Centro Historico de Santa Marta
Centro Historico de Santa Marta
Centro Historico de Santa Marta
4
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406 within 3 miles
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59 within 6 miles
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4.0
106 reviews
Excellent
41
Very good
38
Average
20
Poor
5
Terrible
2
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John S
Montreal, Canada16 contributions
Mar 2020
From having spent time in Cartagena and Santa Marta, I would have to say that I much prefer Santa Marta. Cartagena has superior architecture, very nice restaurants and better museums; which are great to experience for a weekend. Cartagena's Centro Historico is very scenic, with walks along the harbor and beaches, a huge variety of restaurants, and many more casual options that aren't overrun with tourists.
It has a nice relaxed vibe and you can for sure find any type of food or style that you are looking for. Meals and especially drinks are very inexpensive.
It has a nice relaxed vibe and you can for sure find any type of food or style that you are looking for. Meals and especially drinks are very inexpensive.
Written 19 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Calaicher
Bogota, Colombia22 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
There is everything for everyone. It is a busy place where locals and tourists always frequent. I like walking between streets, always looking for a different place to eat or drink. On many occasions the best experiences and views are not in sight of the facades. It is convenient to search further and find places to stay such as Masaya, Republica, or to work as Flamingo Coworking.
Automatically translated
Written 4 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rbrow018
308 contributions
Sept 2019
Given that I only had a few days in Santa Marta, I needed to make the most of my time. After checking into my hotel, I immediately headed to the center of the city. While my hotel wasn’t close to the main tourist center, it very easy to get there. One option is to take a cab for about 6k COP ($2.5 USD). However, I decided to be more adventurous and take the public bus for 1.8k COP (.60 USD). Santa Marta is such a small city that there is only one main road (La Avenida El Libertador) which most of the buses use. After walking about 5 blocks, there were buses literally passing me every 20 seconds. It took me about 10 minutes to get to La Bahia, which is basically the boardwalk at the edge of the city. La Bahia was very lively but also had a laid back vibe (unlike Cartagena). The area consisted of a commercial port, a marina filled with yachts, and a small beach. While people (mostly kids) were swimming in the water, the water looked pretty dirty and had trash strewn about it. As I went further back into the city, I found the main tourist corridor. Historical Santa Marta was a mix of Spanish colonial style buildings and modern restaurants and clubs. In fact, many of the buildings were actually still being used for governmental and administrative purposes. There were also several parks (Parque Bolivar and Parque de Los Novios) to relax. During my time in Santa Marta, I was able to eat dinner at several of the restaurants given the ease of getting back and forth from my hotel to the plaza. While there really wasn’t much to do or see beyond the dedicated tourist zone, it is definitely a nice area to take an evening stroll.
•Outside of Santa Marta, there are two minor beach cities which are heavily frequented by tourist. To the north is Rodadero, which is considered to be the nicer and more popular of the two while Taganga in the south is more for the younger niche crowd (mostly scuba divers). Both of these cities can be travelled to by public buses in Santa Marta for about 2k COP ($.60 USD) or a taxi for around 30k COP ($8 USD).
•Outside of Santa Marta, there are two minor beach cities which are heavily frequented by tourist. To the north is Rodadero, which is considered to be the nicer and more popular of the two while Taganga in the south is more for the younger niche crowd (mostly scuba divers). Both of these cities can be travelled to by public buses in Santa Marta for about 2k COP ($.60 USD) or a taxi for around 30k COP ($8 USD).
Written 6 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MJonesPE
Kawasaki, Japan130 contributions
Nov 2018 • Couples
Wonderful area of Santa Marta, my wife and I enjoyed a beautiful day walking through the area. So much history and intrigue. The city is working hard on restoration and it shows. Historical markers were in Spanish and English. Many sites to see in this still very active and working city. The cathedral is beautiful and take the time to see the small alcove chapels and amazing windows. Many restaurants and shops in area as well. Take the day!
Written 19 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Panamajoe2017
Sechelt, Canada315 contributions
Jan 2018 • Solo
Great area to walk around on your own. The attractions are well signed in both Spanish and English, the area is reasonably clean, and you don’t need to spend money on a guide. There are numerous restaurants, bars, and small walking streets. Very pleasant at night. Has a very positive vibe.
Written 3 January 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Magda H
Austin, TX44 contributions
Apr 2022
The place is interesting with colonial arquitecture, good restaurants.. I liked the malecon and its view. The sad thing was to see a lot of old foreign tourist searching for young prostitutes' That was a shame and just in front of the police, is a shameful situation .
Written 9 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judy L
Vancouver, Canada61 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
I stayed over a month in Santa Marta and was sad to leave.I stayed within the historical center of the city and I could walk everywhere.The old city offers you the best in dining and bars and runs right down to the beach.lots of great hostels, hotels, and Airbnb to choose from. This little city has everything. Santa Marta is right next to Tayrona Park which has some pretty spectacular beaches, and great jungle trekking. There are a ton of things to do in Santa Marta and lots of opportunities for day trips.
Written 18 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jjalmodo
Cali, Colombia57 contributions
Sept 2018 • Friends
This place is great at night. Mostly safe and full of restaurants and a bit of chaos in terms of people trying to sell you stuff and impoverished folks asking for money. Ouzo restaurant is a must! And, the local burger spots are all good.
Written 15 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sunny Dr
Alexandria, VA1,386 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
Oldest city in Colombia they have made a good job of preserving the arquitectura and the personality. Nice to have a walk with lots of trees and nice restaurants
Written 25 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marialcantara@icloud.com
Sao Paulo, SP17 contributions
Aug 2023 • Business
Nature mesmerizes with its beauty, but its unpredictable side can pose dangers and unclean environments, demanding respect and caution.
Written 9 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
616graciela
San Andres de Giles, Argentina
hola vamos con mi esposo en abril a bogota ,san andres, cartagena y santa marta quisiera organizarme para poder conocer todo.alguien me diria que conocer graciassss.
Written 19 March 2017
Hola! En Bogotá, te recomendo todo el centro (La Candelaria), pero en especial el Museo Botero y el Montserrate. Además, tengo amigoa que fueron al Parque Jaime Duque y les gustó mucho, pero sobre eso no puedo hablar. Si quieres ir de rumba, hay el Theatron (gratis los jueves),la disco más famosa de la ciudad. En Cartagena, también el centro - hay mucho que ver -, pero vaya también a la playa Bocagrande (no es increíble, pero ahí está y toca conocer) y, SIN DUDAS, a las Islas Rosario/Barú. Es un mar lindo, que sólo vas a ver igual en San Andres. En SA, no hay tanto que hacer - un día alquile el cochecito (o vaya de bus si tienes poca plata) y de la vuelta por la isla, el otro haga el paseo a una de las islas alrededor y en el tercero quedete en el centro en la playa y vendo las tiendas. En Santa Marta, no puedo decir tanto p no conoci mucho, pero el Tayrona es LINDO, si puedes pasw una noche allá. :)
Written 13 December 2018
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