By someone who likes his water warm, his beer cold, and his truth with a little sand in it.
You don’t come to Santa Marta for luxury. You don’t come here for polished boardwalks or poolside waiters with cucumber water. You come for something real — a little raw, a little unpredictable, and wildly beautiful.
Santa Marta is old. It’s gritty in places. It’s also fringed with some of the most underrated beaches in the Caribbean. And if you’re smart — or lucky — you’ll find the rhythm between the heat, the water, the food, and the noise.
Here’s a beginner’s guide to navigating the beaches in and around Santa Marta, Colombia. For first-timers, backpackers, and even the reluctant beachgoer who thought he was “too old” or “too tired” to fall in love with a coastline again.
1. Playa Los Cocos – The Early Morning Truth
You’ll find it just outside the main city — a strip of sand between high-rise hotels and cargo ships out at sea. Sounds terrible, right? But come at 7 AM, when the light hits the sea just right, and the paddle board slips quietly into the water.
No tourists yet. Just fishermen pulling in the first net of the day. The sea is flat, like glass. You paddle out, and for a moment, it’s just you and the Caribbean.
Later, the wind picks up and the beach changes — louder, hotter, fuller. But in those first hours, Los Cocos is honest.
Don’t miss: Fresh juice and fried arepa de huevo from a vendor named Javier in a faded blue cart by the rocks.
2. Playa Blanca – So Pretty It Hurts
It takes a small boat to get there — sometimes overpacked, often loud, but always worth the trip. Playa Blanca is what you imagined when you booked your flight: white sand, turquoise water, palm trees bent just enough to frame your selfie.
It’s not untouched. There are beach shacks and hawkers and salsa beats drifting from someone’s Bluetooth speaker. But if you come midweek, early, you can claim a stretch of beach and just exist for a while.
Order the fried fish. Eat with your hands. Suck the lime. Drink the beer. Watch the pelicans dive like they own the place — because they do.
Avoid on weekends unless you enjoy crowds, noise, and watching someone try to DJ from a cooler.
3. Playa Taganga – Beautiful, Broken, and Alive
Taganga is like a cracked shell of what was once a quiet fishing village. It’s touristy, yes. Rough around the edges? Definitely. But if you scratch the surface — if you take a walk past the bars and head up the hill — you’ll find a place where locals still cast nets and kids still play soccer barefoot on the sand.
Come for the sunset. Taganga has some of the most brutally beautiful end-of-day light in South America. Grab a cheap beer and sit on the seawall. Watch the sky go from gold to blood-orange to purple.
It’s chaotic. It’s flawed. But it’s got soul.
Tip: Don’t expect peace and quiet here. But do expect life — raw and real.
4. Playa Rodadero – The Miami of Santa Marta (For Better or Worse)
High-rise hotels, jet skis, parasailing, families in matching hats. Rodadero is Santa Marta’s local getaway, especially on weekends. If you like your beach loud, fast, and full of fried food — welcome home.
But behind the noise, there’s a rhythm. The coconut rice is excellent. The people are generous. And there’s nothing quite like watching a multigenerational Colombian family take over a beach for the day — dancing, eating, splashing, and making memories.
Buy: Mango biche with salt and lime from a guy walking by shouting, “¡Mango! ¡Mango verde!”
5. Parque Tayrona – Paradise, If You Can Earn It
Now we’re talking. Tayrona is where Santa Marta shows off. Jungle meets ocean. Monkeys swing overhead. You hike through heat and dust and roots to reach beaches so surreal they barely seem real.
Cabo San Juan is the famous one — a double beach with a rock-top hut that’s been Instagrammed to death. But hike farther, and you’ll find quiet coves with nobody but you, the waves, and maybe a lizard or two.
Bring cash. Bring water. Bring shoes that can handle the trail. Leave your expectations at the gate.
You won’t forget it.
Final Thoughts – Come as You Are
Santa Marta doesn’t care about your itinerary. The sea will do what it wants. The heat will slow you down. You’ll lose track of time. That’s the point.
Skip the tours with microphones and packed lunches. Wake up early. Paddle at sunrise. Eat something that used to swim that morning. Fall asleep in a hammock you didn’t plan to lie in. Say yes to the weird invitation.
This isn’t Cartagena. It’s not polished. It’s real. And if you let it, Santa Marta will give you something you didn’t know you needed.
Stay curious. Stay salty. Don’t forget your sunscreen.
Want a full 3-day beach itinerary? Want to know where to get the coldest beer or the best paddle board tours? Ask me. I’ve got sand in my shoes and stories to share.
