Santa Marta is the oldest city in Colombia and is also recognized for having the first Basilica in Latin America. If you are interested in religious tourism or architecture, we show you a compilation of the main churches of the city based on its historical importance.
Plaza San Francisco, Cl. 13 #3-77
This church is located in the Plaza de San Francisco, in the Historic Center of Santa Marta. It is a temple that has gone through many changes and difficulties due to pirate attacks, for example, it was used to hold the elite women of the city captive during a pirate siege in 1676; in 1834 a part of the church was damaged by the earthquake that shook the city in that year.
It was later rebuilt and in 1962 the church of San Francisco was burned and completely damaged inside. Preserving its colonial facade, this church is currently listed as a National Monument, by decree 481 in 1996.
Plaza de La Catedral, Cra. 4, among carreras 15 and 16
Known for being the first cathedral that was built in Santa Marta, this temple has had an important role in the history of the city.
After having its original location near the beach, it was relocated to make its access more difficult to pirate attacks. The building was finished in 1794 after more than 30 years of work.
The Cathedral of Santa Marta has gone through important historical events, among which stand out as the seat of the remains of Simon Bolivar from 1830 to 1842, the year in which they were moved to Caracas, Venezuela.
In front of the cathedral, you find the Episcopal Palace, which possesses a beautiful architectural style and the authorization to house the Pope in case he visits Santa Marta. On its facade you can see the coat of arms of the Roman church to identify it.
Cra. 2 #22-84, Comuna 2, Santa Marta, Magdalena.
This is one of the closest churches to Casa Marina. Its stands out because it was built in 1746 next to the San Juan de Dios Hospital. During the 20th century, the chapel functioned as a place to pray for the sick of Santa Marta and the Department of Magdalena.
Later, the San Juan de Dios Chapel was declared a "National Asset of Cultural Interest" and in 2002, the San Juan de Dios Corporation was created to restore the temple and turn it into a cultural and academic center, and the University of Magdalena became involved in this cultural process.
In what were the outskirts of Santa Marta they built other churches with historical importance. As they are not near the Historic Center, it is less probable you visit them, but even so, we want you know them because some of them are among the oldest in South America!
Transversal 5, Santa Marta, Magdalena
This temple was the first church in Mamatoco, built in the middle of the 16th century and later burned down in 1575 by the indigenous chief Jerónimo, as a response to the violence caused by the Spaniards against the natives.
By the year 1785 it was finished rebuilt and has been preserved to this day. In 1992, it was declared a National Monument.
Cra. 21 #3B, Bonda, Santa Marta, Magdalena
This church was also formerly known as Iglesia San Pablo de Bonda. Currently, it is Santa Ana de Bonda. It appears in the history of Santa Marta in 1534 when the building of the church started. It has had three remodels: in 1934, in 1982 and the most recent one, in 2013.
Not only that, but it is said to be one of the oldest chapels in Latin America, and in 1991 it was declared a National Monument.
These churches have a lot of things to tell us about the history of Santa Marta, some of them have been there, watching all the changes the city and its people have experienced over the centuries. Furthermore, if you see these devotion places with the eyes of the faith, you will feel a stronger connection with them.
So, whether your motivation is merely spiritual or you are interested in religious history, architecture or art, we invite you to take the Religious Tour in the Historical Center to discover those fascinating chapters of faith and the history of Santa Marta.
If you want a guided tour of the churches of Santa Marta, contact us! We will visit the most incredible ones, and you will learn about their curiosities in detail.
Note: Other churches worth mentioning are the San Francisco de Asís Church in Taganga and San Jacinto Church in Gaira, built at the end of the 18th century.