Santa Marta, Colombia: A destination that has much to offer

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Location

Santa Marta is located on a bay on Colombian´s Caribbean coast, about one hour northeast of Barranquilla and about three hours from Cartagena.

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Places of interest

SANTA MARTA

Santa Marta, founded in July 29, 1525 by Rodrigo de Bastidas, is one of the oldest settlements on the South American continent. Tourist attractions of the town of Santa Marta are the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino where Simón Bolivar spent the last days of his life before he died there December 17, 1830, the Cathedral, a national monument built in 1766, the Tayrona Museum inside the Casa de la Aduana which is the oldest house in America, built in 1530, and the San Fernando Fort.

EL RODADERO

Ten minutes by bus to the west of Santa Marta is El Rodadero, Colombia´s most popular resort town located at a beautiful bay with many hotels and a pulsating night life. The beach and the water offer a great variety of activities for every taste and wallet.

TAGANGA

To the east lies Taganga, a fishing village which has kept its originality and charm and offers an interesting contrast to El Rodadero. Here, the visitor can do scuba diving courses, enjoy the typical sea food caught by the local fishermen or just spend some time at the beach soaking in the relaxed atmosphere of the place. There are tours offered from Taganga to Playa Grande by boat.

MINCA

Fourteen kilometers from Santa Marta to the southwest lies Minca, a village situated on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada in a coffee producing region at a height of approximately 630 meters above sea level. Minca can be reached from Santa Marta by car in approx. 30 minutes and by bus in one hour. The exuberant vegetation, the possibility to observe the many bird species of the region, to take a bath in one of the many waterfalls, or to simply escape from the heat of the coast make Minca an attractive destination.

THE PARKS

Santa Marta is the ideal starting point for exploring several of Colombia's beautiful protected areas: the Tayrona National Park, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park with Colombia's highest peaks at 5775 m, the Pico Simón Bolívar and the Pico Cristobal Colón. Therefore, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range. Other parks worth visiting in the area are the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta sanctuary, and the Flamencos sanctuary.

Tayrona National Park

The Tayrona National Park for most visitors is the main attraction of a stay in Santa Marta. The local tour operators offer trips to Playa Cristal (also known as Playa de los Muertos) and Playa Neguanje, as well as to Arrecifes. The first trip usually consists of the ride to Playa Neguanje by bus (with a short stop at a lookout point), and from there one continues by boat to Playa Cristal. The second trip contains the bus ride to Cañaveral; from there it is a walk of about 45 minutes through tropical forest to Arrecifes. Because of the strong sea currents it is not recommendable to swim there, but there are good swimming conditions at "La Piscina" (20 minutes walking distance from Arrecifes) and "Cabo San Juan" (40 minutes walking distance from Arrecifes).

THE LOST CITY

For the adventurous traveler, one of South America's most important and enigmatic archeological sites, La Ciudad Perdida -The Lost City- waits to be explored in the dense jungle on the mountain slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Constructed by the Tayrona people many centuries ago on more than 250 artificial terraces, this city was never found by the Spanish conquistadores and had been forgotten for many years until it was rediscovered in 1976. Even today, the site can only be reached by hiking for 3 days through exuberant vegetation.

PENINSULA DE LA GUAJIRA

To the east on the way to the Venezuelan border lies the Península de Guajira, home of the Wayú Indians where desert and the Caribbean meet and where sand, sea and sky form a striking contrast and offer the visitor an almost surreal impression. Do not expect luxury but be prepared for an exotic and beautiful destination.

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Tips

The tips that are given in this section result from personal experience and are meant to help the traveller enjoy his or her time in Santa Marta a bit more and avoid unnecessary frustration.

Safety and security

For current information about safety and security, health issues, entry requirements, and crime, please visit the web page "Travel Advice-Colombia" of the Foreign and Commonwealth office of the government of the United Kingdom or the web page "Travel Information-Colombia" of the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

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Best time for a visit

Two factors influence the choice of the right time for visiting Santa Marta: the climate and the Colombian main travel seasons.

