Understand
Pearl of the America. Santa Marta is both an important commercial port and tourist destination. Everyday there are cargo ships coming and going and the action is very much visible. From the beach, the view of the Caribbean Sea is more or less to the north with a huge rock of an island jutting up out of the water to make a somewhat dramatic effect. Off to the right is the port snug behind another even bigger rock. This is a decent beach if you like beaches that are right in town lots of people, vendors, and noise vedors are rather aggressive if you are on the beach.
Speaking of expenses, there is a high season and low season. High season is more December thru April.Simon Bolivar said that Santa Marta as the most beautiful Bay ever.
Get in
The bus station is all the way out of town on the main highway (3,000 pesos to the beach in taxi). Bus 950 Pesos
Get around
Streets are numbered the beach can be considered "Carrera 1" or 1st St., and the first street is usually "Carrera 1A" or 1A St. The next street after the first row of buildings is Carrera 2 or 2nd St. Calles are streets running from north to south. Unlike bigger cities in Colombia, taxis do not run on a meter. payments range from 3000 pesos for a "lift" (usually a ride no more than 10 minutes) to upwards of 20,000 pesos, depending on where you go. If you meet someone who 'knows' a taxi driver, this can be a good opportunity to negotiate a price to your next checkpoint in Colombia. Some drivers will take you as far as Barranquilla, although you have to negotiate.
See
Photos of Santa Marta Area: http://www.caliplaza.com/html/santa_marta.html
Do
burial place of Simon Bolivar take a bus 800 pesos
Buy
Santa Marta is famous for its beach sellers. someone can go to the beach 365 days a year, there are always people wandering up and down the beach selling anything.
The beaches in the northern suburb El Rodadero have aggressive sellers this as an opportunity to haggle Usually aim for 2000-3000 Pesos below the asking price.
Eat
There are alot of eating options. They seem to be good at roasting and grilling chicken. They do a good job of grilling beef tough but flavorful. Seafood is plentiful and relatively inexpensive lots of shrimp and seafood cocktail vendors. Most varieties of fruit are available even what is more common to cold climates. At night street vendors sell all types of snacks pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, shakes, kabobs, rice in milk with coco, fried stuffed doughy things, etc.. Coffee, hot chocolate, and both hot cinnamon and lemon is omni-present.
Drink
The drink of choice is, of course, beer. Because Santa Marta can get brutally hot during the summer (upwards of 35 C/95F), it is a good idea to constantly have a bottle of water with you. During the evenings, when it gets cooler, beer and friends is often an excellent combination.
Softdrinks can be found at nearly every restaurant - sometimes you can even pick it up in glass bottles. They are cheap: a Drink usually costs no more than 1,000 COP.
Ask about Ben´s Bar on the Beach. Barrio Samario, La Puerta, and El Garage
Sleep
If you are looking for a place to stay, there are somewhat more expensive hotels. 10th streetis less expensive. These include:
Beer Prices Santa Marta: 1000-1500 pesos in stores up to 5000 in bars
Get out
Nearby are interesting little towns.
El Ramarim and Tsunami are nice small hotels in Taganga.
Santa Marta is a city and municipality, located in northwestern Colombia by the Caribbean sea and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, capital of the Magdalena Department. Founded on July 29, 1525 by Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, the city is an important maritime port and hub for tourism, history and culture. It was named after the Biblical Martha and was the first city to be founded in Colombia and second in South America after Cumaná (1521) in Venezuela. El Libertador SimĂłn BolĂvar died at a ranch named Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino on the outskirts of Santa Marta on 17 December, 1830. The city has also been affected to some extent by the Colombian Armed Conflict.
History
The area where Santa Marta lies was inhabited prior to the Arrival of Spanish explorers by Amerindians from the Tairona culture, and its subsequent families: Arhuacos and Koguis among others.
The city was founded in July 29, 1525 by Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, accompanied by some two hundred of his men and a few amerindians. He named the city after the Catholic day for Saint Martha, which in Spain was celebrated with festivities. However many historians argue that he named it after the Spanish city of Santa Marta de Astorgas, which he had visited .
With its foundation, the Spanish colonization also started the conquering of lands from this region, and the set up of Administrative functions for the colony, including a maritime port and the construction of defenses to prevent pirate raids.
