Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [130]
Expreso Brasilia operates one daily bus at 11pm direct to Maracaibo, Venezuela (COP$85,000, nine hours) and on to Caracas, Venezuela.
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SANTA MARTA
5 / pop 410,000 / elev 2m
Santa Marta is South America’s oldest surviving city and the second most important colonial city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Though the city’s glory days are long past, faded away under newer concrete buildings and a somewhat seedy reputation (think more Getsemaní than old town). That said, Santa Marta is not without its charms. Its long waterfront beach attracts throngs of Colombians on holiday and for good reason: it offers liberal amounts of sun, rum and long stretches of sandy beachfront property. It’s packed with revelers on weekends, sucking down snow cones, burying themselves in sand, and gathering along the rocky piers for glistening sunsets. And there is something endlessly intriguing about the city’s crumbling colonial architecture – a glimpse into a more prosperous past.
Most international travelers simply use Santa Marta as a jumping-off point for nearby attractions, including Ciudad Perdida and Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, though that may soon change as all sorts of plans are in place to restore central Santa Marta to its former colonial splendor. The waterfront, Parque Santander and Plaza de Bolívar had already received appealing makeovers at the time of research, and an upscale international marina is in the works in addition to a major pedestrianizing of a healthy chunk of centro. El Rodadero, just to the south, remains a fashionable beach resort for well-to-do Colombians, and Playa Brava, a short boat ride from here, is the area’s closest decent beach.
The climate is hot, but the sea breeze, especially in the evening, cools the city and makes it pleasant to wander about, or to sit over a beer or juice in one of the numerous open-air waterfront cafes.
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History
Rodrigo de Bastidas planted a Spanish flag here in 1525, deliberately choosing a site at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to serve as a convenient base for the reputedly incalculable gold treasures of the Tayronas. Bastidas had previously briefly explored the area and was aware of the possible riches to be found.
As soon as the plundering of the Sierra began, so did the resistance of the indígenas, and clashes followed. By the end of the 16th century the Tayronas had been wiped out and many of their extraordinary gold objects (melted down for rough material by the Spaniards) were in the Crown’s coffers.
Santa Marta was also one of the early gateways to the interior of the colony. It was from here that Jiménez de Quesada set off in 1536 for his strenuous march up the Magdalena Valley, to found Bogotá two years later.
Engaged in the war with the Tayronas and repeatedly ransacked by pirates, Santa Marta didn’t have many glorious moments in its colonial history and was soon overshadowed by its younger, more progressive neighbor, Cartagena. An important date remembered nationwide in Santa Marta’s history is December 17, 1830, when Simón Bolívar died here, after bringing independence to six Latin American countries.
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Orientation
In Santa Marta’s center, Av Rodrigo de Bastidas (Carrera 1C), which lines the beach, is the principal tourist boulevard, alive until late at night. It provides a nice view over the bay with a small, rocky island, El Morro, in the background.
Most tourist activity occurs between the waterfront and Av Campo Serrano (Carrera 5), the main commercial street.
Another hub of tourist activity, principally for Colombian holidaymakers, is the beach resort of El Rodadero, 5km south of the center. Buses shuttle frequently between the center and El Rodadero; the trip takes 15 minutes.
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Information
INTERNET ACCESS
Tamá Café ( 431 2289; Carrera 2 No 16-06; per hr COP$1500; 8:30am-6:30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) Organic coffeehouse and internet cafe.
Villa Café.Bar (