Climate:

Colombia is located in the tropical climate zone close to the equator. In Colombia, people distinguish between two seasons: the rainy season that lasts from april to december (with less precipitation in the months of july and august) that is called "winter, and the "summer" with low precipitation from mid-december to the end of march. The months with most precipitacion in Santa Marta are june and july. The temperatures are relatively constant in the course of the year and reach about 35°C during the day; at night they drop to about 25°C.

Colombian main travel season:

Santa Marta is the most popular travel destination of the locals. The main travel seasons are from the end of december to mid-january, during Semana Santa (Holy Week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, depending on the year in march or april) and from mid-june to mid-july. During these times the beaches are crowded, hotel rooms are considerably more expensive, and waiting times at the entrances of the Tayrona park have to be accepted.

The most pleasant time for traveling to Santa Marta therefore falls on the time outside the high season during the dry season or the months with less precipitation.

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Tours to Playa Cristal

In high season (especially from the end of December to January), the tours to Playa Cristal inside the Tayrona Park offered by most travel agencies can be a nuisance. People are picked up at their hotels (and some seem to have all the time of the world) and packed into buses, then arrive late at the park entrance where more buses with more tourists have to wait sometimes up to two hours before they can enter, arriving at Playa Cristal at noon or later. It is recommendable to go in small groups (up to 10 people) and to be at the entrance before the park opens. It is worth the extra expenses.

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Bahía Concha

Bahia Concha is one of the beautiful bays of the area with a gorgeous beach, not far from Santa Marta. The access road crosses private land and an entrance fee has to be paid to the owners. Camping directly at the beach is also possible at the camp ground. Bahia Concha can be reached from the center of Santa Marta by taking a bus to the neighbourhood Bastidas (until the last stop called Chimila). There is a bus going from this point to Bahia Concha (about 15 minutes) or a trip can be arranged by mototaxis.

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To Cañaveral by bus

It is possible to go to Cañaveral inside the Tayrona park independently. The public buses (to Palomino) depart at the corner of Carrera 11 and Calle 11 close to Santa Marta's market; travel time is about 1 hour to El Zaíno where the park entrance is located. From there it is about 50 minutes walking distance to Cañaveral or alternatively take the pick up transporter.

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Camping in the Tayrona National Park

In order to experience the Tayrona Park and its nature as close and intensive as possible, the camp grounds next to the beaches offer the best opportunity. It is not expensive to camp in the park (compared to the Ecohabs) and as a camper you have the advantage of being able to enjoy the park early in the morning and in the late evenings, when the day-trippers have not arrived yet or have already left. The most popular camp ground is next to Cabo San Juan, but precisely because of its popularity it is difficult to find a place there during the high season. The camp ground at Arrecifes has good bathroom facilities, but because of the dangerous currents, it is not recommended to go swimming there. There is another camp ground at Cañaveral. It is advisable to take provisions, as the costs of food and beverages inside the park are relatively high. If you do not want to carry your equipment yourself, there are donkeys for rent at Cañaveral.

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Bird watching at the El Dorado Reserve

About 23 kilometers from Minca at an altitude between 1600 meters and 2200 meters the bird reserve El Dorado is located which is administrated by Proaves. In the reserve of about 600 hectares more than 300 bird species can be observed, some of which are endemic. In the reserve accomodation and food is offered. More information can be found on the Proaves web page: www.proaves.org.

