Santa Marta
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Santa Marta - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Santa Marta - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
If you want to learn a bit more about the history and incredible cultural riches that the area has to offer, this is an essential stop. Housed in a handsome former customs house, the well-designed displays provide an overview of the culture and craftsmanship of the pre-Columbian cultures—the Nahuange and Tairon—which thrived in the area as well as insight into the lives and traditions of the native cultures of modern Magdalena, notably the Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuaco, and Kankuamo groups of the Sierra Nevada. There is also an entire salon dedicated to the great liberator, Simón Bolívar, who died nearby, and who's vigil was held in this very building. Information is presented in English and Spanish, and tours must be organized in advance.
On the seafront, flag down a taxi and head to the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, 20 minutes away. This honey-color hacienda is where Simón Bolívar died in 1830. The grounds of the estate have been converted into a small botanical garden and there are a number of monuments to Bolívar, most notably the gleaming Altar de la Patria. There is also the Museo Bolivariano de Arte Contemporáneo, which houses an impressive range of contemporary artworks by artists from all of the countries liberated by Bolívar.
Relatively easily to get to, Bahia Concha is a 30-minute taxi ride from town and is an attractive bay set in the region's typical bosque seco (dry indigenous forest) with warm, gently lapping water. It is, however, a popular destination on weekends and local holidays, so best to avoid at those times. Much of the first part of the beach is cluttered with metal frames for shade canopies, and there are several options for buying cold drinks and a freshly grilled fish lunch. Plan to come early, and head down to the far right end of the beach—you can even ask for a cooler when you buy drinks and take it with you. Here you will find empty sands, a patch of shade and, a little way up the rocky side of the bay, some degraded but still beautiful patches of coral for snorkeling. Although the beach is within the borders of the PNN Tayrona, you do not have to pay the full entrance fee, only a small fee to local administration. Best for: partiers; walking; snorkeling. Amenities: toilets; food and drink.
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