Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [133]
Hotel Las Vegas ( 421 5094; Calle 11 No 2-08; s/d with fan COP$15,000/27,000, with air-con COP$20,000/32,000; ) Rooms are small and simple, but with air-con, cable TV and an independent internet cafe in the lobby it’s hard to complain at these prices. Remember though, cockroaches like air-con too.
Solymar Hostal ( 431 0208; Carerra 2 No 19-06; s/d with fan COP$40,000/50,000, with air-con COP$50,000/60,000; ) This brand new option is in the best shape of the midrangers, though it’s a 33-room hotel not a hostel. It’s in a good location for beach action and features a lobby shower so you don’t muck up your room with sand.
Hotel Nueva Granada ( 421 1337; www.hotelnuevagranada.com; Calle 12 No 3-17; s/d with fan COP$50,000/70,000, with air-con COP$65,000/90,000; ) Though the showers are a joke, the internet wasn’t working when we were in, and the rooms are tiny, there’s a decent courtyard, free coffee, a very small swimming pool (you won’t be shattering any world records in here), and you’re three blocks from the waterfront.
Park Hotel ( 421 4939; www.parkhotelsantamarta.com; Paseo Bastidas No 18-67; s/d with fan COP$60,000/85,000, with air-con COP$75,000/91,000; ) None of the hotels along the waterfront are trying too hard, but this one puts in a little more effort with pleasant touches like indigenous wood carvings, colorful bedspreads and a charming central staircase under a candlelike chandelier. The attached bar/restaurant also carries a lot of weight – it’s one of the best in town.
La Casa ( 421 2483; www.lacasasantamarta.com; Calle 18 No 3-53; s/d incl breakfast from COP$165,000/195,000; ) Far and away the best and most interesting place to stay in the area, this three-room boutique hotel, full of socially conscious local art, occupies a restored 18th-century home run by a lovely young woman who has worked with Afro-Caribbean and Sierra indigenous communities for the past decade. Each room in the house is a tribute to those communities and features gorgeous original tile flooring and doors. Breakfast includes organic products from the Sierra and will be one of the best meals you eat in Colombia. Bird-watching trips to Minca and yoga workshops can also be arranged.
EL RODADERO
El Rodadero is home to somewhat swanky beach resorts, mostly catering to Colombians flexing their financial might. You will also find several all-inclusive options in the area, where you can eat, drink and sleep your heart out from about COP$229,000 per person per day, depending on the season.
Cisne Caribe ( 422 9418; Carrera 3A No 5-74; s/d COP$50,000/70,000; ) There is no true budget accommodations in El Rodadero, but this cheapish option has a good personality and a friendly front desk. Big beds dominate the smallish rooms, but all is clean and punctuated by cheesy knickknacks. It’s two blocks from the beach.
Hotel La Sierra ( 422 7960; www.germanmoralesehijos.com; Carrera 1 No 9-47; s/d incl breakfast COP$110,000/140,000; ) A kitschy mix of modern, indigenous and beachfront bygone, this is a great midrange choice in El Rodadero. Floors 6 to 10 have sweeping beach views and romantic balconies fit for two.
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Eating
Santa Marta’s dining scene has improved in recent years – you can actually gnaw on a few things here that don’t make you wish you were somewhere else.
CENTRO
Cocteleria Juancho (Carrera 1 btwn Calle 22 & 23 No 18-67; ceviche COP$4000-12,000; breakfast, lunch & dinner) This ceviche street stall has been packing in loyal locals of all ilk for 33 years. Here it is all about the shrimp ceviche, which comes in four sizes. It’s located next door to the Gino Passcalli store.
Delicentro Bavara ( 421 4984; Calle 16 No 5-73; sandwiches COP$7000-12,000; dinner Mon, Wed-Sun) In a country where a good sandwich is scarce, this hole-in-the-wall counter serves up ones worth writing home about. The excellent