Santa Marta

Santa Marta is a city in the Magdalena Department of Colombia's Costa Norte.

Understand


Santa Marta an important commercial port and tourist destination. Every day, there are cargo ships coming and going and the action is very much visible. From the beach, the view of the Caribbean Sea is more or less to the west (beautiful sunsets) with a huge rock of an island jutting up out of the water to make a somewhat dramatic effect. Off to the right is the port snug behind another even bigger rock. This is a decent beach if you like beaches that are right in town with lots of people, vendors, and noise. Vendors are extremely aggressive if you are on the beach.

Aside from the old center, the main attractions of Santa Marta are its two resort-like suburbs El Rodadero, to the south, and Taganga, to the north. El Rodadero has several high-end hotels and private "clubs" that cater mostly to wealthy Colombians, whereas Taganga used to be a fishing village and is very popular with (mostly foreign) backpackers. Taganga has many scuba-diving agencies.

There is a high and low season. High season is December through April, with its peak from mid-December to late January (due to school and university vacations). In the low season the sun burns less due to more clouds.

By plane

 * A public bus departs frequently in front of the Santa Marta airport. It goes to the main street of Playa El Rodadero and to the city centre to Carrera 4 and 5 (August 2021). The price is COP$2,500 (January 2024) and can be paid inside the bus. You can exit the bus anywhere, there are no bus stops. For the way back from Santa Marta to the airport the bus goes on Carrera 1, then Calle 22 and then Carrera 4 (January 2024). The bus has Aeropuerto written on the relatively small sign in the front window.
 * A taxi to the centro historico is around COP$33,000 (January 2022, no prepaid or metered taxis available).
 * A taxi to the centro historico is around COP$33,000 (January 2022, no prepaid or metered taxis available).

For better flying times or a better fare you may also want to consider flying to nearby Barranquilla. From there you can take a bus to Santa Marta. For international flights, there can be big savings when arriving in Medellin, Bogota or Cali and then taking a separate flight to Santa Marta.

By bus
It's all the way out of town on the main highway. To the city centre, take a bus that goes in the direction of Taganga, departing right on the highway (without crossing the street). The ride costs COP$2,300 (Mar 2023) and will take some 45 minutes to Carrera 5. If carrying a big backpack, you might be rejected by some colectivo drivers. Just wait for the bigger buses.

With a tax,i the trip takes around half an hour. In the bus terminal, you can get free WiFi at the tourist office.

If you want to stay in El Rodadero and come from the direction of Barranquilla, you can exit the intercity bus near El Rodadero and then take a bus or taxi to your accommodation. There is a city bus between the Terminal and El Rodadero, even though it takes some time as the bus goes through the centre of Santa Marta first.

From Santa Marta centre to the Terminal de Transporte you can catch a bus/colectivo with the sign "UCC TRANSPORTE" on Carrera 1.

Buses are available:
 * from Cartagena: 3½ hours
 * from Barranquilla: 2 hours
 * from Medellín: 15 hours
 * from Bucaramanga: 9 hours, COP$80,000 (Copetran, Brasilia) (Jan 2024)
 * from Bogotá: 16 hours
 * from Riohacha: 2½ hours
 * from Taganga: COP$2,000 (Sept 2021) with minibus or taxi for COP$10,000 (Aug 2016)
 * from Cúcuta: 14 hours, COP$120,000-140,000 (Mar 2023)

For more comfortable road travel across northern Colombia, a few companies offer air conditioned van services between Cartagena and Santa Marta, with stops in Barranquilla en route. Cochetur seems to be the most reputable of these. They will pick you up and drop you off at your desired location in each city. You will likely share the van with 6-8 people including the driver. Tipping did not appear to be expected but a thousand or two goes a long way here.

Get around
Streets are numbered. The beach can be considered "Carrera 1" or 1st St., and the first street is usually "Carrera 1A" or 1A St. The next street after the first row of buildings is Carrera 2 or 2nd St. Calles are streets running from east to west.

By bus
Moovit covers the area for finding connections. As there are no bus stops, buses can be entered and exited anywhere along their routes. The price is COP$2,000 (Nov 2021) and is paid to the driver when entering the bus.

By taxi
Unlike bigger cities in Colombia, taxis do not run on a meter. Payments start at COP$6,000 (August 2021) for a "lift" (usually a ride no more than 10 minutes).

If you meet someone who 'knows' a taxi driver, this can be a good opportunity to negotiate a price to your next point in Colombia. Some drivers will take you as far as Barranquilla, although you have to negotiate.

See




Do

 * You can go to the Nearby is the A bit more south you find the All of them have crystal clear water. If in El Rodadero, you can go to the And you can go to the beach directly at the airport. Watching airplanes arriving and departing while swimming in the sea.


 * Mamancana is a private game reserve where you can do wallclimbing and canopying.
 * Mamancana is a private game reserve where you can do wallclimbing and canopying.

Buy
ATMs of the bank BBVA are available in the historical centre and throughout the city. At the Parque Bolívar there are And at the Carrera 4 / Calle 23 there are

In the historical center the minimarkets have a rather small amount of products. On Carrera 5/Calle 20 there is the Also the Olimpica supermarkets have a big variety of products. Medium sized supermarkets are D1 and Ara.

Santa Marta is famous for its beach sellers. Since beaches are open 365 days a year, there are always people wandering up and down the beach selling anything.

The beaches in the southern suburb El Rodadero have aggressive sellers. Take this as an opportunity to haggle.

Postcard stamps can be bought at the post office at Calle 22/Carrera 2 (COP$2,900 for Europe). No stamps are sold at the Deprisa post office (Carrera 3).

