Welcome to Santa Marta
Santa Marta is South America's oldest European-founded town and the second-most-important colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Despite its long history and charming center, it gets a bad rap from many travelers, who cite its unlovely urban sprawl and terrible traffic as reasons not to hang about here. The secret to Santa Marta is to use it for what it does well: hotels, restaurants and bars, and then get out to the slew of superb nearby destinations during the daytime.
Top experiences in Santa Marta
Amazing hotels and hostels
We've pre-picked the best hotels, hostels and bed and breakfasts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
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Santa Marta activities
Shared Departure Transfer: Santa Marta Hotels to Simon Bolivar International Airport
Enjoy a hassle-free departure transfer from your Santa Marta hotel to Simon Bolivar International Airport (SMR). This one-way shared transportation service will take you by shuttle directly to the airport. When making a booking, you will need to advise your flight details and your Santa Marta accommodation details. Your transfer will be confirmed instantaneously, and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver, ensuring that you reach your destination on time.
Shared Arrival Transfer: Simon Bolivar International Airport to Santa Marta Hotels
Book a stress-free airport arrival transfer from Simon Bolivar International Airport (SMR) to your Santa Marta hotel. Meet your professional English-speaking driver curbside and avoid the hassle of long taxi lines. This convenient one-way shared transfer delivers you to your accommodation with ease. When making a booking, please advise your flight details and your accommodation details. Your transfer will be confirmed instantaneously, and you will be provided with a travel voucher to present to the driver. Be sure to book your airport departure transfer for your return trip!
Tayrona National Park and Beach Day Trip from Santa Marta
After hotel pickup, your day trip from Santa Marta starts with a 1-hour drive to Cañaveral, the main entrance to Tayrona National Natural Park. One of Colombia’s most-visited national parks, Tayrona encompasses 7,410 acres (3,000 hectares) of sea and 29,650 acres (12,000 hectares) of land in the rainforest-covered foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, one of the highest coastal mountain ranges in the world. With your guide, walk through the park toward the Caribbean coast for approximately 1 hour, keeping a lookout for native animals like howler monkeys (you’ll hear them before you see them!), deer, bats, condors and white eagles. Arriving at the beach, head down to the white sand, ready to enjoy the idyllic setting where the reef and sea form a natural pool that’s perfect for swimming. Have lunch here before being returned to Santa Marta in the afternoon.
One-Way Transfer to Cartagena from Santa Marta
Your one-way transfer to Cartagena begins with convenient pickup at your Santa Marta hotel. After settling into your comfortable coach, head south along Santa Marta Bay with your experienced driver.Your journey follows coastal route 90, which passes through Ciénaga and traverses an isthmus to take you past the small town of Pueblo Viejo, situated between the picturesque Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta marsh and the Caribbean Sea. As you cross narrow La Barra channel, admire the beautiful panoramic seascapes outside the coach’s large windows. Then travel through the town of Barranquilla and continue on route 90A along the coast until you reach Cartagena, where you’ll be dropped off at your hotel. During the journey, your driver will stop occasionally at scenic spots so you can take photos and stretch your legs.
Wonderful Full-Day Tayrona Park Tour from Cartagena
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productPass By: This Is Cartagena, Cartagena, Cartagena District, Bolivar DepartmentThis wonderful experience starts from Cartagena towards the city of Santa Marta.The pick up starts at 4:00 a.m. in Bocagrande, Castillo Grande, Laguito, Centro Histórico, and Getsemaní; we go to the city of Santa Marta, passing through the city of Barranquilla.Stop At: Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, Santa Marta, Santa Marta District, Magdalena DepartmentWhen arriving at Santa Marta, we find the first entrance of the Tayrona Park to only 15 minutes.Once we get to the main entrance of the Park, we will receive a 5 minutes talk explaining how the behavior of the visitors should be for the care of the environment of this beautiful nature reserve.Duration: 20 minutesStop At: Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, Santa Marta, Santa Marta District, Magdalena DepartmentInside the park we will visit seven waves, an excellent natural viewpoint of approximately 50 meters high, to take photographs.We will arrive at Tayrona Park where you will get to know SEVEN WAVES, a natural viewpoint 50 meters high where a beautiful phenomenon of SEVEN WAVES is created, with marine and submarine currents and trade winds coming from the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta .Duration: 30 minutesStop At: NeguanjeWe continue to NEGUANJE, a very small beautiful fishing beach, surrounded by mountains and vegetation where we can take a bath. From there we will take a boat that in only 10 minutes will take us to CRYSTAL BEACH.Duration: 30 minutesStop At: Cristal Beach, Santa Marta, Santa Marta District, Magdalena DepartmentCRYSTAL BEACH, cataloged as one of the most visited beaches in South America, being among the 20 most beautiful beaches on the planet, crystal clear water in colors, coral white sand, surrounded by mountains and vegetation, where you will not have hearing pollution, only the waves of the sea and the sound of the birds are heard; additionally, it is the place where you can do the best snorkeling or lung diving activity because fishing is prohibited because it is a nature reserve.In this beach we will have a typical lunch: fish, patacón, coconut rice, and salad, with chicken or grilled meat option.Crystal Beach considered the second most visited beach in all South America, and one of the 20 most beautiful in the world, surrounded by mountains, with crystal clear water, highlighting in colors, and white, and total tranquility.Duration: 6 hoursStop At: El Rodadero, Santa Marta, Santa Marta District, Magdalena DepartmentWhen we finish visiting the park at around 3:00 p.m., we will go to the Rodadero, the most important tourist epicenter of Santa Marta, to enjoy walking on the beach and shopping for handicrafts from the region.Exploration and purchases of indigenous crafts.Finally, we will return to the city of Cartagena, leaving the passengers in their hotels.Duration: 1 hour
Full day - Tayrona National Park - Pueblito
One of our representatives will pick you up at the hotel to take you on a half an hour drive from Santa Marta to Calabozo, in the Natural National Park Tayrona, a reserve of 15,000 hectares. Here, you will be taken for a hike through the mountains and tropical forests to the area of Chairama, a wonderfull place where you can see the archaeological vestiges of Tayrona the indigenous culture and enjoy a magical place surrounded by nature and beauty species of birds and others animals Then, you will descend to Cañaveral, passing by Cabo San Juan de Guia, the natural pool and Arrecifes. In the afternoon we will return to the hotel.