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Published: November 24th 2013
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As you can see, my desire to write and start a new venture grows by the minute, and that I can´t drag myself away from this keyboard, as a result, I feel like writing and telling you about some of my latest destinations. This time, I will tell you about a beautiful coastal city, Santamarta, that is located at only 2 hours from Cartagena.
Santamarta tiene tren pero no tiene tranvía As a song by Los Wawanco goes: "Santa marta, Santamarta tiene tren, Santamarta tiene tren pero no tiene tranvía" it definitely reflects the reality of the city's old times, Santamarta has a train but no railway to ride on. I guess it also refers to the fact that Santamarta, being a capital a capital city, is not well developed as it should. A second line that goes: "Si no fuera por los trenes, caramba, Santamarta moriría" , a line that translates If it weren't for the trains, good heavens, Santamarta would die,
good heavens. I heard that those trains refer to the banana plantations as Santamarta did not have any other means to increase its economy.
Please if a Colombian happens to read this, feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
Then, no more trains…but lots of sun, sea and bars Me in the oldest South American city, oh yes
Well, what I can tell you is that even if it has no tramway, the city, founded in 1525 by Rodrigo de Bastidas, keeps welcoming thousands of tourists coming to enjoy the nice scenic beaches the city has to offer; on top of that, there was also the fact that the city is located among tropical forests that give the venues that little plus that makes it different from other coastal cities; indeed, it is such that Santamarta is popularly known as the park of the newlyweds, given the amount of lovers walking -hand in hand- past the Spanish remains; some of them say, it is like our favourite place for our yearly honeymoon, which, by the way, is not a bad idea to encourage to ease problems.
Once upon a time, prior and after the Spanish takeover…
Santamarta home to the Tayrona Park Regarding tourism, the city's
main attractions are the beaches, the lovely sunsets and the remains of the Tayrona culture. The Tayronas, an indigenous group descendants of the Chibcha family who after trying to ¨civilise¨with the Spanish, decided to emigrate to the surroundings of the Sierra Nevada de Santamarta. As a result, they inhabited this area through the VI and VII centuries.
Thanks to the care of anthropologists, we keep some of the the proof of their existence, such as ceramics and other crafts; amazingly, the Ciudad Perdida, where they dwelled for many years, was found by a group of looters and since then, the site has been protected by the national government.
Located one hour west from the city, the Tayrona park offers two lovely ecosystems between the mountain and the sea; you´ll find many people taking boat tours or camping there as it has become commonplace for foreigners, the park offers some famous beaches such as Bahía Concha, Cañaveral and Neguanje. The sad thing is that as there is no government control, some of the free areas, in Stamarta, have been replaced by buildings and some foreigners have built chalets which have actually jeopardised some of the
pristine views the coastal city had.
I heard this year that all the beaches in Santamarta have now become part of the government patrimony but as someone who has lived here for a long time, I know that that possession of land can change owners as soon as someone´s interests gets in their way, a shame that this is not protected in the way it should be, seriously.
Your fears should melt away… And let me tell you, you foreign tourist, that fear you experienced before about travelling to our country would´t make much sense now, it is safer; on top of that, Santamarta offers all the conveniences you might expect in any worldwide destination. And yet, I admit that the city is not that beautiful, if you are looking for a more colonial venue, you have the colonial Cartagena at only 2 hours from Santamarta.
Anyway, what you should bear in mind is that as it is a tourist place, expect prices to be more expensive than in any other resort, but it is worth the price as you will be surrounded by lovely beaches, you´ll
have all the place to relax by yourself or find a guide to tell you about every inch you step on. You can also rent your hammock and sleep away your fears.
The city's hotel infrastructure is quite good, a lovely temperature -just what you need for a coastal city- and the most pristine beaches you have ever seen, so you have the chance to spend the whole day getting suntanned and escape from your worries and boring routine.
The Rodadero This is the place to go if you are an insatiable beachgoer longing for a problem-free destination spot, and it is only located at only 5 minutes from the historical centre. A paradise, indeed with a lovely nightlife, oh, yes, the place is surrounded by plenty of restaurants, discos and bars. I have lovely souvenirs of having some beers on the beach at night; yeah, in Santamarta, the party continues the whole night, that is a lovely souvenir I have, music bands playing on the waterfront and you sitting there among friends dancing the cumbia or even trying to remember the lyrics of vallenatos by the Binomio de Oro and
Diomedes Diaz, drinking a couple of cold beers, that´s fantastic.
The only thing I would advice you is that the beaches during the day are not my favourite place if you intend to have a good read, here the venue is usually packed with all kinds of vendors, massagers, music, which unfortunately, will keep you from reading and even sleeping, noise, noise and…noise all day long; better idea is to go there and rent some tents and enjoy the beautiful views.
Or even worse, do not spoil your vacation dream if you are not very fond of crowded places, as in the high season (I would avoid December and January) as, apart from the fact that prices soar, the beaches get packed with lots of tourists from everywhere. In that case, it is your choice to try out other beaches like Taganga, the White Beach that are more quiet and pristine than the Rodadero or that it offers other activities such as water sports.
The Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino This is the place where our liberator Simon Bolivar spent his last days and died in 1830,
exactly three hundred and five years after Santamarta was founded. Located at La avenida del Libertador, the hacienda, which was owned by a Spaniard, is surrounded by beautiful trees for you to breathe good air. There, you can learn important details as I did when I visited the hacienda. As a matter of fact, while admiring his small bed, I learned that Bolivar was only 1.55 mtrs height and was also able to catch some of his thoughts and recreate his story while contemplating his belongings. There are also some displays and paintings for you to admire.
Culinary Offerings Being a multicultural city, Santamarta offers a wide range of dishes from around the world, there you have plenty of restaurants to know other regions of the planet while enjoying the lovely Colombian coast. Does lobster or arroz con coco sound good to you? well, here you´ll find the best. On top of that, foreigners always find Colombian food quite cheap so allow yourself having something luxurious and fresh, that you can afford it.
So, it is time for you to talk to your tour operator to buy a tour on the
Tayrona National Park or go by yourself and enjoy the lovely views of Santamarta´s beaches. Bear in mind about the time to go for you don´t want the prices to double, that can alter your desires of staying relaxed. In fact, I'll be fuming. But more for the construction of hotels and apartments near the beaches, let´s hope that there remains a bit of beach and water!
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