Playa Vaca
Dive site · Colombia
Is it worth the trip?
77Good out of 100 for your dates
3 days tie for best
Mon 2 · 76 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.5 m
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 6kn
- Air
- 28°C
Tue 3 · 77 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.3 m
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 28°C
Wed 4 · 78 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 4kn
- Air
- 28°C
Thu 5 · 73 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 28°C
Fri 6 · 78 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.1 mflat
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 28°C
Sat 7 · 78 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.1 mflat
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 28°C
Sun 8 · 77 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 30°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 190, good
- Mon 276, good
- Tue 377, good
- Wed 478, good
- Thu 573, good
- Fri 678, good
- Sat 778, good
- Sun 877, good
- Mon 977, good
- Tue 1078, good
The site in three facts
- Open Waterand up
- Water 29 °Crash vest or 1 to 2 mm
- Faces NWswell from there reaches it
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know currents, the visibility on the day or your certification.
Suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it. Scored for Advanced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 90, good | 0.6 m | 8 kn | 10kn | 30°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 76, good | 0.5 m | 4 kn | 6kn | 28°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 77, good | 0.3 m | 4 kn | 9kn | 28°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 78, good | 0.2 mflat | 2 kn | 4kn | 28°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 73, good | 0.2 mflat | 5 kn | 10kn | 28°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 78, good | 0.1 mflat | 4 kn | 12kn | 28°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 78, good | 0.1 mflat | 2 kn | 12kn | 28°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 77, good | 0.2 mflat | 8 kn | 13kn | 30°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 77, good | 0.3 m | 1 kn | 7kn | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 78, good | 0.3 m | 2 kn | 10kn | 29°C |
Sea is the waves near the site, in metres; wind and gusts in knots. "Boats in": gusts that keep dive boats in. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovHigh 05:53 +0.0 mLow 09:35 −0.0 mHigh 16:53 +0.3 m
- Mon 2 NovLow 00:23 −0.1 mHigh 06:34 +0.1 mLow 11:00 −0.0 mHigh 17:45 +0.2 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 00:54 −0.1 mHigh 07:14 +0.1 mLow 12:20 −0.0 mHigh 18:36 +0.2 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Slack water, the safest time to dive where there is current, is about half an hour either side of each high and low. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good diving days in a typical week, each month, for Advanced divers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar7of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov7of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast: the sea and the mean wind of each day, with no gusts or rain in the history.
Map
the site, its town, photos
Playa Vaca on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Playa Vaca
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More diving near here
5 places
- Punta Venado 1.8 km away
- Barcazas 2.5 km away
- Bombita 5.2 km away
- Torin 5.6 km away
- Salichin 5.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Playa Vaca
It suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces NW: swell from the NW reaches it, and wind from the SE blows out to sea. 10 dive centres or shops within 10 km, the nearest 1.3 km away. The sea is about 26°C in January, its coldest month (3 mm wetsuit), and 30°C in October, its warmest (rash vest or 1 to 2 mm). The town to stay in is Santa Marta. Within 5 km we also list 2 dive sites.
- What it is No source states what kind of site it is.
- How deep No source states how deep it goes.
- Who it suits Suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres 10 dive centres or shops within 10 km, the nearest 1.3 km away.
Water about 29°C: rash vest or 1 to 2 mm. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility about 10 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Apr and May (about 15 m).
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$596–US$1,140 each
about US$596–US$1,140 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to SMR, estimated from distance and season, changing at PTY, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$295–US$616 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$33–US$60 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$127–US$208 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$141–US$255 |
| Total | about US$596–US$1,140 |
Guided dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Santa Marta
6 min by car · 149 places to stay
about US$47/nightcountry average
About Santa Marta its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$47 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 13h 40m
About 13h 40m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → SMR, changing at Tocumen International Airport (PTY), then 35 min by road
Flights ORD → SMR on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Santa Marta · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Santa Marta · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
Aquantis Dive Center 1.3 km
Poseidon Dive Center 1.3 km
Reef Shepherd 1.3 km
Ocean Lovers Taganga 1.3 km
Oceano Scuba Centro de Buceo 1.4 km
The nearest named dive centres and shops within 25 km, in a straight line; training agencies where the map states them. Listings, not a recommendation. Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Too few open records near this site to list its animals. Ask a dive centre what you are likely to see.
This week: visibility over 30 m, clearer than usual (satellite plankton reading, 24 Oct). Estimated from the month's typical visibility and this week's satellite chlorophyll against the site's normal; heavy rain before a dive can still muddy it.
The current and the life no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.