Carrera 5th is a big shopping promenade, with stores accompanied by street stalls and vendors. Some streets are pedestrian-friendly, such as Carrera 3 between Calle 15 and 20.

Eat
There are a lot of eating options. They seem to be good at roasting and grilling chicken. They do a good job of grilling beef, tough but flavorful. Seafood is plentiful and relatively inexpensive with lots of shrimp and seafood cocktail vendors. Most varieties of fruit are available even those more common to cold climates. At night street vendors sell all types of snacks like pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, shakes, kabobs, rice in coconut milk, fried stuffed doughy things, etc. Coffee, hot chocolate, and both hot cinnamon and lemon are omni-present.

City center

 * In front of the big Exito supermarket you find Colombian style They are for COP$3,000 (Sept 2021) each and are served during the day and in the evening.
 * It's from 17:30 to midnight in Carrera 6 / Calle 16. You find:
 * hamburgers from COP$8,000 (Sept 2021)
 * pretty big slices of pizza for COP$3–4,000 (Sept 2021)
 * mixed meat skewers for COP$4,000 (Sept 2021)
 * Salchipapas
 * special Colombian style hot dogs for COP$3-7,000 (Sept 2021)
 * Colombian snacks for COP$1,500 (Sept 2021)
 * and more.
 * Excellent seafood soup from a man at the corner of 13th st. and 4th Carr (diagonally opposite the small church, next to the sunglasses vendors; you'll see huge pots of soup). Very cheap and delicious, but only in mornings. Sells out by noon. (updated June 2010)
 * There is a man who has been sitting on 14th street between 3rd and 4th carrera (behind the beach) selling shrimp cocktail at a reasonable price for 23 years. (updated June 2010)
 * There is another man who has been sitting on 22nd street on 1st carrera (in front of the beach) selling a delicious shrimp cocktail at a reasonable price and he is very reliable and well known in the city. (updated June 2010)

East of the center

 * It serves during the day and in the evening. It's near the hostel Avenia. They have hot dogs, salchipapas from COP$5,000 (Sept 2021), Hamburgers from COP$7,000(Sept 2021), Picadas from COP$7,000 (Sept 2021) and more.

Rodadero Beach

 * At the Rodadero Beach you can also find good-tasting It's on Calle 12 between Carrera 2 and the beach. They serve during the day until 17:00. (updated Sept 2021)

El Rodadero


Other local simple restaurants in the historical center of Santa Marta and around La Especial in El Rodadero have a main dish from COP$10,000-12,000 (August 2021). In the center of El Rodadero it's from COP12,000-15,000 (August 2021)

Drink




Because Santa Marta can get brutally hot during the summer (upwards of 35°C/95°F), it is a good idea to constantly have a bottle of water with you. During the evenings, when it gets cooler, beer and friends is often an excellent combination. It would be good idea to take a couple of "Stubbie Coolers" (Australian vernacular for an item which keeps the beer in your bottle cooler or longer) as the heat will have you drinking warm beer by the time you are at the end of your drink.

Soft drinks can be found at nearly every restaurant - sometimes you can even pick it up in glass bottles. They are cheap.

Ask about Ben´s Bar on the Beach. Barrio Samario, La Puerta, and El Garage.

Sleep
Hostels with dorms are available in the historical center, throughout the city and at the El Rodadero Beach. There are also accomodations in nearby Taganga, Minca or inside the Tayrona National Park. Santa Marta is quite hot, you may want to choose an accommodation with air conditioning.

Budget




Stay safe
Like in other Colombian cities avoid traveling alone, with visible expensive electronics, esp. in public areas or at night.

There's a new walking path "Sendero Peatonal Ziruma-Rodadero" from the outskirts of the downtown area to Rodadero and the beaches there. While they cover a beautiful scenery often hard to admire by bus or car, it has long and desolate stretches and goes through some poor and unsafe barrios. There's very little police presence along the different paths. Do not use these paths alone as a tourist to get to or from Rodadero. Tourists have been mugged at gunpoint on those walkways in broad daylight. Take the cheap blue buses, or a taxi.

Cope
Matters regarding your visa or visa-free stay are handled by the immigration office in Cl. 19 #8 - 68.

Go next
Both hostels and private rooms are available:

in the north-east:

 * Taganga – 5 km. A backpacker and hippie haven in a one-time peaceful little fishing village.

in the south-east:

 * Minca – 20 km. With pleasant temperatures. It's 580m above sea level towards the mountain top Cerro Kennedy.

in the east:

 * Tayrona National Park – 35 km. An unspoilt natural paradise of jungle, birds, ocean, and absolutely gorgeous beaches.
 * In the south of the national park along the Highway 90 are Las Tinajas (20 km), Calabazo (25 km), El Zaino (38 km) and Los Naranjos (41 km) which don't require the entrance fee.
 * Guachaca – 50km. Behind the Tayrona National Park. You can have a bath at one of the river beaches. You can also hike along the river.
 * Buritaca – 55 km. Also at a river.
 * Palomino – 80km
 * Cabo de la Vela – 340 km. An adjacent small fishing village in the desert. It's more comfortable to do an overnight stop in Riohacha and go from there.

in the south-west:

 * Cartagena – 230 km. The Heroic City, Capital of the Bolívar department is Colombia's tourist city par excellence

in the north-west:

 * San Andrés – Colombia's Caribbean island. There are direct flights from Santa Marta.

Destinations for a tour or trip are:


 * Ciudad Perdida — Santa Marta is besides Taganga the main jumping off point for the famous trek, and you should be able to arrange a trek on short notice with any of the hostels or tour companies.