Beaches of Santa Marta
Discover the alternatives of this beautiful city
Tayrona Park
Tayrona National Natural Park is a Colombian national treasure. Its entrance is
Located 34 km from Santa Marta. There are a wide variety of tours that take you to the
visitors to different parts of the park. It is known for its beautiful beaches, fauna, and flora
diverse. There are strict regulations for visitors to ensure that the
park remains protected and free from human contamination.
Beaches
Discover the beaches that Santa Marta has for you.
Taganga Beach
Taganga is a wonderful beach area. Although it's quite small, it has many advantages. Fewer vendors, good restaurants and bars, and it's surrounded by hills. There's less wind, so the water is crystal-clear. Another advantage of this beach is that, being so close to Tayrona Park, it's an ideal spot for excursions like snorkeling and diving.
Rodadero Beach
It's the beach right in front of the town. It's an ideal beach, especially for families. There's a large boardwalk, many restaurants, bars, and beach stalls selling produce, drinks, and food like ceviche. During certain seasons, especially from January to mid-April, there can be strong winds.
Bahía Beach
Playa Bahía is literally the beach across from downtown Santa Marta. The main advantage of this beach is that it's very close for those staying in the Centro or Historic Center.
Cocos Beach
This beach is also close to the city center. However, it's actually the beach in front of some of the larger chain hotels, such as the Marriott Hotel. It's a nice, less crowded beach.
Puerto Gaira Beach
It's a favorite beach for many locals in Rodadero. It's the next beach west of Playa Rodadero and is a short walk or taxi ride from Playa Rodadero. The advantage is that it's a smaller, lesser-known beach, so it's usually less crowded and has fewer vendors. The sand is also perfect.
Salguero Beach
It is the next largest beach to the west and the last in Rodadero, technically located in Rodadero Sur. Playa Salguero is the longest of the Rodadero beaches. Families looking for a quiet vacation can rent beautiful apartments in one of Salguero's many spacious apartment buildings.
Bello Horizonte Beach
It is located between the airport and Rodadero. Many of the most well-known hotels and beach clubs are located here. Each has its own section of beach in front of it. Bello Horizonte also has a commercial area with several restaurants, shops, and cafes.
Inca Beach
Inca is located just east of Rodadero Beach. However, it is not accessible from Rodadero Beach. There are only two ways to get there. The most common method is by water taxi. The second, for those who enjoy hiking, is a trail on the edge of Rodadero Beach, at the eastern end of Carrera 5, which leads to the top of the mountain that protects Rodadero Beach.
Calderón Beach
It is connected to Inca Inca Beach and can be accessed by the same water taxi or the same land route that leads to Inca Inca.
Playa Blanca
It's the best-known beach accessible by water taxi. The sand is perfect, and the water has that Caribbean blue that everyone loves.
Santa Marta Bay
Just two blocks from the Historic Center is Santa Marta Bay. There's a wonderful boardwalk overlooking the beach, home to exercise machines, small shops, restaurants, and street vendors.
Beautiful Horizon
Bello Horizonte is a plaza with luxury shops, chain restaurants, and cafes that caters primarily to visitors staying along the stretch of beach between the airport and Rodadero.
Rodadero
Rodadero is perhaps the most popular area outside of Santa Marta. Rodadero is actually comprised of Rodadero, Rodadero Sur, and Playa Salguero, with beaches like Playa Rodadero, Playa Puerto Gaira, and Playa Salguero.
Taganga
Taganga is a small fishing village with a beautiful beach and some good beach bars and restaurants, as well as some places with dancing. It's an ideal place for a family day trip or an evening with friends to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and have a drink on the beach.
Minca
Minca is a small town, more of a hamlet, about an hour or an hour and a half away, depending on your starting point, in the Sierra Nevada. The town itself isn't worth visiting. It consists of two streets with shops, motorcycle and ATV rental companies, travel agencies, and a few hostels.
Palomino
Palomino Palomino is about a two-hour drive, depending on the starting point and traffic. Palomino is located in the department of La Guajira (Santa Marta is in Magdalena). The town itself offers a few restaurants and services for visitors. One of my favorite aspects of Palomino is the opportunity to rent tubes and float gently down the river for a couple of hours until you reach the ocean.
