Friday, September 4, 2015

#travelpost - Santa Marta


We almost skipped over Santa Marta as it's most commonly known for being one of the uglier cities on the Carribbean Coast used only as a route to the havens that surround it but for two nights, we're glad we didn't.


Most travellers head straight to Taganga, the neighbouring hippy beach used mostly for parties, diving or both, and most Colombians head to the opposite much wealthier end, filled with hotels and yachts. For us, we stayed in the centre in the sister hostel to our Bogotá place, Masaya Santa Marta, just five minutes from the beach and surrounded by food stalls and markets. When I read about Santa Marta on blogs before we came I read time and time again that Santa Marta had lost it's charm and was a crumbling town... The crumbling was about right but I think it has some charm left up it's sleeve. Don't forget, it is the oldest remaining colonial city in Colombia and is said to be the place where Simon Bolivar, the leader of the Latin America’s independence from Spain, took his final breath.







We spent two nights here and we'd watched the best sunset we'd ever seen , help to collectively drink 5 bottles of aguardiente with strangers turned friends, ate great food for surprisingly cheap prices and soaked up the Carribbean heat in our rooftop pool that cost us just £8 a night. And don't forget, I finally bought a mochila... The dreamiest set of bags you'll ever see on a market stall. Por fin!






I can see why people would assume Santa Marta doesn't deserve a stop over when you use hearsay as your guide as people looking for parties and booze filled nights probably wouldn't make the most of what the old town has to offer but if you keep an open mind and give it a chance, you'll be pleasantly surprised just like us.






1 comment:

  1. Hi Aimee & Harry
    Anna & David here.
    Your Papa sent us a link to your blog.
    Fantastic photos and great blog. makes us feel envious.
    Keep enjoying it!!

    ReplyDelete