Beaches, mountains, and rivers, all of those are natural attractions making Santa Marta an excellent tourist destination. Still, something we cannot ignore is the eventful but fascinating past told by the streets of its historic center, which offers today a combination of culture, history, hotels, gastronomy, and places to party.
The historic center preserves the architectural legacy of Santa Marta, you can find colonial buildings where the gold work of the tairona people is exhibited and the place where Simón Bolívar passed his last days.
Santa Marta had a before and after the earthquake of 1834 that destroyed many buildings and left economic damages. In 1871, the city had 5,742 inhabitants, all of whom lived in the historic center. However, it was able to recover from that episode after having increased its population by 35% in less than three decades.
Formerly, the streets were straight, narrow, and dusty. The houses were painted white, with gable roofs. Two-story houses were so few you could count them on the fingers of one hand.
The Historic Center is located between the 10th and 22nd streets of the city, near Santa Marta’s bay and el Morro, symbols of Santa Marta city.
Getting by bus is simple, if you are in El Rodadero, you can take that with the destination sign “Ziruma, Centro, Mercado” and get off at the cathedral square, from where getting to other places such as Parque de los novios (Couple’s park) is easy. Or, if you are in Taganga you should take the bus with the destination sign “Santa Rita” and get off at Simón Bolívar park.
Finally, you can take a taxi too, the fare depends on where you are.
There are many places to visit and learn about the history of Santa Marta but in this article, we will show you just some of the main attractions.
The Tairona Gold Museum offers an exhibition of the art of the culture and legacy of the Tairona indigenous, it has a collection of more than 500 prehispanic artifacts of gold, stone, wood, and pottery.
It’s located in front of the Bank of the Republic Library, the address is Carrera 2 con Calle 14 close to Simón Bolívar Park.
It was built in the XVIII century and consecrated in the early XIX century. It has the title of Minor Basilica. Inside the church lies the ashes of Rodrigo de Bastidas, the founder of the city and according to popular belief the heart of Simón Bolívar.
It is known as the oldest Cathedral in the country, the architect was Juan Cayetano Chacón, who used a renaissance roman style. The pictures and sculptures were made using wood and painted in multiple colors.
The ‘Parque de los Novios’ as it is called by locals, is also known as Santander Park. It is one of the most visited places because of the beautiful architecture of its surroundings and its offer of restaurants and bars.
What is now the park or plaza was once a pond, which dried up to extend the city to the south. Over time, the public market functioned there, and after it was moved, the place became a park. Because many couples used to go there, it ended up being colloquially called "Parque de los Novios" (Boyfriends' Park).
It is located between 14th and 15th streets. in front of Santa Marta’s Bay and the Monument to the founder of the city Rodrigo de Bastidas. This park honors its name by having an equestrian monument of Simón Bolívar.
Around the park you can find a small square where there is a Juan Valdez coffee shop, in addition, there are more restaurants and places where you can eat, party, or just hang around.
The ‘everlasting theater’, as it is called by some locals, was inaugurated in 1949 after 7 years of construction.
Some decades ago, everything was brought on ships: music bands, movies, nomadic circuses. Thanks to the proximity to the port, they could arrive directly at this theater.
After a fire in 1979 that left many losses and a stage totally burnt, it was necessary to wait a couple of years to see it open to the public again. The theater continued operating until a restoration was set to bring it back to its former glory, such restoration lasted more than a decade and ended in 2021.
If you want to explore it on your own, you should know the Historic Center of Santa Marta is a place you can tour on foot, you not only can cover all the main attractions, but you will have enough time to take good pictures and find out all that it has to offer you. Nonetheless, if you have the chance to include a guided tour, here we show you the best 3 ways to do it:
Santa Marta Free Walking tour This tour lets you know the history of the city in an enjoyable way. It is perfect as an additional activity in your itinerary because it only takes a couple of hours in the morning or the afternoon.
Panoramic downtown tour in electric cart: It’s an alternative to horse-drawn carriage rides. In this case, the tour is done in an electric cart at dusk, ending with a dinner with a view of the city.
Night-time stories tour: In this tour, you will see the mysterious buildings and monuments of the historic center while listening to the eerie legends they hide. It’s perfect for starting your night plans with your couple or friends.
If you have read up to this point you have no excuses for getting the most out of the Historic Center on your next trip to Santa Marta. Just let this corner of the city surprise you with its culture, legends, architecture, and the great hotel and gastronomic offer it has.