Things to Do in Santa Marta

Hello, I'm Javier and I invite you to visit the most iconic places in the historic center of the city of Santa Marta, taking a tour through the culture and history of the city appreciating places such as:

• Simon Bolivar Square
• Tairona's museum of gold
• Gabriel García Márquez Library
• Town hall palace
• San Francisco square 
• mail alley
• cathedral square
• Santa Marta’s theater 
• Calle Grande and Calle Real
• Tayrona Palace
• Lover's park
• bay boardwalk
• Juice place 

 If you like to know details and curious facts, this will be an ideal plan for you, allow me to be your guide on this adventure.

Discover Santa Marta beyond the typical tour.

This experience is designed for travelers who want to truly understand the city — not just walk through it.

We explore the historic center while sharing real stories about Santa Marta’s past, culture, and daily life today. From the cathedral and Bolívar Square to hidden corners you would never notice on your own, every stop has meaning.

This is not a scripted tour. It’s a conversation, a local perspective, and a deeper look at Colombia through Santa Marta.

✔ Small groups for a better experience

✔ Clear English (Portuguese available on request)

✔ Local insights, history, and practical tips

✔ Recommendations to enjoy Santa Marta after the tour

This tour is ideal if you are visiting Santa Marta for the first time and want a clear understanding of the city before exploring further.

Important information:

• Please arrive on time

• The tour involves walking for around 2 hours under tropical weather

• Bring water, hat or cap, sunscreen, and comfortable shoes

This is a free tour, which means you decide the value of the experience at the end. If you enjoy the tour, your support is highly appreciated.

Explore Santa Marta like a local while pedaling through its colonial streets!
We will take you to the most emblematic places of the historic center, while you discover its history, flavors, and Caribbean energy. All with the help of a passionate local guide. 

The tour is conducted in English or Spanish at the two available times, let us know in which language you want to do it 


 What will you see during the tour?

Bolívar Park – Starting point full of history and architecture.

Tairona Gold Museum – Customs House with ancestral treasures.

Camellón de la Bahía and El Morro – Epic view of the Caribbean.

International Marina – Modernity by the sea with the Sierra in the background.

Parque de los Novios – The vibrant heart of the city.

Santa Marta Cathedral – The oldest in South America.

San Miguel Park – Historic cemetery with surprising stories.

During the tour:
Staying hydrated is part of the plan.
We will make several stops for photos, stories, and rest.
We pedal at a relaxed pace, no rush.

 How much does it cost?

This is a free tour, which means you decide how much to contribute to the guide based on your experience.
You only need to pay for the bike rental: $12 USD (COP 50,000) before starting.

 You can pay in cash or by local transfer.

 Important information:

Low difficulty.
Suitable for ages 16 to 60.
Minimum height: 1.50 m.
Prior reservation required.

The tour is conducted with a minimum of 2 people (if you are alone, we will contact you to join another group).

Why choose us?

We are locals passionate about our city.
Our bikes are comfortable and safe.
We share unique facts and anecdotes you won't find anywhere else.
In the end, you will enjoy an unforgettable sunset on two wheels.

 Extra bonus:

Want more adventure?
Ask us about the Bike Tour to Taganga and Playa Grande and explore the coast in an unforgettable way.

Historic tour in the city, explaining the highlight points, the old houses and nice fact about the city.

We start in the bay, and start with the history of the city, and then we will go to Simon Bolivar park, after that we going to visit the tayrona museum, then we go out and visit the cathedral and finish in parque de los novios.

Tour Duration (1 Hour)

Also I'll solve all your questions, I hope see you soon...

I accept Cards plus 5% tax 

"Santa Marta", the oldest city in Colombia, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, brimming with history and amazing adventures since its founding!!..... it will captivate you.!

I will tell you about the magic and mysticism that the Sierra Nevada holds, its surrounding charms: the lost city and the Tairona National Natural Park. In this free tour, you will learn much more about its ancient development and attractions.

This city, doubly holy, known as “the faithful and hospitable” and “the tourist pearl of America”,  possesses “the magic of having it all"!

The historic center of Santa Marta, declared a national monument in 1959 and in 1997 a National Cultural Interest Site,  was restored in a first phase by the national and local government in 2010, comprising 8 sectors.

Our adventure begins at the Tairona Gold Museum, Customs House.

In the Bolivar Park sector, you will learn about the enveloping history of its monuments and the very old houses, built in the best European style. You will be impressed by its imposing architecture that has prevailed for centuries.

The attacks carried out by pirates destroyed the first churches. Therefore, in the cathedral square, you will notice the contrast in the architectural styles of its buildings. In this sector, the robust work of religious engineering, built in the mid-18th century, remains current. The stories about its construction and maintenance over time will amaze you.

Aaaaah in the Parque de Los Novios sector, gastronomy and partying go hand in hand with the history of the place. This meeting spot is very popular with our visitors and locals for having fun. You will learn the stories of its beginnings that led to this site becoming an essential attraction to visit when you are in Santa Marta. I will give you tips on gastronomy (the best seafood can be found in this sector) and places for entertainment.

If you haven't spent a night staying or attended gala or popular dances and parties in houses built more than 400 years ago, in the renovated historic center of Santa Marta you can do so.

Walking through the Malecon Sector in the Bay, you will enjoy spectacular views of the Marina and port sectors.

Likewise, around the bay's malecon, you will find various shops for purchasing local and national indigenous crafts, with different indigenous manufactures.

How about a photo with the fishermen in the port sector, or a romantic capture at sunset framed alongside the islet "El Morro" located just 2500 meters from the bay.

The International Marina, a display of luxury and fun.
 
