ONCE UPON A TIME IN… SANTA MARTA (COLOMBIA)

Founded in 1525, Santa Marta is the oldest South American town founded by Europeans (Spanish) and is located in Colombia.  Oh, the good old days of the Conquistadors!

Today, Santa Marta is the second most important Colonial city in Colombia after Cartagena that lies on Colombia’s Caribbean coast up North.

There isn’t much to do and see in Santa Marta.  It’s best used as a base camp for day trips to Minca and Tayrona Park and as a starting point for the 4-5 day trek to the Lost City.  If you’d like to visit the Lost City, you will have to get a guide.  Otherwise, the other day trips are completely doable on your own.

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The historic center of Santa Marta is vibrant with colorful façades but is not as charming as Cartagena, also in Colombia.  However, it does have plenty of restaurants and hotels to offer.  If you are more into beaches, the best ones in Santa Marta are at Santa Marta Bay and Rodadero located further away from the historic center.  Otherwise, you’ll have to travel some ways to Taganga or Tayrona Park.

HOW TO GET THERE

By Air

There are plenty of intercity flights that can connect you to Santa Marta’s airport. We took a 1h30 flight from Medellin with Latam Airlines.  This was such a much better option than riding the bus for 12 hours, especially if you aren’t staying that long in Colombia.  A one-way ticket cost around 75$CAD including a checked bag.

A taxi will cost you 29000COP from the airport to the historic center of town.  A bus is also available and cheaper but will take you longer.  It was so hot when we arrived there in July that we decided to splurge and grab a cab.  Make sure to ask the price before hopping into the cab and use this as a general rule.

By Bus

If you are in Cartagena, you can take a bus to Santa Marta and vice versa.  We traveled to Cartagena from Santa Marta with the bus company MarSol.  The cost for a 5-hour bus ride (that includes dropping everyone off at their hotel) was 44000COP.

I don’t really recall where the bus station was located as we took a taxi there.  Don’t be surprised if the bus station looks like part of a gas station as it does.  Make sure to ask your lodging’s reception desk the cost of a taxi so as to know what to expect.  Ours cost around 8000COP from the Dreamer’s Hostel.

The bus is comfortable and makes 1 stop where you can use the bathroom and grab something to eat if you hadn’t brought anything with you.

It didn’t look like you could book your bus ticket online or ahead of time.  So, if you’re planning on making this trip, just know that it’s on the first come first serve basis.  We ended up waiting 2 hours before being able to hop on the bus and there wasn’t much to do or see around the bus station.  I hope you have a good book!

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed in 2 hostels in Santa Marta, Colombia.  One was located in the heart of the historic center, close enough to the bus station for our escapade to Minca.  The other one was located on the outskirts of town, close enough for our adventure in Tayrona Park.

Republica Hostel

To this day, I still think of the Republica Hostel.  Originally, we were supposed to stay at Jacky Hostel but we were suffocating from the heat in our room with no AC.  There was no way in hell we would be able to spend the night in it.  Lucky for us, there was 1 private room with AC available at the Republica Hostel through Booking.com.  So we made the switch and it was so worth it!

The Republica Hostel is centrally located on Parque Bolivar in an old mansion.  As it’s all on the same level, it makes it really accessible.  Unfortunately, kids under the age of 18 aren’t allowed to stay there.

The breakfast was included in our price and it was plentiful and freshly made.  You can use their large kitchen to cook your own meals and there is a big supermarket (Exito) at about a 10-minute walk from it.

You can leave your bags at the hostel if you are planning some over-night excursion to Tayrona Park, Minca or to the Lost City. They charge 8000COP/day.

What makes it special

This hostel in terms of design and comfort is the BOMB!  We couldn’t believe that it was actually a “hostel” when we arrived. Clearly, we completely looked out of place when we arrived with our backpacks and sweaty bodies.  It reminded me of when MTV used to have to reality show The Real World.  This place would have made for a great house to live in.

There is an inner courtyard with a pool which makes for a great spot for an impromptu photoshoot!

The outdoor bar and terrace are cheerful and when we were there, it was karaoke night! My favorite thing to do! Just like in Belize, we were the karaoke Kings (hardly anyone participated).

The tiles used inside the hostel come from Marrakech Design, a company I have used in my own home and they aren’t cheap!  Funny enough, the bathrooms tiles are actually the ones I’m planning on using in our own bathroom.  Queue in the song I SAW A SIGN.

