Hilton Santa Marta

Santa Marta has a wealth of natural attractions that can be seen in its beaches, mountains, and rivers. But one of its main characteristics is the convoluted and fascinating past that the streets of the historic center of the city tell, a space where today you will find: culture, history, hotels, gastronomy and places of interest to party.

The Lost City, or Ciudad Perdida, is the archaeological site of an ancient indigenous city in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Believed to have been a commercial center for commerce around 700 AD, its population probably ranged from 1,400 to 3,000. Hidden in the jungle for over a thousand years, the Lost City was found in 1972 when treasure hunters followed a series of stone steps that led to an abandoned city. The Lost City is open to visitors, but the journey is not for the faint of heart. The nearly 30-mile trek takes visitors through farmland and jungle on an unforgettable six-day journey. Part of the adventure includes hiking over mountains full of exotic plants and animals, climbing stone paths through dense jungle, bathing in waterfalls, and sleeping in indigenous villages. The members of the local tribes, including the Arhuacos, Koguis and others, continue to maintain many of their ancestral beliefs and customs. They visited the site regularly before it was widely discovered and gave it the name Teyuna. This walk takes you through some of its villages where life has not changed for centuries.

A very popular place to visit in Santa Marta is Parque de Los Novios. It has some monuments in the middle, but the main attraction is the restaurants with outdoor seating. The park has fulfilled many functions throughout history. There was a military fortification there at the beginning of the 19th century followed by butcher shops and a public market from 1834 to 1881. It received its current name at the beginning of the 20th century because lovers gathered there every night to listen to the bands that played in the square. The park was officially named Parque Santander in 1960 after a monument to Francisco de Paula Santander was erected in the center. It currently houses several buildings of heritage value and is one of the gastronomic and tourist centers of the city.

Tayrona Park is one of the most important Natural Parks in Colombia and is undoubtedly a place for Contemplation and Rest. This spectacular Natural reserve has magnificent beaches with crystalline waters: Cinto, Concha, Playa Cristal, Chengue, Neguanje, Gayraca, Guachaquita, among others. In the same way you can enjoy other activities such as walks or Tours, snorkeling, diving and archeology from an ancient city of the Tayrona People.

This hacienda is where Simón Bolívar (The Liberator that gave independence to several American nations and the founder of Gran Colombia) spent his last days in 1830 before dying. The hacienda was owned by a Spanish supporter of Colombia's independence who invited Bolívar to stay and take a rest before his journey to exile in Europe, but Bolívar died before he could complete the journey. Several monuments have been built on the grounds in remembrance of Bolívar, the most imposing of which is a massive central structure called the Altar de la Patria, inside which a haughty Bolívar looks down. Just to the right of this is the Museo Bolivariano, which features works of art donated by Latin American artists, including those from Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, the countries liberated by Bolívar.

It is located in the north of Colombia on the Caribbean Coast, just 42 km from the beaches of Santa Marta, where tourists are lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. Thanks to the presence of the Colón and Bolívar snow-capped peaks (with 5,775 and 5,560 masl respectively), the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is the highest coastal mountain in the world. There lies the Ciudad Perdida archaeological park, known as Teyuna, the heart of the Tayrona civilization.