The “Park of the Newlyweds” is where Santa Marta’s rejuvenation finds expression. Until just a few ago, this square was a dilapidated, seedy enclave populated by prostitutes, drug dealers, and vagrants of every ilk. After a serious makeover, the park now lives up to its romantic aspirations. Newlyweds pose for pictures in the park’s centerpiece Templete del Parque (a sort of ornamental, whitewashed gazebo), young couples kiss amid potted flowers under burnished street lamps, and salsa spilling from nearby bars stirs elderly couples to an impromptu salsa performance. Pedestrianized Calle 19, which runs east from the square, is punctuated with atmospheric bars, cafes, and restaurants that increasingly cater to a hip crowd with a more gourmet palate. All the while, tantalizing street food still corners the backpacker market as travelers meet and exchange stories over arepas. On the south side of the park, the luminous Palacio de Justicia is a fine example of 19th-century neoclassicism, with its buffed white bricks standing in dazzling contrast to the park’s red-brick tile surface.