There are two other Républica Hostel in Colombia, they are located in Bogotá and Cartagena.  We ended up testing out the one in Cartagena, you can read about our stay here.

If you stay in another Républica Hostel, you can get 20% off your stay. However, in order to get this discount, you need to book directly through them on their website or by showing up (keep your bracelet).  It will not work if you book through Booking.com.

If you’re looking for a laid back vibe in a fancy place at the fraction of the cost, Républica is the place to stay. (Full disclosure: this is not a sponsored ad)

Dreamers Hostel

A taxi from the historic center to the Dreamer will cost you 8000COP.  This is a very popular place to stay with young backpackers and Tayrona Park is only 35 minutes away.

You can arrange a pick-up with them to Tayrona Park for 15000COP/person.  Otherwise, you can take the bus there on your own for 10000COP (El Zaino entrance). It’s possible to leave your luggage at this hostel free of charge while you wander off to Minca or Tayrona Park overnight.

This Dreamers Hostel is a fun place to stay at with the pool at its core and a bar.  Above the bar, you’ll find the kitchen where you can cook your own meal (if you can find a clean pot and utensils) and lounge in front of the telly.  Every night there is something going on at the bar and it makes it really easy to socialize.

Breakfast is not included; I didn’t write the cost down, but it is plentiful and good.

There is a mall nearby which makes it practical to get money out and a supermarket (Exito) if you want to cook your own meal and buy bottled water (cheaper).

WHERE WE ATE

We didn’t eat out much in Santa Marta, Colombia as we mainly cooked.  I saw an Italian Ice Cream place so I wanted to check out.  Believe it or not, it’s the only one I saw in Colombia. I was a little disappointed by it.

However, we did grab a Menu del Dia though at Mango Beach restaurant for 15000COP each.  The food and service were great. The interior is filled with vintage memorabilia.

The restaurants in Santa Marta all serve Menu del Dia (menu of the day) and offer pretty much the same prices.  We picked Mago Beach restaurant as they weren’t being aggressive in trying to get us to eat there.  Read our Guide to Colombia to learn about eating out in a local restaurant in Colombia.

Did you know that even fast foods offer Menu del Dia? A lot of them in food courts do so.  It is worth exploring if you are traveling on a tight budget.  There is something for everyone!

ACTIVITIES TO DO IN SANTA MARTA (COLOMBIA)

As I said before, there isn’t much to see in Santa Marta.  You can enjoy a nice stroll around the historic part of the city admiring the architecture and possibly venture out a bit to the bustling Mercado Publico.  Try not to get run over!

Gold Museum

The gold museum is located on Parque Bolivar, directly across from the Républica Hostel.  It’s free to get in, thank goodness, as it’s pretty basic.  Although the building itself is nice as it has been renovated since it was previously used as a customs house, not everything is translated into English.  In any case, if you have time to burn and want to get away from the heat, by all means, check it out.

Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino

Located about 10 minutes away on foot from the Dreamers Hostel on the outskirts of town, you’ll find an hacienda where Simon Bolivar spent his last days.  It is unknown if he died of natural causes or if he was poisoned.

The grounds of the hacienda are big and the places of interest are mostly bare.  The only rooms remotely interesting are Simon’s bedroom, bathroom, study, and kitchen. Maybe with a guide, the visit would be more interesting.

Furthermore, there is supposedly a botanical garden which I didn’t find or it was closed.

While there, you can also check out in a side building Colombian modern art.  I’m lost for words as I was most definitely not impressed.

Finally, the tallest ticket item is the Alter de la Patria honoring my pal Simon.

The entrance fee is 21000COP.  Although I don’t necessarily recommend going out of your way to visit it, if you are in the area you should check it out, at least for the much-needed shade.

The Mall

Located close to Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino and the Dreamers Hostel, check out the Buenavista mall where you can withdraw money without fear.  Also, if you are into shopping or need new clothes to wear as yours got ruined in the jungle, check out the Colombian brand STIK. They make really nice men shirts at an affordable price.  My husband bought himself 2 shirts and a pair of shorts for 130000COP.

Santa Marta in Colombia isn’t for everyone.  However, I do recommend spending a couple of hours there to enjoy a meal or a few drinks before or after hitting the jungle.  It can make for a nice place to recharge your batteries.  Just to stay in the Républica Hostel again I would go back there.  Out of our entire trip in Colombia, this is the place where I felt the most relaxed and at home.  Maybe when we go back to do the Trek to the Lost City, we‘ll stay there again.