Santa Marta · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
The cheap base for Tayrona, Minca and the Ciudad Perdida trek — nobody comes for Santa Marta itself.
Centro Histórico or Taganga
The old centre around the Parque de los Novios holds most of the hostels; Taganga, a fishing bay fifteen minutes north, has the cheapest beds and dive schools.
What a day costs
About 85,000–160,000 pesos, roughly $21–40: a dorm 40,000–70,000, a menú 15,000–22,000, colectivos to Minca or Taganga under 10,000.
Colectivos from the market
Shared minibuses to Tayrona, Minca and Palomino leave from the public market on Calle 11 when full, all morning, for a few thousand pesos.
Free by day
The malecón at sunset, the Pozo Azul river pools above Minca, and the walk over the headland to Playa Grande from Taganga are all free.
Parque de los Novios
The pedestrian square in the old centre fills every evening with tables spilling out of the bars; the hostel crowd starts here before Calle 19.