Five kilometers (3 miles) from the center of Santa Marta, this magnificent 17th-century hacienda is where Simón Bolívar spent the last days of his epic life; Bolívar was a guest of the hacienda’s Spanish owner, Joaquín de Mier, a passionate acolyte of Bolívar and staunch backer of Latin American independence. The hacienda, which produced rum, honey, and sugarcane, has been transformed into a museum that commemorates El Libertador through a series of Bolívar-themed exhibits within the hacienda and monuments that dot the expansive grounds. The hacienda is worth a visit alone for its evocative rooms preserved in period style, which include a chapel and the room where Bolívar died. Of the monuments that dominate the hacienda’s grounds, the Altar de la Patria forms the most striking homage to the legend who liberated six countries from Spanish colonial rule. Commissioned in 1930 to celebrate the centenary of Bolívar’s death, the impressive white-marble memorial is composed of three monumental statues that depict Bolívar in different stages of his life. Also within the hacienda’s grounds, the 22-hectare Jardín Botánico is a relaxing place to stroll. Adjacent to the hacienda, the eclectic Museo Bolivariano triumphs the work of Latin American artists; don’t miss Alejandro Obregón’s affecting canvas Don Simon en San Pedro Alejandrino, a portrait of a withered Bolívar shortly before his death. There are also nudes by Darío Morales (1944–1988) and Alfredo Guerrero (1936).