Santa Marta is a city in Colombia.

Understand

La Perla de Las Americas (Pearl of the America). Santa Marta is both an important commercial port and tourist destination. Everyday there are cargo ships coming and going and the action is very much visible from any of the restaurants, bars, cafeterias, hotels etc. that are behind the street that parallels the beach. From the beach, the view of the Caribbean Sea is more or less to the north with a huge rock of an island jutting up out of the water to make a somewhat dramatic effect. Off to the right is the port snug behind another even bigger rock. This is a decent beach if you like beaches that are right in town (i.e. lots of people, vendors, noise, etc.) Speaking of vendors, they are rather aggressive if you are on the beach or in one of the many businesses across the road from the beach. This also goes for the market district to a somewhat lesser extent.

Speaking of expenses, there is a high season and low season. High season is more or less December thru April. January is BEAUTIFUL and a party.

Simon Bolivar described Santa Marta as the most beautiful Bay on Earth.

Get in

The bus station (terminal de tranporte) is all the way out of town (south) on the main highway (3,000 pesos to the beach in taxi). Bus 800

Get around

Streets are numbered, and the city is laid out in a grid pattern (more or less.) The beach can be considered "Carrera 1" (1st St.), and the first street is usually "Carrera 1A" (1A St.) The next street after the first row of buildings is Carrera 2 (2nd St.) Calles are streets running from north to south, and they start in the extreme east of the city.

Unlike bigger cities in Colombia, taxis do not run on a meter. Fares range from 3000 COP for a "lift" (usually a ride no more than 10 minutes) to upwards of 20,000 COP, depending on where you go. If you meet someone who 'knows' a taxi driver, chances are they actually do - this can be a good opportunity to negotiate a price to your next checkpoint in Colombia. Some drivers will take you as far as Barranquilla, although this will usually have to be negotiated beforehand.

Bus to the airport costs 10,000. Bus to Park Tyrona from El Miramar Hotel cost 8-10,000 COP leaves between 10-11 am daily. Bus to Taganga 800 pesos.

See

• Museo del Oro, Calle 14 No.2-67 (on plaza Bolivar). Displays a collection of precolumbian pottery, a nice collection of gold and a scale model of Ciudad Perdida. Free entrance.

Photos of Santa Marta Area: http://www.caliplaza.com/html/santa_marta.html

Do

• The nearby coral reefs provides good possibilties for diving. Although diving in Taganga might be cheaper.

• On the beaches, you can usually rent a jetski in increments of 10 minutes. If you are not comfortable operating one, you can usually ask for a ride around. Lifejackets are often provided. If you are not a good swimmer, ask for a lifejacket.

Quinta San Pedro (burial place of Simon Bolivar) take a busetta 800 pesos

University Modern Art Collection carrera 2 between Calle 16 & 17

Buy

Santa Marta is famous for its fast-talking beach sellers. As one can go to the beach 365 days a year, there are always people wandering up and down the beach selling anything from a song (travelling bands), to doctored photos (such as someone being crushed by a giant foot), to clothes, and even guided tours of the area.

The beaches in the northern suburb El Rodadero are known for having aggressive sellers, but see this as an opportunity to haggle! Usually aim for 2000-3000 COP (Pesos) below the asking price. If they truly say they can't sell it for less, then work your way up by increments of 500 pesos until you come to an agreement. Of course, if you don't care for anything, a simple, "No, gracias," will suffice.

Something that can come in handy is a 'mochila', a very common woven bag originally used by the Taganga natives to carry marijuana leaves when there was no food. Today they come in many different styles and fashions. Be wary when you have valuables - mochilas have no zippers, and are completely open at the top.

Buy Hammocks, Mosquito Repellent, Suntan Lotion at El Miramar Hotel.

Eat

There are all manner of eating options. They seem to be good at roasting and grilling chicken. They do a good job of grilling beef (tough but flavorful). Seafood is plentiful and relatively inexpensive (lots of shrimp and seafood cocktail vendors). Most varieties of fruit are available (even what is more common to cold climates). At night street vendors sell all types of snacks ( pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, shakes, kabobs, rice in milk with coco, fried stuffed doughy things, etc.). Coffee, hot chocolate, and both hot cinnamon and lemon is omni-present.

