Overview
Join us on a city tour of Santa Marta's best sites!
Santa Marta is the oldest surviving city in Columbia, founded in 1525 by Spanish conquistador Rodrigo de Bastidas. When you are picked up from your cruise ship pier you will drive through the city’s historic area, where you will see an old military fortress, and houses that have survived since the time the city was colonized.
Catedral de Santa Marta is a huge, whitewashed church, which claims to be Colombia’s oldest. It features a variety of different architectural elements and styles both inside and out, as it was constructed over a long span of time. The interior of the church houses the remains of the city’s founder Rodrigo de Bastidas. A short distance from the church is the Parque Simon Bolivar, named after the great military and political leader, who played a huge role in Latin America’s struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire. Here you will find the Casa de la Aduana (Customs House) which is now the Tayrona Museum. In the museum, you will see an impressive collection of pottery and gold artifacts as you learn about the customs, technology and culture of the Tayrona people, who inhabited the area when the Spanish first settled in Santa Marta.
From historic, to modern, you will continue on to the El Pibe Valderrama Monument, a statue of the legendary Columbian soccer player, who is now retired. As you will see from this statue, his huge hair and showy technique made him one of the most recognizable players ever in the sport. The statue is located in the area of the city in which he was born.
On the fringes of Santa Marta, you will visit the Quinta San Pedro Alejandrino, the hacienda where Simon Bolivar spent his final days and died in 1830. It was built in the early 17th century and was used in the cultivation and processing of sugarcane. The house now holds an art museum featuring Latin American artists, several monuments, and beautiful grounds to walk around.
To conclude your trip, you will travel to the Rodadero area, which has beautiful views of the city, and well-known beaches.
- 2 bottles of water per person
- You will see all of the sites listed, but perhaps in a different order.
- Bring some extra cash for souvenirs and gratuity.
- Due to security at the pier, we will require your Passport number and citizenship when booking this tour.
Days offered: 7 days a week
Departures:- 09:00 AM, duration: 4 hours
- 01:00 PM, duration: 4 hours
