Colombia is bordered by two bodies of water along the two coasts of the country. The Pacific Ocean hugs the west coast, but this region is sparsely populated due to its rugged terrain and tropical climate which brings some areas of this region over 300 inches of rain per year.
The Caribbean Sea embraces Colombia's northeastern coast, and early in its history, this became the major route for transporting goods back to Spain. Thus many important port cities developed, including the historic walled city of Cartagena that we visited during our first winter here back in 2019. While we enjoyed the historical aspects of Cartagena, we were less than enthralled with the hot, humid climate and the throngs of tourists and vendors.
Want a hand-crafted work of art?
We heard that there were more ''tranquilo'' cities to visit on Colombia's Caribbean coast ... so we recently went back to check out the area surrounding Santa Marta. There, with mountains on one side and beaches on the other, we found a perfect mix of jungle and surf.
Sí! Santa Marta is a Hiker's
and Beach Lover's Paradise!
During our winter visits to Medellín throughout the years, we've discovered that traveling to other Colombian cities is fairly inexpensive ... and Santa Marta was no different. The round trip airfare from Medellín was $71 for the two of us. Comfortable hotel rooms in Santa Marta ran about $23/night. Taxi and bus fares between the airports and various hotels and sight-seeing locations cost about $50 in total.
We're convinced ... Time to discover another one of Colombia's tropical paradises!
Santa Marta, the oldest city in Colombia, lies between the Caribbean coast and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range. Because of the close proximity of beaches, rainforest, and snow-capped mountains, this area draws many tourists looking to enjoy the many outdoor activities. Tayrona National Park, located just east of the city, is a large protected area of white sandy beaches and tropical jungles. Because it is only accessible by boat, horse, or hiking paths through the tropical forest, it attracts many adventure-loving backpackers. Doug did his research, but couldn't quite convince me to hike two+ hours through the hot and humid jungle and spend the night in a non-air conditioned tent or hut alongside the beach. Maybe next time.
Instead, I hit the jackpot when Doug found us a beautiful resort located to the east of Tayrona Park near the small pueblo of Palomino, Colombia. Coconuco Beach Resort was everything that I ever imagined a Caribbean beach resort to be.
Located a mile east of Palomino, the Coconuco staff gave us two days of pampering and relaxation.
These three colorful squawkers greeted us and made sure that we knew when the sun rose every morning. But I'll take that in place of Medellín's traffic noise any day!
Our bungalow room was a bit more luxurious then I imagine Tayrona's tents would have been. For $100/night, we enjoyed our own private paradise.
Ocean waves could be heard from our balcony, and the breezes coming off the distant Sierra Nevada mountains cooled us nicely.
In a place where the daytime temps reach into the 90s year round, the resort's pool was still quite ''refreshing'' even after sunset.
The views from the resort's restaurant were as scrumptious as their made-to-order meals. I swear the ingredients used to make the shrimp and coconut rice must have been harvested just before we ordered.
Yes, it was easy to get into a ''don't worry, be happy'' state of mind!
After two days of being beach bums, it was time to head back to Santa Marta to explore that city and the mountains that hug it to the south. And once again, the journey there was a big part of the adventure. The local bus from Palomino transported tourists, school children, farmers with their produce, and local residents with their dogs. What started out as an empty bus quickly became standing room only as we approached Santa Marta. The ''mother'' in me was a bit nervous at times watching the young school boys lean out of the open door while the bus was going down the narrow, bumpy road.
Everyone managed to get to their desired destinations in one piece. We then explored Colombia's oldest city for the next two days. Santa Marta is divided into three sections separated by mountains that rise up close to the coast. Our hotel was located in the historical district, so we were surrounded by picturesque architecture as we walked the few blocks from our hotel to one of the town squares, Parque de Los Novios. At the waterfront nearby, we were able to watch the fishermen bring in their nets just before the sun set on another warm Caribbean day.
From there, it was a short walk back to the active town square where many shops, bars and restaurants welcomed us for an evening of latino music and people-watching while we sipped on our fancy tropical drinks.
The next day we took a bus to explore Minca, a small pueblo an hour south of town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Minca is a popular destination for hikers and backpackers because of its many trails that meander through the bamboo forests,
... leading to many beautiful vistas and refreshing waterfalls.
Even the iguanas seemed to enjoy hanging out on the shady rocks near the swimming hole.
While Minca is a very touristy town, it is still possible to experience some of its traditional culture firsthand. While we sat in the town square, I saw some colorful and unique Colombian mochilas (handbags) being crafted by a woman of the indigenous Wayuu community. This artisan said (as best I understood) that it took her about eight days to make the bag that she was putting the finishing touches on. One could take it home directly from its creator for only $85,000 Colombian pesos (about $18).
Our five day trip to the Santa Marta coast was another great opportunity to experience the picturesque beauty that can be found all around Colombia.
Some of our favorite hiker and beach lover's memories include ...
Beautiful sunrises that reward the early risers ... not surprising to say that Doug didn't get in on this ''prize''.
Unique beach towns with open-air restaurants that ''warmly'' invite you to hang out while sipping a cool drink and watching the surfers.
Specialty restaurants in Santa Marta that take advantage of the abundant fresh seafood to give the visitor a break from the traditional ''menú del día''. This crab, shrimp, whitefish, and salmon sushi platter was AMAZING!
Of course, if you are craving the more ''typical'' food, there is always a local restaurant willing to serve you a breakfast of scrambled eggs, rice, plantains, juice, and hot soup for $2.15 or a menú del día lunch for $3.25 . Not sure I totally understand the reasoning behind eating soup when it's close to 90 degrees out, but it is always quite tasty.
Open air patios and gardens of the hostels and hotels that provide a quiet respite from the noise of the city streets. For a restful sleep, the air conditioned room is definitely a must. Just don't expect a hot shower ... the small ''luxuries'' of life that we often take for granted are definitely not the norm in this tropical paradise!
Fresh fruit juice ''Happy Hours'' ... maracuyá (passion fruit) is my new favorite!
Miles of tropical beaches that give us a hint that there may be even more beautiful areas to explore in Tayrona National Park.
We'll put that on our travel ''wish list'' for the next time!
With just two weeks left in Colombia, the sun is quickly setting on another amazing adventure,
... but with all the colorful people, places, and experiences, there's no doubt that we'll be back.
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