During the Colonial times the city started losing its importance as maritime port to nearby city port of Cartagena.
During the mid-19th Century, French, English and American immigrants along with some locals started to introduce industrial ways of productions and founded trade asociations among industrials and the farmers. As a result they built railways which would connect productive networks.
In 1871, the University of Magdalena is founded, with initially two faculties: law and medicine.
During the 20th Century the city served as main port for massive exports of Bananas and coal produced inland with the assistance of major multinational corporations.
In 1968 the government decentralized the Port Authority, leaving Santa Marta with its own Por Authority (Capitania de Puerto). .
In recent years, Santa Marta has attracted large numbers of people displaced by the paramilitary groups operating in the area. The warm climate and the possibility of occasional work serving the tourist industry has increased the city's population drastically.
Geography and climate
Geography
Santa Marta is set by the Caribbean Sea against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a mountain named after the city. From the Spanish colonial buildings of the old city to the modern luxury beach front apartments of El Rodadero, the city offers a great contrast between the past and the future.
Since 1989, Santa Marta has been a "Special District", based on the Article 328 of the Colombian Constitution Law 768 of 2002, which gave the city the suffix of "Tourism, Cultural and Historical District" (Distrito TurĂstico, Cultural e HistĂłrico). This District functions allowed Santa Marta to autonomously manage economic resources for the environment, ecosystems, land planning and the possibility of establishing a shared metroplex area with Barranquilla and Cartagena.. The city of Santa Marta doesn't have a metropolitan area yet, instead functions as a district which is an entity with certain autonomy.
Urban area
The urban area is divided into eight communes (comunas):
Rural area
The rural area is made up of corregimientos and the veredas;
# Bonda (Corregimiento)
# Calabazo (CaserĂo)
# Guachaca (CaserĂo)
# Minca (CaserĂo)
# Taganga (CaserĂo)
# Buritaca (also known as Ciudad Perdida or Teyuna) (CaserĂo)
# Tigrera (CaserĂo)
# Cabañas de Buritaca (CaserĂo)
# Cañaveral (Agua FrĂa) (CaserĂo)
# Colinas de Calabazo (CaserĂo)
# Curvalito (CaserĂo)
# Guacoche (aka La Llanta) (CaserĂo)
# Marketalia (aka Palominito) (CaserĂo)
# Paz del Caribe (CaserĂo)
# Perico Aguao (CaserĂo)
# La Olla (Populated center)
# La Revuelta (Populated center)
# Las Colinas (Populated center)
# El Trompo (Populated center)
# La Aguacatera (Populated center)
# Machete Pelao (Populated center)
# Mejico (Populated center)
# Valle de Gaira (Populated center)
Climate
Temperatures in the city of Santa Marta ranges from 18.65 to 31.15 degrees Celsius at sea level, but the Municipality of Santa Marta stratches up to the highest snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Rainfall in this region varies from 12 to 975 mm per month.
Economy
Tourism
Las Fiestas del Mar (The Festival of the Sea) is celebrated on a yearly basis in this city. It serves as a tourist attraction during the midyear vacation period. One of the main events in the festival is the jetski show organized by Santa Marta Esqui. There are beauty pageants, parades and parties in the city. The Festival's slogan is "Santa Marta, la magia de tenerlo todo" (translates as "Santa Marta, the magic of having it all").
Sister Cities
Santa Marta has 1 sister city
Sports
The town has a football (soccer) team, UniĂłn Magdalena knicknamed El ciclĂłn bananero (The Banana Cyclone).
Santa Marta is the birthplace of Carlos Valderrama, Colombia's most famous football (soccer) player.
See also
References
External links
Gallery
Image:Rodaderonocturno.png|Rodadero Beach at night
Image:santamartasunset.jpg|Santa Marta Sunset - Sept 2006
Image:StaMarta 067.jpg|Sunset - sept 2006
Image:StaMarta_099.jpg|Rodadero Aquarium
Image:Santamartaaquarium.png|Rodadero Aquarium
Image:StaMarta2 073.jpg|Aereal view from Irotama hotel
Image:StaMarta2 103.jpg|Kids playing in Santa Marta beach
Image:Santamartabeach01.jpg|Santa Marta beach and mountains
