Not quite the Aladdin's Cave that you'll find at the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, Santa Marta's gold museum is more low key but still fascinating. Displays exhibit a fine collection of artifacts and gold from tribes such as the Kogi, Arhuaco and Tayrona. The museum itself is located in a handsome colonial edifice, the stately Casa de la Aduana (Customs House), built in 1531. This is Santa Marta’s cultural highlight, with a stunning display of pre-Columbian gold and ceramics that survived the greed and bloodlust of the Spanish conquest. The ground-floor galleries present (with some information in English) a dazzling collection of pre-Columbian jewelry with exquisite jade, copper, and gold work fashioned by the Tayrona and Nahuange people who inhabited the Magdalena region between 200 and 1600 a.d. On the second floor, an illuminating exhibit elucidates the history of Colombia’s indigenous groups—including the Kogi, Arhuaco, and Wiwa—through a series of well-curated artifacts. Be sure to take a look at the wonderful model of Ciudad Pérdida, especially if you intend to visit.