Beachlife Santa Marta, Rodadero & Taganga

Beachlife Santa Marta revolves around three places Santa Marta, Taganga and Rodadero. Each beach has its charm. Visit one of them or all three if you have time!

*Looking for great place to stay in Santa Marta? Check out this post!

*Looking to escape the heat in North Colombia? Check out this post!

Beachlife Santa Marta

Santa Marta is the hub of most local beach traffic. It’s the easiest to get to for most of the locals and visitors alike. It’s a popular place to cool off during the day and busy with street vendors in the evenings.

Beachlife Rodadero

Rodadero is a short bus ride away from Santa Marta. Catch the local bus along Calle 22 labeled Rodadero. This is the Miami of Santa Marta. Complete with high rise buildings and fancier restaurants in comparison to Santa Marta’s beach.

From the right side of the beach you can catch transport to Playa Blanca. A very popular day trip beach accessed only by the sea. I didn’t visit myself but if I remember correctly the trip should cost you $20,000COP (~$7USD).

*Tip: To avoid the barrage of beach vendors and crowd head towards the left end of Rodadero. Everyone congregates towards the center and right hand side of the stretch.

Beach Massages $3

Beachlife Taganga

Taganga is without a doubt the bohemian/ hippy hub of beachlife Santa Marta region. It’s all good vibes and despite the crowd it still feels very relaxed. To arrive from Santa Marta take the local bus along Carrera 5. The main beach is small and you’ll struggle to get a spot to yourself.

Playa Grande

Just over the mountain peak to the right of Taganga. You can arrive by boat but I recommend walking the short trail at the end of the beach. The little bit of sweat will be rewarded with awesome views of the beaches down below and the Sierra Nevada in the background.

*Safety

Taganga is widely considered safe. But be aware that it’s been known for thieves to frequent the trail that takes you to Playa Grande after sunset. The best option following sunset is to catch the boat back to the main beach. It’ll cost you around $3,000COP ($1USD).

Playa Taganga

Taganga

Taganga

Playa Taganga

Trail from Taganga to Playa Grande

Playa Grande

Playa Grande

Afterthoughts

Having just around a month in Santa Marta gave me more than enough time to visit all three of the beaches. I’d have to say that my favorite is Playa Grande. Take the trail and I’m sure you’ll love the experience as well!

Rodadero is nice as well but is a bit overdeveloped for my own taste.

Santa Marta’s beach has the most epic sunsets in all of South America! It’s perfect for an evening stroll. With that said I’ll add that I don’t recommend Santa Marta for swimming. There’s a huge shipping port just to the right of the beach. Kind of gives me a gross feeling about swimming closeby.

Santa Marta Sunset

Santa Marta Sunset

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