SANTA MARTA
The gateway to the Lost City, and probably the first beach town you will find on the Caribbean coast. It is a good base for a day trip to Tayrona National Park and its hiking, diving and beaches. Step off and hop the coastline to Buritaca, Palomino - as far as Venezuela.
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getting there
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From Cartagena Option 1 | Get the bus from the bus terminal for around 45,000Cop (£8) but the bus terminal is a bit far out from the town so you will need a taxi or Uber to get you there and will take 25 minutes if there is no traffic.
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From Cartagena Option 2 | This is the option we took and that is to take a shuttle bus with either Marsol or Berlinstur. There isn’t a lot between them the price is the same at 60,000Cop (£10.50) they don’t pickup from your accommodation so you have to make your own way to the office. We went with Marsol because it was closest to the town and took 5 minutes in an Uber for 7,000Cop (£1.25) They have 4 shuttles a day 8am,10am,12pm and 2pm it takes around 5 hours with 2 comfort stops and it’s a comfy air conditioned minibus so much more enjoyable than a public bus.
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To Stay
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Santa Marta isn’t huge so anywhere near the centre will be a good location. There is a lot of choice with hostels and some there are some larger hotels for a bigger budget along the front. If you choose to stay directly in the centre it can get quite loud in the evening. I would also recommend choosing a hostel with a swimming pool as it is hot in Santa Marta and the beach isn’t brilliant - ideal for a cool down.
Viajero Santa Marta | We caught the Viajero bug and decided to stay here, mainly because we had a 20% discount so 2 beds in a 6 bed dorm was £20 a night. It’s got a rooftop pool with a huge bar area, a kitchen and an on-site restaurant with outdoor seating to relax or work in the day. The dorm itself was the best we’ve stayed in. The pods are huge and there’s a lot of space compared to others. The bathroom was clean with hot water, not widely available. Breakfast is an extra 15,000Cop (£2.60) and then menu changes daily.
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Top Tip - Staying at Viajero? they offer 10% off if you've previously been a guest. Use code WEBVIAJERO at checkout on their site. Their website is usually cheaper than Hostelworld or Booking.com.
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To do
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Dive in the National Park | Santa Marta is one of the best places to dive in Colombia, being close to Tayrona National Park it has a vast array of marine life. You might not see huge mammals but you will see Cow fish, Angel Fish, huge Trumpet Fish, Box Fish and Octopai. We had a fun dive morning with Caribbean Pro who we recommend. For £35 each you get 2 dives, snacks and all your equipment. This does not include 11,000Cop (£2) port fee which you pay before you get on the boat.
Visit the Best Beaches | Tayrona National Park is only a one and half hour bus journey from Santa Marta making it a good base for those wanting to visit. You can camp or visit just for the day. You can get the bus from the Mercado Central (The Palomino Bus) which leaves every 15 minutes starting from 6am and will drop you off right outside the El Zaino entrance. They stop on the corner of Calle 11 and Carera 10. There's no need to buy a ticket in the shop, just wait on the steps and speak to one of the stewards. They'll likely clock you first. The area is crazy busy, there's a supermarket, massive fruit market and other vendors if you need some last minute snacks.
The park is open 8-5 every day so if you are only heading there for a day trip then you will need to start your journey early from Santa Marta to enjoy the most of it. If you can only make a day in Tayrona then we recommend staying in a town closer like Palomino or Buritaca or you can stay right outside the entrance.
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Top Tip - There are no ATM's in Tayrona, Palomino or Buritaca, withdraw enough cash while in Santa Marta. There's 2 reliable Davivienda ATMS here & here which have no withdrawal fee's. Remember to decline their expensive conversion though.
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Entry tickets are 73,500 cop peak season and 62,000cop off peak.
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Peak season occurs during the periods from 15 June to 15 July, from 15 December to 15 January, holy week from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. Off peak is any other date.
Note - the park is closed during the month of February at the request of the indigenous who still live within the park to perform ceremonies and to allow the flora and fauna to recover
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If you don’t want to wait in the queue for a ticket then you can purchase them in advance online here.
Once you’ve got your ticket you can walk the 4Km to the trail start point or hop on the shuttle bus for the 10 minute journey which costs 5,000Cop (£0.90). The trail then begins to the beaches of Tayrona through the forests. You will visit Arrecifes, La Piscina and Cabo San Juan which is the most popular. Here you can stay the night in tents or hammocks which you can reserve online or at the entrance.
If you are only here for a day keep track of how long it took to walk down to the beach as you will need to get to the entrance before it closes.
If you are staying the night in the National park then book in advance as these places will fill up quickly during peak season and check where they are located as you don’t want to be too far away from the entrance for your hike back the next day. It is recommended to only take what you need and leave most of your luggage at your hostel.
Find the Lost City | After hiking quite a lot this year and with our budget dwindling this is one that we will pocket for another year. It is known as the Machu Picchu of Colombia it is one of the most popular hikes in the country.
You can take a 4, 5 or 6 day hike from Santa Marta so it’s a good idea to find a hostel that has luggage storage. It takes around 2 and a half days to get to the lost city and then 1 and a half days to get back. It is not a loop so you will turn back on yourselves and head the way you have just walked. The 5 and 6 day hikes cut the long days in half so it’s a more leisurely pace.
Hikes start at around £300 depending on which company you choose. It is not known as an easy hike so be prepared for strenuous climbs, river crossings, humidity and bugs.
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To Eat & Drink
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Caribbean Team | Situated on the end of the pier adjacent to the Marina Internacional. The Caribbean Team does a wicked Texas BBQ burger for 18,500Cop (. The beer is reasonable, and you'll get a great view of the sunset. You may have to persevere for timely service but this is not unusual in Colombia. We went twice, and were not disappointed. After the sun set this area gets busy with beggars and vendors, a polite but stern 'no gracias', does the trick.
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Dealer Taqueria | Small yet perfectly formed. A plate of 5 Taco's at Dealer Taqueria will set you back 10,000Cop and their frozen margaritas are to die for. There's room for around 15 to sit or an efficient take out counter. A must try in Santa Marta.
NEXT STOP
The mountains of Minca are just an hour from Santa Marta and hide Coffee & Cocoa plantations. You'll find a laid back backpacker vibe, a slightly cooler climate and ninja level mosquitos.