Travel Guide Santa Marta

In this Santa Marta travel guide we want to show you that this destination is a privilege, because in it you will find diversity of all kinds, its landscapes, its culture, its population, make Santa Marta a unique place. That is why in this guide we want to give you the best recommendations to enjoy this destination without limits and enjoy your trip in the "Pearl of America".

What makes Santa Marta unique? Its main characteristic is its territory: unforgettable landscapes in which the green of its vegetation, its mountains, the blue of its seas, the yellow of the sun and the contrast of the beaches with the white of the Sierra Nevadamake this paradise a must-see destination.

It is a captivating city. There are activities for all tastes, from getting lost in the waves of a beach that meets the jungle, to watching the colorful birds that seem to want to say something with their songs. You can't leave off your list the historical tour of the city and a visit to the heart of the culture of the city. Tayrona and its colonial treasures.

In addition, there is the charm of its people, who, with that unrecognizable joy of the Caribbean, makes of Santa Marta in an experience difficult to forget.

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Santa Marta Travel Guide: What places can I visit?

Tayrona National Park

The Tayrona National Natural Park is located 34 kilometers from Santa Marta in Colombia and is part of the department of Magdalena. This ffers a unique experience for lovers of nature, unique landscapes and unforgettable sunsets.who will be able to witness the great natural and cultural riches that adorn the place.

One of the first things you should keep in mind is that the Tayrona Park is part of the ancestral territory of the Kankuamo, Kogui, Wiwa and Arhuaco indigenous communities.The park is located in the Sierra Nevada, the territory where the park is located.

The easiest way to get to this Sanctuary is from the city of Santa Marta, the second oldest city in Latin America. There you can take a bus that takes about 40 minutes and will take you to the main gate of Tayrona, from where you will have access to Playa Cristal, Playa Cañaveral, Playa Arenilla, Playa Arrecifes and Playa Cabo de San Juan, considered the main beaches of the park. 

Crystal Beach 

It is one of the most visited paradisiacal beaches in the city, its white sand and crystal-clear waters offer a view of the Caribbean Sea.It is also located near El Rodadero, a favorite tourist place for visitors to the city that is located 10 minutes from Santa Marta around Gaira Bay. The area of these beaches of Santa Marta has a wide range of hotels and other tourist services.

Cabo San Juan Beach is also one of the park's highlights and a favorite among locals and tourists alike, as it offers a unique view worthy of being photographed.

In this place, in the middle of the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean SeaA green hill rises imposingly with a kiosk at the top where tourists usually stay to sleep in comfortable hammocks.

What activities can I do in Tayrona Park?

Tayrona is also a perfect place for water sports, diving or scuba diving.You will be amazed by the marine life that lives under the waters of Isla Aguja and Granate. In addition, in Neguanje Bay you will meet expert guides who will teach you how to snorkel and discover the great diversity of corals and fish in the area.

You can also walk along the same paths that hundreds of years ago the indigenous communities of the place walked, do not forget to visit the Pueblito Tayrona. There you will cross paths of large carved stone slabs, stairs and bridges built in stone.

Travel Guide Santa Marta: Get to know the Lost City

If you want to do cultural and historical tourism, Lost City is for you. Lost City is an unforgettable adventure, it was built around the year 700 and is the main urban center of the ancient civilization. Tayrona and constitutes one of the most important archaeological sites for the investigation of this culture. Here there are circular plazas, stairways, roads and canals built in stone that served as a base for houses made of straw and wattle and daub.

This Archaeological Park is located on the north face of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the upper part of the Buritaca River basin, between nine hundred and twelve hundred meters above sea level. To get there, you must first be in Santa Marta, since the only way to get there is to hire a guided tour. The hike lasts about 4 or 5 days, because you walk about 50 kilometers, so it requires an average physical condition, great disposition, and preparation, such as comfortable clothes and sunscreen.

The amazing thing about the Lost City is the complexity of its architecture, which contemplated a system of canals to transport rainwater through the population and terraces to preserve the fertility of the soil. There are also cave paintings and petroglyphs (drawings engraved in stone), among which the Donama Stone stands out for the multiple interpretations of its carvings.

Santa Marta Travel Guide: Visit the imposing snow-capped Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

Another must-see destination is the Sierra Nevada de Santa Martadeclared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. It is the highest coastal mountain in the world with 5,775 meters above sea level. As a Biosphere Reserve, inhabited by about 30,000 indigenous people of the Kogi, Arhuaco, Kankuaro and Wiwa ethnic groups.

It has all the thermal floors, from the warm dry to the perpetual snows from whose meltdowns are born lagoons and rivers, at 3,000 meters above sea level. Around the 29 main rivers live countless birds and howler monkeys that sing the soundtrack of the Sierra. This lush green landscape is ideal for hiking and bird watching.

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Get to know the historic center

Architectural jewels and places of interest such as the Customs Housethe Parque de los Novios (Bride and Groom Park)The San Juan Nepomuceno Cloister, among others, welcomes you.

Likewise, the Santa Marta CathedralIt is a very important place for the history of the country and for Santa Marta, because it treasures memories and legends. In its building was hidden the small urn that contains the heart and entrails of the Liberator Simón Bolívar, as well as the remains of the founder of Santa Marta, Rodrigo de Bastidas.

Celebrate with the festivities of the sea

This celebration, which has been held since 1959 to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the city, is a festival made up of sports competitions related to the sea, such as swimming and skiing.

Every year, at the end of July, sports tourism lovers from different parts of the country and the world participate in this celebration, which takes place in three locations: the beaches of Santa Marta, specifically in El Rodadero, in the city and in Taganga.

If you like parades, beach and party, this activity is ideal for you, you can participate in them from July 23 to 31.

So far we have come with our Santa Marta travel guide, we hope it has been of great help and that you are encouraged to travel to this beautiful destination, full of variety and fun.

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