Steeped in history, Santa Marta is visual delight

Bindu Gopal Rao

Santa Marta, established in 1525 by the Spanish, is on the foot of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world’s highest coastal mountain range. Naturally, the city has a distinctive Spanish flavour, and is hot and humid through most of the year. Santa Marta is a bustling city that wears its heritage proudly. And the one name that you will hear and see almost everywhere is that of Simon Bolivar, the person who was responsible for the freedom of the country.

History beckons

The face of Santa Marta’s freedom struggle, Simon Bolivar was the person who drew up the Bolivian constitution. At the Plaza de la Cathedral, a busy square, you can see a large statue of Simon. This square incidentally dates back to the end of the 18th century when the Santa Marta Cathedral Church was completed under Governor Antonio Sampers’ administration. The square gained importance in the city’s urban dynamics and became the setting for proclamations by the King, religious celebrations, public theatre, military parades, political speeches, etc. The buildings around the square are of Colonial and Republican architecture and hold great historical value. The Town Hall building now houses the district council. The Cathedral has a beautiful white façade and the inside is expansive with stained glass windows and marble and wooden structures. A small diversion ahead is the Museo Del Oro Tairona Casa De la Aduana or the Customs House, where the Gold Museum is located. The two-storeyed house has an open courtyard and tells you a lot about the pottery and gold jewellery from this region’s indigenous and colonial past. A bustling market opposite the building is the place where many of the local tribes display colourful handicrafts, too.

Simon’s trail

To know more about Simon and Santa Marta, stop at the historic Casa Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino. This is where Simon lived towards the end of his life. The centennial collection here has a large number of trees that have existed for more than a century. The ornamental collection of plants here corresponds to a large group of plants that are grown and marketed for their attractive botanical attributes, including flowers, foliage, size or aroma. If you are lucky, you can spot several iguanas here — both male and female. There is a large variety of birds on the premises, too. So if you are an avian fan, you are in for a treat. You can sight parrots, yellow hooded blackbirds and kingfishers aplenty.

The main building has a small chapel, Simon’s bedroom, library, smoking room, dining room, kitchen, bakery and stable. The centennial room has several objects that were used on December 17, 1930, when Simon’s death was commemorated. You can also see the sugar mill, distilleries and cellar used to maintain and preserve the barrels of rum here. The premises also house the Bolivarian Museum of Contemporary Art. This is where you can see a display of art from the artists of Bolivarian countries like Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Bolivia. Apart from 120 paintings, sculptures and engravings in three permanent rooms, exhibitions of current artists and music and art related events are also held here. The coastal Caribbean area of Santa Marta has many more secrets to uncover and it is for you to take that first step to find out for yourself.

Santa Marta Checklist

• Take a Carribean beach break at Tayrona National Park
• Trek to the Lost City Ciudad Perdida, an archaeological site
• Scuba dive in Taganga, a fishing village on the border of Tayrona National Park
• Chill at the restaurants in Playa Blanca
• Party by the beach at El Rodadero with live music and beach bars
• Sample street food at the ocean promenade Avenida Bastidas