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The coffee farm Hacienda La Victoria

For fans of Colombian coffee a visit of the coffee farm Hacienda La Victoria is recommended which was established in 1892 and where the harvested coffee is processed according to the wet method with the original techniques and machines of the foundation time. The farm is is located about 6 kilometers from Minca at an altitude of about 1000 meters above sea level with views on the Caribbean. Visitors are welcome and the guided tours are free (a tip to the friendly guide will be appreciated). Contact address: cweber@la-victoria-coffee.com

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Cerro Kennedy

The Cerro Kennedy is a mountain of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta with its peak at 3100 meters above sea level which can be ascended easily from Minca. In the early morning and under good weather conditions one can see from there the highest peaks of the Sierra Nevada. About 500 meters under the peak the experimental station San Lorenzo is located where the night can be spent. The nights are cold and it is recommendable to take warm clothes. In the office of the natural parks of Colombia in Santa Marta opposite the cathedral tourists register and obtain a written permit after canceling the park entrance fee and the accomodation costs which has to be presented to the personel at the San Lorenzo station.

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Juan Valdez Café

There is a nice and shady Juan Valdez Café outdoors in a small park next to the Tayrona Museum opposite the Parque Simón Bolívar in Santa Marta with a good selection of different coffees, cookies, and ice cream coffees.

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Santa Marta's new nightlife

In Santa Marta's historical center at and around the tastefully restored Parque de los Novios a music and dance scene with a vivid nightlife has been developing, here a selection of the places to go:

PRAGA, electronic music, Calle 19 with Carrera 3

LA PUERTA, modern and mixed music, Calle 17 with Carrera 3

COMODORO, two dance floors, one with electronic, the other with mixed music, Calle 19 with Carrera 3

DISTRITO, mixed music, Calle 19 with Carerra 3

MARIA MUCANA, mixed music, Calle 17 with Carrera 3

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Useful phone numbers

area code for calls from other parts of the country: 5
directory assistance: 113
ambulance: 420 04 53
police: 421 11 13 / 421 11 15 / 421 11 16
airport Simón Bolívar: 422 46 04
bus terminal: 430 20 40

tourist information:
Fondo de Promoción Turística de Santa Marta: 422 75 48
address: Calle 10 N° 3 - 10 El Rodadero

hospitals:
El Prado: 432 9 200 - emergency/fax 432 92 02
address: Cra 5 Cl 26

Hospital Central Julio Méndez: 421 50 40
address: Cra. 14 No. 23-42

Clínica La Milagrosa: 438 21 01 / 438 21 02
address: Calle 22 No. 13-09

Clínica General del Norte: 421 55 20
address:Cl 14 No. 13-12 Av Del Libertador

In the case of an emergency it is advisable to contact your health insurance company as soon as possible (Usually the health insurance companies provide their clients with a helpline phone number).

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How to get there?

BY AIR

Santa Marta's airport Simón Bolívar is located 16 kilometers from the city center. Avianca and Aerorepública fly the routes Bogotá-Santa Marta and Medellín-Santa Marta several times a day.

The following international airlines fly to the airport El Dorado in Bogota:

Aerolíneas Argentinas
Air Canada
Air France
American Airlines
Avianca
Continental Airlines
Copa Airlines
Delta
Iberia
KLM
LAN
MEXICANA
VARIG

Note: American Airlines does not have nonstop flights from Miami to Barranquilla any more. This service is only offered by Avianca now. From Barranquilla to Santa Marta take a taxi or a bus.

BY LAND

There are among others bus connections between Santa Marta and the cities Bogota, Cartagena, Medellin, Barranquilla, and Bucaramanga. Santa Marta lies also on the routes Cartagena-Caracas (Venezuela) and Cartagena-Maicao (Colombia). Moreover, buses go directly from Santa Marta to Maracaibo (Venezuela, about 7 hours).

The bus company Berlinas del Fonce offers the routes Bogota-Santa Marta (about 16 hours) and Bucaramanga-Santa Marta (about 9-10 hours), Expreso Brasilia goes several times daily from Bogota to Santa Marta, from Medellin to Santa Marta (via Barranquilla, about 13 hours) and also from Cartagena via Santa Marta (about 9 hours) to Maicao and Caracas.

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Contact

email: info@exploresantamarta.com

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Location

Places of interest

Tips

How to get there?

Links

Contact

email: info@exploresantamarta.com