for money to buy drugs. A small, simple fish to eat costs $8 – unusual for a “fishing village”.

My treatment there as a visitor was terrible, perhaps the local people are not accustomed to the tourists yet, or perhaps they pool all of us together with the rude backpackers who only come for cheap drugs. Unlike the rest of Colombia, I don’t think a single local in the hostel, restaurants, or shops ever even smiled at me once.

I have heard the same thing from many people in response to what my feeling was in Taganga, it leads me to think that maybe the place has changed a lot – sadly, not for the better.

By: Diana

Diana — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:47:47 +0000

Greg,

I am from Colombia, and i never comment on blogs or this internet things , but i’m shocked about your experience.

I study Hospitality and i’ve been traveling all around the world, and it surprises me that you didn’t feel that you were treated good.

Remember, Taganga is a fishermen’s village, they don’t have the same education or privileges as you do .

Also , they are used that tourists usually go there to use their home as their drug and party playground.

Give it a second chance, and there are MORE places to go in Colombia.

By: Greg

Greg — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:31:50 +0000

I’m glad you had a better experience in Taganga than I did…maybe it was the time of year (Christmas) or some other variable that I don’t know about, but I can assure you that when I was there (and other friends met there will confirm) that the people were anything but lovely.

I don’t like writing negative reviews, but in a 5 year tradition of keeping this blog completely personal and honest, I have to stand by what I wrote. I went to Taganga with an open heart and mind and really was not received well. It wasn’t at all an “in your face” problem, I appreciate that attitude after traveling China, Egypt, and even places in the US. It was plain and simple rudeness.

Keep in mind that someone speaking good Spanish, or in Simon’s case being from Colombia, probably makes a huge difference in the treatment. I did meet a lot of jackass gringo travelers there for the drugs, and no doubt they have jaded the locals.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:37:20 +0000

Greg,
I was doing some research for a project and stumbled across your blog. I have been in Taganga now a little more than a week and I can not wrap my brain around your negative experience with the locals. I think that they are lovely people, and are dealing with the invasion of foreign tourists with as much grace as one can. I am sure that they can feel that their home is changing as the bus loads of tourists pour into the youth hostels. God know what will happen to the town in the next 10 years. Seems like in no time the Hilton will be trying to buy up the one little piece of public beach and make people pay to use it.
There are probably just too many foreign jackasses coming to Taganga to exploit its people by buying drugs and sex and not to simply watch the sunset and swim.
Try to understand where people are coming from and not just label them as a “hateful, unfriendly, miserable”
That is just not fair.

By: Simon

Simon — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 07:35:59 +0000

Hey Greg!

Wow you had it rough! Although I notice this negative tone in all your writings on Colombia.

Some people like some cultures better than other and I think, and please don’t take this bad, you expect everything to be the way it is in Thailand.

I believe every continent/culture has its own vibe and rhythm, and South America is way stronger/aggressive/inyourface than South East Asia where everyone is under the Buddhist influence.
Also the amount of time a country has been exposed to tourism makes a huge difference, and people learn that
tourists are precious.

Personally I don’t like Taganga, too many Israelies and gringos getting wasted in every way they can.
I only go to Taganga for the diving, which is good if you know where to go to, and I don’t stay over night.

Just personal thought coming from a traveler friend

Simon