Centro histórico Santa Marta — Local services in Santa Marta

I read some reviews on here and was a little worried about the safety of the neighbourhood. It is a little sketchy at night for sure but completely safe and vibrant during the day. Glad i was able to immerse myself in the daily life of a local for a couple days. The street juices were top notch. If you are a tourist then it’s completely safe between calle 14 to calle 30 which is a good distance as the police station is at like calle 20. Spent 6 hours walking around alone and taking in all the sights and sounds. I would go back to Santa Marta and would like to stay in...

WARNING: We’ve booked a Hotel VIP Tyrona (real name Castilletes) via the Santa Marta Trip, where foreign tourists are being robbed. Our money was taken from a private, locked room. Other couple (Argentinians) were robbed on the same day. Also, from a private, locked room. Staff are rude and cannot be trusted. SMT promised to get it sorted but did nothing.

Owner of the Santa Marta Trip threatened us with a lawsuit and said it might “harm our departure from Colombia” after I left a bad review. This is the way they conduct their business. Totally...

Just loved my time in Santa Marta. Less frenetic and showy than Cartagena and safer feel than Medellín or Bogota. Really liveable city on the Caribbean coast. The water desalination plant just outside town can make it a bit smelly and it’s a working port. Best to avoid the Calles closest to that area (1-12), especially at night. The historical centre is a charm of faded grandeur. Lots of beggars and homeless, the poverty is raw. Great food choices for...