The Santa Marta region in northern Colombia has, within ninety minutes, the Caribbean, the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, a desert with plenty of desert, and a rainforest. The variety of birds is amazing, which is what enticed my sister to suggest this place for our trip. We arrived wondering “to find the birds,” but before that sentence could be finished, some birds jumped out and stole part of our breakfast.
The “Tower” is a beautiful viewpoint in Minca, a small town thirty minutes away from Santa Marta. You are standing in a high gazebo, surrounded by beautiful mountains, and watching various birds pass by. The host family does not even charge you for drinking water. Until recently, Minca was a “no-go” area, ruled by drug lords and rebels. Now there is a peaceful agreement that brings in money, that stops all the violence. British women visit and order avocado toast, before starting their birding tour.
My sister has seen a lot of “life savers” on this trip, which are birds she has never seen before. For me they are almost saviors, except for pigeons.
You can take a few hours boat ride to see the village in the mountains, Pueblo Palafito. The area supports about 1000 people, all of whom use water taxis to get around and mostly work as fishermen. It’s nowhere near anything else, and their energy source is solar, thanks to a gift from the Italian government. This was the highlight of the trip. I am told that families there are usually between five children, and the schools were full of enthusiastic young people. This video is the best, you don’t need to understand Spanish.
In the city of Santa Marta there are two (!) separate monuments to the 1958 Smith-Corona typewriter, both at major intersections. It is intended to commemorate the most famous writer in the area, Gabriel García Márquez.
The country’s economy is heavily dependent on coal exports, but overall it feels busy and reasonably successful.
The best foods are sea animals, above all fish and shrimp, in addition to coconut rice and various types of plantains. You can eat very well here but I would not deviate from the basic strength of the place. Maracuya juice is always good. I don’t often order desserts, but here they are always interesting and original, usually using honey, or sometimes waffles.
I would highly recommend the Marriott hotel there, the one on the beach. It’s $800 a night for a quality place, with direct access to the beach, but by far, the lowest prices. And you end up with the beach and three swimming pools all to yourself. (Where is everyone?) Throughout the trip, and at the hotel, security levels are good.
This is what the Caribbean should be, but rarely is. Visiting Santa Marta, as an adventure, is far ahead of the more popular sea tourism. From Virginia I can fly to Colombia in about five hours, then Santa Marta from Bogotá is just an additional 90 minute flight.
It is a common trope that genetic influences on individual behavior strengthen as people age. If you take a trip with your sibling, you will see further proof that this is true.
I rarely get on a plane for reasons that don’t have working parts. That said, it’s also easy to get work done here.
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