# Things to Do in Santa Marta, Colombia: Walking Guide **Things to do in Santa Marta** Santa Marta, Colombia’s oldest Caribbean city, combines colonial landmarks, museums, and coastal sites that give visitors a rich sense of the region’s history and natural life. Neywo offers a free audio guide for Santa Marta with 10 narrated places, available in 11 languages, so you can explore each spot at your own pace. ## Explore Santa Marta’s highlights ### Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino This historic hacienda on the outskirts of the city dates back to 1608 and is best known as the place where Simón Bolívar spent his final days, passing away on December 17, 1830. The site now houses a contemporary art museum, a botanical garden, the Altar of the Patria, and the preserved colonial buildings of the original plantation that once produced rum, molasses and panela. ### Museo Bolivariano de Arte Contemporáneo Located in Santa Marta, this museum focuses on contemporary art and is part of the cultural offerings at the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino complex. ### Rodadero Sea Aquarium and Museum A public aquarium and maritime museum, it features thirteen pools directly connected to the sea and fifteen glass aquaria holding more than eight hundred animals such as sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, sea lions, crustaceans, fish and seabirds. Opened in 1965 by Captain Francisco Ospina Navia, ninety‑eight percent of the displayed species are native to the local Caribbean waters, and the museum also presents an exhibition on the pre‑Columbian Tairona culture and its relationship with the sea. Visitors usually reach the site by motorboat because it is mainly accessible from the water. ### Cathedral of Santa Marta Situated in the historic centre, this Renaissance‑style basilica is known locally as the Basílica de Santa Marta. It holds the distinction of being the first church erected under ecclesiastical jurisdiction in all of South America and served as the temporary resting place for Simón Bolívar’s remains for twelve years during the 19th century. ### Castillo de San Fernando The castle is located in Santa Marta, though the source notes provide no further details about its structure or history. ### Museo de Oro Tairona Also called the Gold Museum, this regional treasure is housed in the Casa de la Aduana, a two‑story colonial building erected in 1730 and declared a National Monument of Colombia in 1970. Its tower once overlooked the port, allowing observers to watch ships arrive and cargo being loaded. The building served as the resting place for Simón Bolívar’s body in December 1830 and has been known by names such as Palacio Verde and the Colonial Hotel. A short walk away lies the Tayrona Gold Museum, which displays the glittering legacy of the region’s indigenous peoples. ### Mundo Marino This attraction is located in Santa Marta; the source does not give additional specifics. ### Centro Internacional del Rodadero As you arrive in Santa Marta, you will find the Centro Internacional del Rodadero waiting to be explored, though no further details are provided. ### Templete de Santander The source identifies this as a monument in Santa Marta without elaborating on its features. ### Teatro Santa Marta A historic theatre in the heart of the city, it contributes to Santa Marta’s cultural life, though the source offers no extra information. ## Experience the city with Neywo Neywo’s Santa Marta collection includes one walking tour: “Cathedral of Santa Marta & Museo del Oro.” The route covers 0.93 km, takes about 33 minutes and stops at four locations—Teatro Santa Marta, the Cathedral of Santa Marta, the Templete de Santander and the Museo del Oro. As you walk, the app plays the story of each place exactly when you reach it, letting you go at your own pace with no group and no schedule. The narration is available in 11 languages, and the entire audio guide is free to download. If you enjoyed learning about Santa Marta’s highlights, you might also want to explore nearby destinations such as [Bogotá](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/bogota.md) or [Cartagena](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/cartagena.md), or learn more about the country on the [Colombia](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia.md) page. Happy travels! ## Places with an audio guide in Santa Marta 5 places in Santa Marta with a Neywo audio guide. Each one starts telling its story as you reach it. - Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino - Rodadero Sea Aquarium and Museum - Cathedral of Santa Marta - Museo del Oro - Teatro Santa Marta ## Self-guided tours in Santa Marta 1 tour in Santa Marta, free in the Neywo app. Each stop tells its story as you reach it. - [Cathedral of Santa Marta & Museo del Oro](https://app.neywo.com/tours/santa-marta/cathedral-of-santa-marta-museo-del-oro?lang=en) — Walk, 0.9 km · 33 min · 4 stops: Teatro Santa Marta, Cathedral of Santa Marta, Templete de Santander, Museo del Oro ## Walk Santa Marta with Neywo Neywo turns Santa Marta into a self-guided audio tour. Stories arrive as you reach the place they belong to, and the route reshapes when you wander off it. ## More in Colombia - [Villa de Leyva](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/villa-de-leyva.md) - [Armenia](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/armenia.md) - [Bogotá](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/bogota.md) - [Cali](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/cali.md) - [Cartagena](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/cartagena.md) - [Manizales](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/manizales.md) - [Palomino](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/palomino.md) - [Salento](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/salento.md) - [San Andrés](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/san-andres.md) - [Santa Cruz de Mompox](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/santa-cruz-de-mompox.md) ## Elsewhere in Colombia - [Guatapé](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/antioquia/guatape.md) — Antioquia - [Jardín](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/antioquia/jardin.md) — Antioquia - [Jericó](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/antioquia/jerico.md) — Antioquia - [Medellín](https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/antioquia/medellin.md) — Antioquia --- HTML: https://neywo.com/destinations/colombia/santa-marta App: https://app.neywo.com Español: https://neywo.com/es/destinations/colombia/santa-marta.md Français: https://neywo.com/fr/destinations/colombia/santa-marta.md Deutsch: https://neywo.com/de/destinations/colombia/santa-marta.md