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The main plaza in the historic city center of Santa Marta is Parque de Bolívar. It’s a long stretch of trees and shrubs followed by a large open space. There are some important buildings surrounding it.
When it was originally built in the late 18th century, it was known as Plaza de Armas and served a military function.
In the center is a statue of liberator Simón Bolívar, sculpted in 1953 by Italian artist Leone Tommasi. It was a gift to Colombia from Venezuela.
The fountain near the east end of the park was unveiled in 1848 and is the oldest fountain in Santa Marta. It’s called the Fountain of the Four Faces (Fuente de Las Cuatro Caras) and features Persephone on its upper part. The four masks represent the four cardinal directions.
City Hall
City Hall (Alcaldía) was originally built in the 17th century and served as the Consistorial House for the Spanish government. A prison made up the ground floor and once held Antonio Nariño, a hero of Colombian independence. It sits on the northeast side of the square.
Customs House
To the west of City Hall is the historic Customs House (Casa de la Aduana), which was originally built in the 16th century. Brothers Domingo and Nicolás Jimeno added the second floor in 1730. In 1819, the customs office moved into the building, giving it its current name. In December 1830, Simón Bolívar was a guest in the building shortly before he passed away at La Quinta de San Pedro. His wake was held there.
Tairona Gold Museum
The Tairona Gold Museum (Museo del Oro Tairona) has occupied the Customs House since December 17, 1980. It’s a great museum and admission is free.
Inside is a good explanation of the history of Santa Marta, a timeline of the life of Simón Bolívar, and an ethnographic section about the people of the region. You can also see authentic pieces of gold forged by the indigenous people.
Parque Venezuela
Between the Customs House and City Hall is a small park called Parque Venezuela. A house that once sat on the site was owned by Carlos Soublette, a three-time president of Venezuela. There are also cafés located there.
Bank of the Republic Library
On the northwest side of the square is the Santa Marta branch of the Bank of the Republic LIbrary (Biblioteca Banco de la República). It opened in 2001.
Casa de los Alzamora
Finally, on the south side of the square opposite the Customs House is the Casa de los Alzamora. It was built near the end of the 17th century by Manuel Epalza de Hoyos. Politician Manuel Murillo Toro (1816-1880), a former president of Colombia, installed a printing press in the building in 1847 to publish La Gaceta Mercantil, the country’s first economic newspaper. The building currently houses the city’s waterworks and sewer offices.
Gabo Statue
A statue of Colombian Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez (1927-2014) was relocated to the park temporarily in March 2021. It was made by Óscar Noriega, an artist from Cartagena and was originally displayed in the author’s hometown of Aracataca.