This Freetour allows me to offer you the history of the city, without delays and subterfuges, told from an impartial, raw, and unadorned perspective, of course, within due respect, so I will take you where others do not and tell you things that others prefer to avoid.

I will recommend other tours and can give you gastronomic suggestions.

As for tips, they are subject to the free payment modality, suggested by Guruwalk. Our Walkers usually give between 15 and 50€ per participant, remember, I am PRO, for each reservation the platform deducts credits from me..... every support from you is valuable to me.
Groups of more than three people will be adjusted to the free payment policies, between 15€ and 50$ per person.
As much as possible, I suggest that the contact number requested by Guruwalk at the time you are booking is linked to the WhatsApp network.

Useful information for the traveler: I recommend sunscreen, constant hydration, on my part, I will make the guidance enjoyable.

The History of Santa Marta "La Fiel y Hospitalaria" Santa Marta is considered the pearl of America, not only for the beauty of its Bay and present Biodiversity, but also for the role it played for the economy of Europe during the 16th century. The tour is structured by 4 key points within the Historic Center that reveal the history of the city: - Customs House (Tayrona Gold Museum): Here 565 objects are exhibited of which 471 are pre-hispanic pieces, 53 ethnographic and 41 colonial objects. It is considered the first construction with architectural design in South America. - Paseo de Bastidas: This ridge allows us to get a beautiful view of the most beautiful bay in America, decorated with monuments to the Tayronan deities that contrast with the imposing design of the International Marina of Santa Marta. - Old Hospital San Juan de Dios: Represents charity and service to others, "Property of National Cultural Interest." - Los Novios Park: Also called Santander Park, it is a place where different artistic and gastronomic expressions converge. This place witnessed countless passions of the past that met in this busy place. - Santa Marta Cathedral: Considered the heart of the city, it represents the most sacred place for samaria. Here rested the remains of Liberator Simón Bolívar, The Greatest Man in America. Recommendations: - Sunblock - Sunglasses - Hat, Cap or any element for sun protection. Inside the Cultural spaces (Gold Museum and Cathedral) - Do not consume any type of food. - Talk in a moderate way - No smoking - Pets are not allowed The tour does not have a stipulated cost, it is subject to economic stimuli by tourists.

Ven y deléitate con la historia y cultura de la hermosa ciudad de Santa Marta.

En este recorrido haremos un viaje en el tiempo  a través de los sucesos que marcaron los inicios de una ciudad entre la montaña y el mar, donde la diversidad permite que pescadores y cafeteros habiten en la misma ciudad. 



Aquí visitaremos

 

🗺️:LUGARES PRINCIPALES:

📍Museo del Oro Tayrona
📍Parque Simón Bolívar
📍Plaza San Francisco
📍Plaza de la Catedral 
📍Callejón del Correo 
📍Parque de los Novios 
📍Malecón de la bahía 
📍Palacio Tayrona 
📍Monumento en honor a Rodrigo de Bastidas  
📍Plazoleta de Jugos 


Te estaré esperando enfrente del Museo del Oro Tayrona. 

Enjoy your stay in Santa Marta walking through the streets of the Historic Center of the city with one of our local guides. Get ready to receive an incredible cultural and historical experience through the main emblematic places and monuments of the oldest city in Colombia.

 Before and after the tour you will enjoy unlimited water and coffee inside the Casa Marina and you can use the bathrooms and Wi-Fi at any time.

 ITINERARY

 This tour will be carried out through the Historic Center of the city of Santa Marta which begins at the meeting point in race 1c. No 22 - 19 - La Casa Marina (Casa de Murales) , once we are all together we will begin the route of this journey through time through the following destinations:

1. The ridge of the bay
 2. Bolivar Park
 3. San Francisco Square
 4. The Alley of the Cathedral
 5. The Cathedral Square
 6. Mail Alley
 7. Santander Park
 8. The San Juan de Dios Chapel

 Each of these places will make you travel back in time and awaken your imagination. After completing the route, we will return to the meeting point where this wonderful experience ends, which will enrich you with culture, history, and above all, it will awaken your imagination.

 IT INCLUDES

 - Tour guide
 - Medical Assistance Insurance

NOT INCLUDED

 - Services not mentioned

RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TOURIST

 - The use of masks or plugs is mandatory
 - Remember to use alcohol constantly
 - It is important to maintain physical distancing
 - The Free Tour has no cost, the tip for the guide is completely voluntary

ITEMS TO TAKE

 - Use sunblock
 - Bring water for hydration
 - Bring a parasol or umbrella to protect yourself from rain or sun
 - Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for walking

POLITICS

 - This tour can be canceled at any time you want, it does not have any collection penalty
 - The tour will take place only within the Historic Center
 - Groups may not exceed 10 people

 Meeting point: race 1c. No 22-19 - The Marina House. (House of Murals near the police)

Are you a lover of nature? In this bird watching activity in Minca, we'll take you to discover the amazing biodiversity of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

I am the head of the Explorambiente Foundation, located in the Barrio Pescaíto, on Calle 10 Madrid, a traditional sector very close to the bay, the historic center and the port of Santa Marta. Since 2019 we have started a project to recognize our identity with the participation of children, young people and neighbors. I invite you to have the experience of learning about the natural, cultural and historical riches of our neighborhood. With your contribution you will help finance our Explorambiente Foundation: a sea of ​​dreams! Follow our social networks and get to know our management: Facebook and Instagram @explorambiente.

I love letting tourists learn about our customs, captivating them with the history and current architectural beauty.
I love this city. Here you'll find so much history, you'll be captivated by its landscapes, the quality of its people, and its cuisine. I invite you to experience the city in a special way, immersed in its historical memory, present throughout our journey... Santa Marta, "the magic of having it all."