Home Santa Marta, Colombia Travel Guide

 Find Hotels        










Santa Marta is the oldest existing city in Colombia. It was founded by Spanish conquistador Rodrigo de Bastidas on 29 July, 1525. The city is located on the coast facing the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It covers 2,393 sq km (924 sq mi) and has a population of 415,000 people (2011 estimate). The city is today a popular tourist destination with fine beaches, a cultural heritage and proximity to nature reserves.

Guide to Santa Marta Hotels

Here's a list of hotels in Santa Marta that you can book online, with full description, star rating, address, location map, evaluation, and prices as offered by different booking sites. This helps you to make your room booking with the site that offers the best price.


Santa Marta Beach, Colombia
Santa Marta Beach, Colombia
Author: Louise Wolff (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)


More on Santa Marta

Until the arrival of the Spanish, the area around Santa Marta was inhabited by natives of the Tairona culture. It was originally established as a seaport, and batteries were constructed to defend it against pirates. However over time, Cartagena grew in imporance and eclipsed Santa Marta as the main Colombian seaport.

The city developed its tourism infrastructure towards the end of the 20th century, becoming one of the main tourist destinations in Colombia. The peak tourist season is around Christmas, from 15 December to 15 January, and during Easter week.


Customs House, Santa Marta
Customs House, Santa Marta
Author: Mijotoba (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

Visiting Santa Marta

The Simón Bolívar Airport (SMR), not to be confused with the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Caracas, Venezuela, is the airport serving Santa Marta. It receives flights from Bogotá, Bucaramanga and Medellín. There are also bus services connecting Santa Marta with main cities of Colombia including Barranquilla (2 hours), Cartagena (3.5 hours), Bucaramanga (8 hours), Medellín (15 hours) and Bogotá (16 hours).


Places of Interest in Santa Marta

  1. Cathedral of Santa Marta
    Cathedral built in 1766, famous for being the final resting place of Simón Bolívar.

  2. Museo del Oro
    Museum displaying a wealth of pre-Colombian artifacts, from pottery to gold jewelry.

  3. Simón Bolívar's Death Site
    The hacienda of La Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, where the famous leader passed away aged 47 from tuberculosis.

  4. Tayrona National Natural Park
    One of the most important ecological reserves in Colombia. It encompasses a camping zone as well as unspoilt beaches and rainforest.

Return to Colombia
Return to My World Travel Guides






  • Tips to become a smart traveler: Useful tips to remember, to get the best out of your travels.
  • Preparing for a Trip: Systematic approach to help you prepare for your trip.
  • How to plan your travel itinerary: Step-by-step guide to creating the itinerary for your trip.
  • Find and compare hotel room rates: View room rates from all the different booking sites.
  • How to compare hotel room rates: Step-by-step guide on finding the lowest rates every time.
  • When NOT to go where: List of seasons to avoid when traveling the globe.
  • How to do your travel homework: Systematic approach in making preparations for your trip.
  • How to pack your luggage: Useful steps to take when packing your luggage.
  • Packing List (PDF): Print out this free packing list to make sure you don't forget anything for your trip.
  • Voltage, Frequency, Plugs & Sockets of the World: Learn about the mains electricity supply in the world.
  • Travelers' List of Plugs and Sockets (PDF): Easy-to-use list of electricity and plugs for all countries.
  • Airport User Guide: User information for arriving at various airports in the world.
  • Making International Direct Dail Calls: Learn to make IDD calls from anywhere in the world.
  • IDD Call Prefixes & Country Codes (PDF): Listing of Call Prefixes and Country Codes on one page for you to bring on your trip.
  • Safety Tips When Traveling Alone: Useful advice for when you travel on your own.
  • Guide to Health Matters related to Travel: Comprehensive coverage of different issues related to your health when traveling.
  • Getting Travel Insurance for your trip: Benefits of travel insurance, and advise on when you should signing up for one.
  • Improve your travel photography: Tips to improve your photography skills, especially when traveling.
  • Guide to Traveling Around the World: Useful tips for encircling the globe.
  • English Made Simple: Improve your English for your travel.





    • Point - Click - Discover!

    Thanks for visiting this webpage. To continue exploring, choose another destination!


    My World Travel Guides - celebrating a beautiful world beautifully.

    Travel Business