Founded by Rodrigo de Bastidas in 1925, the oldest city in Colombia celebrates 500 years of history. Anchored between the Caribbean Sea and the Sierra Nevada, the city that houses the El Tayrona National Park, home of indigenous communities, is populated by more than 500,000 inhabitants.
Its tourist attractions include paradisiacal beaches and tropical forests where to carry out air activities and practice hiking. The city center has a vibrant and festive atmosphere, where you can walk quietly, sit down for ice cream, coffee or a rich coconut lemonade, typical of that region of the country.
In the streets of the center you can also feel the joy and pride of the samarium to live in such a cozy place and with an energy that infects. One of the gastronomic and tourist sites is the Parque de los Novios or Parque Santander, located in the historic center, surrounded by cultural value buildings. A public space where couples can listen to live music, talk or drink.
Known as La Perla de América, these days the city receives more travelers, who come to meet her and enjoy her benefits, on the occasion of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of its foundation. And hotels in that shirt, without a doubt, have seen an increase in the number of guests.
“The commemoration of the 500 years has had a positive and very significant impact. The city has become an epicenter of cultural, historical and tourist activities, which has significantly increased the interest of national and international visitors. This has been reflected in a growth in reserves and in a greater occupation during the key dates of the celebrations,” said Diario Las Américas Tomás Ford, general manager of Santa Marta Marrtt Asleep.
Ford recommends traveling during the low season to get better offers and find less bustle.
“Between February to June and September in mid -November, it is ideal for those looking for more attractive rates and greater availability. The high season, on the other hand, concentrates school holidays, holidays and end of the year, which increases the occupation. On average, the hotel receives around 60,000 to 70,000 hosts a year, although this figure can vary depending on the season and special events such as the celebration of the 500 years,” said the manager.
This Hotel in the Marriott International chain, which holds modern architecture, is located in front of the sleeping beach and a few minutes from the airport and the center.
“We offer a unique combination of comfort and connection with nature. We are facing one of the most beautiful beaches in the city, which is characterized by its soft wave hotel.
“We receive a very interesting mix of guests. On the one hand, families looking for a complete place to rest and enjoy the beach. On the other, business travelers and executive groups that find modern facilities for meetings, events and conventions. It is also very common to see couples in romantic plans or international tourists attracted by the culture and nature of Santa Marta,” he added.
For the Argentine, who took command of the hotel in November 2023, one of the city’s greatest attractions is that offers something for the different preferences of the traveler.
“One of Santa Marta’s great charms is its natural diversity: in the same destination you can enjoy paradisiacal beaches, mountains covered with jungle, crystalline rivers and an ancestral cultural wealth that coexists with modernity. That mixture of nature, history and human warmth makes the city an unforgettable place for those who visit it,” he said.
Nature and adventure
An unmissable walk is to Tayrona, a nature and ancestral reserve that covers about 15,000 hectares and remains open almost all year, although sometimes they close it for resting rest and restoration. It is recommended to visit the Portal Parqueryrona.com to verify whether or not it will be open during your stay in Santa Marta.
To get to one of the crystalline beaches of the park, you can embark a catamaran from the port. The round trip takes about 45 minutes, but if it suffers from dizziness it is not recommended, because the boat performs the journey against the tide and the trip can be quite uncomfortable by the speed and the sudden jumps that the captain must control to avoid turning.
Once on the beach, you can relax and disconnect in front of the immensity of the sea and without connection in the cell phone. If it goes with enough time, it is recommended to spend more to enjoy nature and visit other beaches and trails such as the Route of the 9 stones.
The allowed areas to spend the night are Cabo San Juan, Arrecifes or Playa Brava, where you can camp or sleep in cabins or hammocks. It is required to reserve accommodation in advance.
The Sierra Nevada, one of the highest mountain peaks at sea level and the highest in the country, can also be visited, although not all areas are open to tourism. However, you can reach Mint, located in the lower part of this imposing mountain range, as well as visit other areas that offer a mixture of nature and culture.
You can also access the area to perform hiking as the famous tour of Lost City, built in the seventh century, about 600 years older than Machu Picchu. Mineca stands out for its rivers, waterfalls, coffee haciendas, birds of birds and hiking.
At the foot of the foothills of Sierra Nevada and about five kilometers from the center of the city is the fifth of San Pedro Alejandrino, historic hacienda where Simón Bolívar lived his last days.
“For a first trip to Santa Marta, we recommend touring the historic center and its colonial squares, visiting the Tayrona National Park, exploring the fifth of San Pedro Alejandrino, enjoying a sunset in Taganga and tasting local gastronomy in seafood market suggested Ford.
How to get there and where to stay
From Miami there are no flights, so an option would be to fly with a scale at the El Dorado International Airport, in Bogotá, and then continue to Santa Marta. If you want to know the capital and remain for a couple of days, you could consider staying at the W Bogotá hotel, which, with a five -star category, offers a combination of luxury and comfort, with modern and distinctive facilities, and an original design inspired by the legend of the gold and the butterflies that evoke the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez.
