Santa Marta

[ald07]

Hi..... Does anybody have any information on Santa Marta    Where to stay what to do etc.

[cancunhound]

... in response to Santa Marta, posted by ald07 on Jan 20, 2004

One popular place is the Hotel Decameron - it's a large resort located a bit south of Rodadero (where the main hotel drag is).  Avianca and AeroRepublica both offer AI packages that are hard to pass up price wise.  The beaches are not that spectacular in Santa Marta proper - but the big attraction is to take day tours to Parque Tayrona for some truly outstanding remote beaches.  Other options are to rough it a bit and stay in park accomodations.  Santa Marta is also the jumping point for a tour to the lost city - which I hear are operating again even after the recent kidnappings there.  As far as Santa Marta proper - it's the oldest city in Colombia but there's not much evidence of that - other than that it's a nice clean little town.  All in all it's a great destination.

-CaliGringo.com

[roadken]

... in response to Re: Santa Marta, posted by cancunhound on Jan 20, 2004

I spent a week there last January.I thought the beaches were great.Much better than Cartagena.You just have to look for them.I stayed south of town in a very quiet resort.There is a national park about an hour outside of town that is spectactular!Well worth the effort.Great place
that is nice and not as many street vendors like Cartagena.

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: Re: Santa Marta, posted by roadken on Jan 20, 2004

Clarification - my comment about the beach "not that spectacular" was referring to Santa Marta - not Rodadero's (although we're still not talking fantastic even in Rodadero - but much more pleasant than Cartagen's IMHO).  The area is a port and as such is subject to pollution - you have to venture north for the pristine water.  

A couple more notes from memory here:  A popular day tour sold is a trip by boat to playa blanca - which is just a small beach a cove north of Santa Marta.  Skip that one, it's crowded, the beach is gravelly, and it's not that great.  One of the 1st beaches of caliber is offered on another tour within Tayrona called playa cristal once again only by boat - that one's worth it.  In both cases a common package includes fresh fish for lunch - skip the lunch included and purchase that from the best looking "restaraunt" (IOW shack) when there.  Also, I always find a vendor upon arrival to set me up with my own ice chest loaded with cervezas and cokes, a trash bucket (to keep count), and set the individual item price upfront.  You'll save alot of money that way and won't be hastled by other vendors the whole day.

My wife prefers Santa Marta to San Andres (which is great considering the price comparison!)