Everyone who appreciates the Caribbean has heard of Cartagena, Colombia. This Spanish-colonial city on the Caribbean Sea is Colombia’s #1 draw for foreign visitors and home to a sizeable expat community.
But just 150 miles up the Caribbean coast is another Caribbean town that you may not have heard of…
Santa Marta offers excellent diving, sandy beaches, calm waters, an upbeat and energetic culture, and a collection of diverse and attractive living options. Plus, it’s always warm—daily temperatures here hover around 83°F (28°C).
Columbus visited Santa Marta on his second voyage to the New World in 1499. The oldest city in Colombia, Santa Marta was officially founded in 1525. It was here that one of Columbus’ crewmen documented the wealth and riches of the local indigenous people, giving rise to the myth of El Dorado, the fabled city of gold.
Today, remnants of Santa Marta’s historical past can be still be seen and enjoyed. The city is working hard to refurbish and preserve historical buildings as well as add new development…
Latin America Correspondent Lee Harrison has spent significant time in Santa Marta. He says, “When I first visited Santa Marta in 2010, it was definitely a work in progress. The formerly seedy downtown was undergoing restoration, bringing the old colonial homes, parks, and churches back to their original splendor. Leading edge investors were prowling the city.”
Today’s Santa Marta is a different story.
The downtown now has an attractive seafront park, plenty of small cafés and bars, as well as coffee shops, boutique hotels, excellent seafood restaurants, and even a cruise-ship port. There’s a 256-slip marina, and new, tasteful condo projects have sprouted up around the entire area.
When we refer to “Santa Marta,” we’re talking about the Santa Marta metro area, which extends 13 miles from Taganga in the north to the airport in the south. This stretch of Caribbean coast is home to an amazing diversity of beachside destinations.
Let’s take a look at them from north to south, starting with Taganga…
Taganga is a small village surrounded by tall mountains that sits on an expansive, sparkling, deep-blue bay. The beach is long and unspoiled and is bordered by a boardwalk.
Taganga’s bay is terrific for diving and snorkeling, and you’ll find a number of dive shops and excursions available. Santa Marta (the city itself) contains the original historic center and the cruise-ship port. This is the part that underwent dramatic restoration.
Santa Marta also hosts a number of inland neighborhoods, such as Bavaria, that would be great for full-time living away from tourist traffic.
El Rodadero lies about 10 minutes south of Santa Marta. It’s been the main draw in the area for years, as people sought to avoid the once-seedy historic center. The beaches are far longer, wider, and better-kept than Santa Marta’s, creating a giant crescent-shaped shoreline that’s several miles long.
Rodadero offers a small-town feel that you don’t find in the city.
On the oceanfront, there’s a fine sandy beach lined by a boardwalk filled with people walking and patronizing the kiosks, which sell everything from fresh-made pizza to fresh-squeezed fruit juice.
Weekend nights turn into an impromptu beach party, with families turning out by the hundreds to enjoy (and dance to) the sounds of wandering music groups.
We think of El Rodadero as the family destination within the Santa Marta area. It’s bustling with people enjoying the beach, markets, shops, and boardwalk. It maintains a safe, friendly, and laid-back feel…
The southern sector consists of neighborhoods Rodadero Sur, Playa Salguero, Pozos Colorados, and Bello Horizonte. It lies south of Santa Marta and El Rodadero, but before the airport. These areas feature quiet, well-tended, and more exclusive beaches than you’ll see in Santa Marta or El Rodadero. They’re also the site of quite a few upscale condo buildings.
The southern sector is long on natural beauty. Bello Horizonte has the widest beach in the area, and most of the beaches along this stretch are frequented only by the neighboring residents, with little to no tourism. It’s peaceful.
Lee says, “When I came here as a foreign traveler, I found the southern sector a bit dull compared to the party atmosphere in El Rodadero or even Santa Marta Centro. But now I understand its attraction for those who want to escape the bustle of Medellín or Bogotá (or El Rodadero, for that matter).”
From the pristine bay at Taganga to the classic port ambience of Santa Marta and from the energy of El Rodadero to the gleaming towers of the southern sector, Santa Marta has something for everyone. A couple could enjoy the good life here on around $1,500 a month.
If you’re looking for a colonial Caribbean city with less bustle and more bargains than the famous Cartagena… then Santa Marta could be right for you.
Sincerely,
Sophia Titley
Editor, Overseas Living Letter
