Colombia - DESTINATIONS & HOTELS

• Introduction
• Destinations & Hotels
• Info & facts
• Itinerary Ideas
• Oasis Highlights
• Price Guide
• Themes

Santa Marta

Framed by the mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, Santa Marta is Colombia’s oldest city founded in 1525 by Don Rodrigo de Bastidas. At its heart, the impressive cathedral built in 1765 dominates the old town amidst crumbling colonial architecture while close by the Parque Simon Bolivar opens onto the bustle of the sea promenade. Long a vibrant coastal resort for Colombians, the historic quarter is slowly being restored and is now home to a number of simple boutique hotels and restaurants, well worth a short stay. The beaches and nightlife are well known yet spend a few days, and you can take in the Gold Museum housed in the original Custom House as well as the sanctuary of the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, the estate where the great Liberator Simon Bolivar drew his last breath.