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Santa Marta

Santa Marta is South America's oldest European-founded town and the second-most-important historic city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Santa Marta does hotels, restaurants and bars well, and it's located near a slew of superb destinations perfect for day trips. The climate is hot, but the heat here is drier than in Cartagena, and the evening sea breeze keeps the city cool after dark.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino
Santa Marta
This hacienda is where Simón Bolívar spent his last days in 1830 before succumbing to either tuberculosis or arsenic poisoning, depending on whom you…
Museo del Oro
Santa Marta
Oro (gold) is only half of what this fabulous museum is about. Housed in the impressively renovated Casa de la Aduana (Customs House), which features in…
Iglesia de San Francisco
Santa Marta
Dating from 1597, the squat Iglesia de San Francisco is little more than its colonial facade these days due to recurring earthquakes and fires over the…

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Plan with a local

Articles

Latest stories from Santa Marta

Beaches

Scenic and wild: the best day trips from Santa Marta

Dec 5, 2018 • 6 min read

A host of outdoor adventures await travelers visiting Santa Marta. Set right on the Caribbean Sea at the foot of the mighty Sierra Nevada, Colombia’s…

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