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Santa Marta

Colombia travel guide

What to see in Santa Marta

Colombia’s oldest city, between the Caribbean Sea and the Sierra Nevada.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from December to May
  • Typical food: Patacones
Photo: CristhianVarela · CC BY-SA 4.0

Santa Marta highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Historic centre

    The cathedral and a walk along the bay.

  2. Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino

    Where Simón Bolívar died.

  3. Taganga

    A fishing village and diving.

  4. Minca

    A village in the mountains, with waterfalls and coffee.

  5. Lost City

    A multi-day trek to a Tayrona city in the jungle.

Day trips from Santa Marta

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

When to travel to Santa Marta

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Santa Marta are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun with warnings
  7. Jul with warnings
  8. Aug with strong warnings
  9. Sep with strong warnings
  10. Oct with strong warnings
  11. Nov with warnings
  12. Dec no warnings
  • from June to November

    Hurricane season

    Hurricanes can form from June to November; August, September and October are the riskiest months. There are almost always days of heavy rain and humid heat.

    What to do: Book with free cancellation, take out travel insurance that covers weather events and check the National Hurricane Center’s forecasts a few days before you go.

Typical food of Santa Marta

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Santa Marta from your kitchen).

Patacones
Photo: Jdvillalobos · CC BY-SA 3.0

Patacones

Green plantain fried, flattened and fried again: the Colombian Caribbean side dish for fried fish by the sea.

  • Serves 4
  • 25 min

Ingredients

  • 2 green plantains
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt
  • Hogao or guacamole to serve

How to make it at home

  1. Peel the plantains and cut them into 3 cm rounds.
  2. Fry them over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, without letting them brown.
  3. Take them out and flatten them with a board or the bottom of a glass to half a centimetre thick.
  4. Fry them again in hot oil until golden and crisp.
  5. Salt them and serve with hogao, guacamole or fried fish.

The trick: Dipping the flattened rounds in salted garlic water before the second fry gives them more flavour.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: a set-lunch spot (menú del día). The dishes you can’t miss are in the Colombia guide.

Frequently asked questions about Santa Marta

What to see in Santa Marta?

Historic centre, Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, Taganga, Minca and Lost City.

What to see in Santa Marta in one day?

Don’t miss Historic centre, Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, Taganga, Minca and Lost City. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Santa Marta?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Santa Marta are from December to May. If you can, avoid from August to October (hurricane season).

What day trips can you take from Santa Marta?

Lost City and Minca.

What is the typical food of Santa Marta?

Patacones. Green plantain fried, flattened and fried again: the Colombian Caribbean side dish for fried fish by the sea.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.