Nature · Wellness
Minca day tour
The Sierra's coffee village: waterfalls, a coffee farm and bird and butterfly watching.
Full dayDifficulty: Moderate
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The gateway
Santa Marta
The oldest surviving city in Colombia, with the Sierra Nevada at its back and the airport almost everyone arrives through.
- Region:
- Magdalena
- From La Jorará:
- 62 km
Santa Marta was founded in 1525 and is the oldest city in Colombia to have survived without interruption. It sits wedged between the bay and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, which gives it a postcard that is hard to repeat: mountain behind, sea in front.
For most travellers it is a transit point: the Simón Bolívar airport is here, and this is where buses leave for Tayrona Park, Palomino and La Guajira, and where the 4x4s depart for El Mamey and the Lost City trek. Most people arrive, sleep one night and move on.
It is worth giving it a few hours. The historic centre is walkable, with the cathedral, the squares and a nightlife concentrated around the Parque de los Novios. The Tayrona Gold Museum, in the old Customs House, is the best introduction there is to the culture whose remains you will see later in the Sierra: visit it before going up to the Lost City, not after.
And there is the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, the estate where Simón Bolívar died in 1830, today a museum and botanical garden.
What to see and do
Tayrona Gold Museum
In the old Customs House, in the heart of the historic centre. It brings together goldwork, ceramics and objects of the Tayrona culture, and explains the link between that people and the Kogui, Wiwa and Arhuaco who live in the Sierra today. It is the context that makes the Lost City make sense.
Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino
The estate where Simón Bolívar died in 1830, preserved as a museum and surrounded by a botanical garden with enormous trees. It is the most visited historic site in the city.
The historic centre
Colonial streets, the cathedral, the Parque de los Novios and the seafront promenade along the bay. Walkable in an afternoon, and where the restaurants and nightlife are concentrated.
The starting point
Tours to Minca, to Tayrona Park, the Sierra bike tour and the 4x4s to El Mamey for the Lost City trek all leave from Santa Marta. It is the logistical hub of the whole region.
How to get there
- The Simón Bolívar airport receives direct flights from Bogotá, Medellín and other cities in the country.
- It is 75 km from La Jorará: one hour twenty minutes on the Troncal del Caribe.
- From Barranquilla it is about two hours by road; from Cartagena, about four.
- We arrange private transfers from the airport to the estate.
When to go
- December to March is the dry season and also the busiest.
- It is hot all year; the breeze from December to March makes it more bearable.
- December, January and Easter week are the peak occupancy periods across the whole region.
- If your trip is about beach and mountain, one night in Santa Marta on arrival or departure is usually enough.
What to know before you go
- It is a city you pass through, not the destination. What is worth seeing in the region is outside it: Tayrona, the Sierra, the rivers.
- Midday heat is intense and there is little shade downtown. Walk early or at dusk.
- The city beaches — El Rodadero, Taganga — are nothing like those in Tayrona. If you want virgin beach, keep heading east.
- The Gold Museum is best seen before going up into the Sierra, not after: it completely changes what you understand up there.
- It is the best place in the region to withdraw cash before continuing to Palomino or La Guajira, where cash machines are scarce.
Frequently asked questions
How many days should you stay in Santa Marta?
One night on arrival or departure is usually enough. The city can be seen in an afternoon: the historic centre, the Tayrona Gold Museum and the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino. The rest of your time is far better spent in the Sierra or on the coast.
How do I get from Santa Marta airport to the Sierra Nevada?
Along the Troncal del Caribe heading east. To La Jorará it is 75 km, one hour twenty minutes. There are frequent public buses along that road, and we arrange door-to-door private transfers if you would rather go straight there.
What we run here
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Nature · Culture · Active
Lost City trek
Four days of rainforest and 1,200 stone steps up to the Tayrona sacred city.
3 or 4 nightsDifficulty: Challenging
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Photo pending
Active · Nature
Sierra Nevada bike tour
Ride past rivers, beaches, waterfalls and villages between Tayrona and the Sierra.
5 to 7 hoursDifficulty: Moderate
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Nature · Culture
Tayrona Park: Cabo San Juan del Guía
The classic Tayrona hike to the most famous beach on the Colombian Caribbean.
Full dayDifficulty: Moderate
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Where to stay
See all places to stay
La Jorará Eco Hotel · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Casa del Mar
A cabin facing the Caribbean, with the sound of the sea in front and the Sierra Nevada behind.
Cabin1–4 guestsSea view
FromCOP 520,000per night
La Jorará Eco Hotel · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Dorado
A suite on the upper floor of Casa Verde, La Jorará's main house.
Suite2–4 guestsMountain view
FromCOP 438,000per night
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