Things To Do in Santa Marta

This gleaming white edifice has a quaint, romantic aura and is reputedly the oldest church in Colombia. It's a mishmash of different architectural styles, but its stout belltower and large altar dome make it aesthetically pleasing. The remains of Bolivar were buried here until he was…

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…

Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona is 150 square km of protected jungle and gorgeous coastline 34km northeast of Santa Marta.  It's Colombia's second most popular park, and is perfect for those who enjoy relaxing in beach cabins or swinging in hammocks. The park's gorgeous white beaches…

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…

With its shoeshine boys, street vendors, mustachioed men playing board games, and couples making out, Plaza Bolívar (which stands on the same spot where the original Plaza Mayor once stood) is your quintessential Latin American square. On the square’s north side stands the stately,…

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…