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Bookmark & shareGetting There
The airport is 16km (10mi) south of the city on the Barranquilla-Bogotá road. City buses marked 'El Rodadero Aeropuerto' will take you there in 45 minutes from Carrera 1C in the city center. Avianca, AeroRepública and Aires service Santa Marta, with direct flights to Bogotá and Medellín.
The main bus terminal is on the southeastern outskirts of the city. Frequent minibuses travel there from Carrera 1C. Buses run daily to Bogotá (16hr) and Bucaramanga (9hr). Buses to Barranquilla (1.75hr) depart frequently, some via Cartagena (4hr). There are also daily buses from Santa Marta direct to Maracaibo in Venezuela (7hr). All passport formalities occur in Paraguachón on the border.
Getting Around
Buses and colectivos (shared taxis) service the town, with most stopping along the seafront on Carrera 1C (Av Rodrigo de Bastidas). Frequent minibuses also run from Carrera 1C to the village of Taganga (15min), the beach resort at El Rodadero (15min) and Mamatoca (20min).
It's easy enough to get around on foot in city center (between Carreras 1 and 5), and taxis are widely available.
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