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City guide

Santa Marta, Colombia

Santa Marta, officially the Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta, is a port city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is renowned in Latin American as the place of death of Simón Bolívar.

Type City

Why go

  • District and city in Caribbean Region, Colombia.
  • Served by Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR).

History

Santa Marta, officially the Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta, is a port city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is renowned in Latin American as the place of death of Simón Bolívar.

Restaurants & places to go

Burger, Sandwich, Regional, Seafood, Sausage, Caribbean, American, Deli, Chicken, Mexican, Barbecue, Tapas, Food Court · Open air food court with a variety of… · depicnic.com.co
Indoor
European, Grill, Restaurant · Opening hours: Tu-Su 11:11-12:00 · 1A-25 Calle 26, Santa Marta, 470004 · uhma.com.co
Indoor
Chinese, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 11:00-21:00 · Carrera 5 · lagranmuralla.co
Indoor
Pizza, Italian, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 09:00-23:00 · salvatorspizza.com
Indoor
Coffee Shop, Cafe · Features: takeaway · Calle 14, Santa Marta · juanvaldez.com
Indoor
Fish, Sandwich, Juice, Salad, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-21:00 Features: vegan options · Calle 16, Taganga · instagram.com
Indoor
Café, Smoothies, Jugos, Cafe · Opening hours: We-Mo 07:30-20:30 · 3-31 Calle 18, Taganga · facebook.com
Indoor
Regional, Restaurant · Regional restaurant · 11-35 Carrera 4, El Rodadero · instagram.com
Indoor

286 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR) 14 km to the centre
Santa Marta, MAG, CO — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 3 airlines (Avianca - Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia, Copa Airlines, LAN Airlines) · direct flights to 2 destinations incl. Bogota, Rio Negro (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 3 airlines, 2 direct destinations
  • Avianca - Aerovias Nacionales de Colombia AV (318, A320, A319) · 2 routes: Bogota, Rio Negro
  • Copa Airlines CM (318, A320) · 1 route: Bogota
  • LAN Airlines LA (A320) · 1 route: Bogota*

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Fundación Airport (FDA) 79 km to the centre
Fundación, MAG, CO — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
La Ye Airport 27 km to the centre
Ciénaga, MAG, CO
Outdoor
La Amalia Airport 43 km to the centre
Ciénaga, MAG, CO
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Taganga - Playa Grande
Ferry route
Outdoor
Taganga - Tayrona
Ferry route
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR); 7 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: SMR has direct flights to 2 destinations on 3 airlines (incl. Bogota, Rio Negro). By water: ferry routes serve the area; routes include Taganga - Playa Grande, Taganga - Tayrona.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Santa Marta, Colombia. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Tours & experiences