• RESTAURANTE Y ESTADERO DUMBIRA THE BEST FOOD FROM SEA TO EXCELLENT PRICES TAGANGA carrera 1 # 13-80- 57 1 4219011

• Hotel Miramar, Calle 10C No 1C-59. Has best lunch budget meals. 3500 pesos. GREAT PLACE!!! Fun People. This is where Fruit Juuices and Fruit Salads were Invented... because the owners thought" gringos needed more fruit because they all smoked too much" true story, ask them. Fruit salads 4000 COP Juices 1000 COP Lunch 4000 COP Dinner 6000-7500 COP.

• Merkabar, Calle 10 No 2-11. Decent food for a price.

• Ben & Josep´s bar restaurant (Dutch owner)At the beach next to the Park Hotel the very best STEAK (filet mignon)in Santa Marta!!!!!!

• Restaurante El Escorial. A good restaurant is in the middle of the block behind the beach on 11th street

• There is a man who has been sitting on 14th street between 3rd and 4th carrera ( behind the beach) selling shrimp cocktail at a reasonable price for 23 years.

• There is other man who has been sitting on 22th street on 1th carrera ( in front of the beach) selling a delicious shrimp cocktail at a reasonable price and he is very reliablea and wellkown in the city.

Drink

The drink of choice is, of course, beer. Because Santa Marta can get brutally hot during the summer (upwards of 35 C/95F), it is a good idea to constantly have a bottle of water with you. During the evenings, when it gets cooler, beer and friends is often an excellent combination.

Coca-Cola can be found at nearly every restaurant - sometimes you can even pick it up in glass bottles. They are cheap: a Coke usually costs no more than 1,000 COP.

Ask about Ben´s Bar on the Beach. Barrio Samario, La Puerta, and El Garage

Sleep

If you are looking for accommodation, there are somewhat more expensive hotels, residences (local term) on the beach and if you are looking for cheaper options, then check out the hotels that are located on 10th street (calle). This is more to the east or closer to the port. Decent alternatives include:

• Hotel Miramar Calle 10C No 1C-59 (5-421-0953). The ORIGINAL Gringo Hotel in Latin America. Read GRINGO TRAIL, FRUIT PALACE about this joint. Popular with backpackers because it's cheap. Recently fixed up a little. 8.000 p.p. in dorm. 10/12000 COP Single rooms/w bath.

• Hospederia Casa Familiar, Calle 10C No 2-14. Very private, mild mannered, friendly staff. Single $16.000 up. Also has a dorm. Bit Boring.

• Sun City (calle 18-3#28). New. Less popular. This place offers comfort at low price (privates for 20'000 up, dorms 12'000). Run by a nice family that really cares. A place to get off the Gringo Trail a bit...

• Nueva Grenada (12th street). Nice, small pool 30000 low season

• Las Vegas (11th street). By-the-hour, in Red-Light District

Beer Prices Santa Marta: 1000-1500 pesos in stores up to 5000 in bars

Get out

Nearby are interesting little towns.

• The first is to the east and is the little fishing village known as Taganga. Taganga has tourist accommodation. There are a lot of possibilities in diving and snorkelling in Taganga. The trip there and back (5 miles crossing over a mountain) can be enjoyed by bicycle. It´s a scenic place. Slow-paced. Or take one of the vans from carrera 1.

El Ramarim and Tsunami are nice small hotels in Taganga.

• The second little town is the upscale El Rodadero which is a couple of miles to the west. There is of course tourist accommodation also.

• In El Parque Tayrona you can unwind one or more days on some of the most beautiful beaches.

• If you are looking for some more activity the six day trek to Ciudad Perdida is a good option. Book a tour at El Miramar Hotel on 10th Street: they are conscientious, have a safe and storage, have great breakfasts and have the experience of haviong organized this tour over 25 years ago. Want the story of the discovery, ask for Don Jairo at the front desk in El Miramar. He has 45 years experience in Santa Marta and can answer any question (with a joke - and in Spanish only).