Taganga is a small village located just 15 minutes from Santa Marta. As the title suggests, it’s a backpacker’s paradise with lots of hostels and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s a far cry from the more upscale beach suburb of El Rodadero to the south. This small village is set dramatically beneath tall green mountains surrounding a small bay.
La Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino is a popular place to visit in Santa Marta, just a 15 minute taxi ride from the city center. It’s a peaceful green area tucked away within the sprawl of the modern city, but you wouldn’t know it by being there.
Santa Marta was founded in 1525 and is the second oldest surviving European settlement in South America. The historic city center has really changed for the better since my first visit in 2014 and is a nice place to explore for a few hours.
On my first trip to Tayrona National Park, my cousin Anna and I decided to take a beach tour to Playa Cristal. Our hotel was able to arrange it for us the night before.
There are several very good restaurants in the historic city center of Santa Marta to choose from. On each of my trips there, I’ve had a hard time deciding where to eat, whether to stick with favorites or to try new places. There are many choices such as traditional Colombian food, seafood, burgers, Mediterranean, pizza, and pasta.
Santa Marta is the second oldest surviving European city in South America, founded in 1525. It’s also the place where the liberator Simón Bolívar died, at La Quinta de San Pedro.