Dear friends,
There have been two heartbreaking news stories this week that we feel compelled to acknowledge:
- We are disturbed to hear about the Lunar New Year mass shooting in Monterey Park, California. Lunar New Year is a huge holiday for many of the countries we visited in Southeast Asia, and while this American tragedy is certainly a long way from those places, it still makes us stop and pray for the safety of our friends both near and far.
- We are also heartbroken to hear that Machu Picchu, Peru, has closed indefinitely to tourists due to the ongoing and worsening civil unrest. We are sad about the wildly negative impact this will have on our friends in Ollantaytambo, Peru. Peru was Perry’s favorite stop in South America, and it is with heavy hearts that we have to tell you not to travel there right now.
There isn’t a good segue between either of these items and our travels in Colombia. I guess if we wait for the world to be perfect, we won’t ever get to travel at all.
Perry’s Travel Diary
How to get from Cartagena to Santa Marta, Colombia
We decided to continue our Colombia explorations by continuing along the Carribean coast, a common tourist path, and into the Colombian rainforest. Our target was the area around Parque Tayrona.
Turns out, it’s really easy to make this journey by shuttle bus.
You have two options to travel from Cartagena to Santa Marta: Berlinas or Marsol. We used Berlinas for our outbound journey since its terminal was so conveniently located near our hotel in the Marbella area of Cartagena. There’s no need to buy tickets in advance – just show up. (Even if you want to buy them in advance, we could not find a functional website to do so.)
Shuttle vans leave at least once an hour if not more frequently based on demand. The journey to Santa Marta will take 4.5-5 hours, and tickets were something like 60,000-80,000 COP per person. We were told before arriving they only take cash, but credit card machines were definitely present. Your mileage may vary.
Berlinas drops you off at their station outside of Santa Marta’s main tourist area. We shared a taxi from the Berlinasur station to the Cootransoriente local bus station with another traveler who was fluent in both Spanish and English, thank the good lord.
On the return trip, our hotel in Santa Marta arranged to have the Marsol shuttle bus pick us up from their lobby and drop us off at the Barranquilla station. Marsol’s vans are almost identical to Berlinasur’s, but the pickup service was well worth the extra couple of dollars.
You can find more information about the route between Cartagena and Santa Marta here.
Once you arrive in Santa Marta, you’ll take the local bus, Cootransoriente, towards Palomino to reach the hotels around the park entrance. A one-way ticket was ~14,000 COP per adult and the journey is about one hour. The bus is available during business hours until 5:00 PM. Taxis can also be arranged by your hotel.
Pete’s Travel Diary
An Efficiently Chaotic Good Time
The only words that come to mind regarding the local bus system in and around the city of Santa Marta would be an “efficiently chaotic good time”. We hopped on a bus in Santa Marta to hitch a ride up into the jungle where our bed and breakfast lay in wait. The bus station is absolute chaos with people selling wares (it’s across the street from the local market), attempting to carry your luggage to their taxi or to the bus to secure a passenger (be mindful of your luggage at all times), and one gentleman selling good-sized chunks of banana bread that you would be wise to purchase (only 5,000 Colombian Pesos – and seriously, try it. Delicious stuff.).
The buses run constantly and if you are at a bus stop, or sometimes just on the side of the road, the buses will stop on a dime if you flag them down. You tell them your destination and hop on board, and then they walk along the aisle to collect a reasonable bus fare. The buses will occasionally stop to pick up folks selling drinks and snacks to customers before dumping the snack purveyors at the next stop.
We arrived at our destination and the bus stopped directly across the street from its door. The porter pointed to our bed and breakfast: Eco Hostal Yuluka.
Yuluka is possibly the best budget hotel we’ve stayed at to date. We had a charming stand-alone cabin with an ensuite bathroom that included a large bathtub, a television with Netflix, and an adorable front porch complete with a hammock. The property also includes an on-site restaurant and pool with a slide. It’s truly the perfect little jungle retreat.
Exploring the Rainforest: Quebrada Valencia
When we checked in, we learned that Parque Tayrona was closed for the duration of our visit. While unfortunate, this closure allows indigenous peoples to conduct cultural practices without being disturbed. We thought that the closures only occurred annually from January 28th through February 28th, as described in various travel guides, but closures may occur at other times of the year as necessary. (We visited in late October.) We suggest checking the Colombian National Parks’ official website before your trip (unlike us).
Nevertheless, we had an adventure… a rather epic adventure with jungle rivers, waterfalls, and new challenges for both of us. Needless to say, we arrived back to our lodgings cold, wet, and tracking in mud and twigs.
Quebrada Valencia, a site with notable waterfalls, can only be accessed by foot, a poorly marked trail entrance, and by wading across a river multiple times along a winding jungle trek. You’ll want water shoes, flip flops, or sandals that can get wet to pursue this quasi-aquatic adventure. After a fairly delightful midday walks through jungle streams, we arrived at our destination – a sight that cannot be wholly captured by film or phone. The falls trickle and jet down the sides of rocky crags and boulders that compose the mountainside. Water forms deep pools in multiple locations allowing for multitudes of swimming and lounging opportunities within nature’s oasis.
We ourselves picnicked on the sandy beach next to the largest pool and observed the scenery. We were attended by a local dog who had likely had pups recently. She had a small tick on her lower eyelid but was too disagreeable to allow me to remove it with my fingers intact. Something in the dog’s eyes suggested it was her tick and I wasn’t allowed to have it, and so it stayed. She instead enjoyed pets and attention that did not pertain to the tick as she closely monitored Perry’s sandwich for defects.
Not Just Any Storm
Something in the air changed and at the first wisp of cloud, we instinctively packed up and began the trek back. What began as a wisp quickly became a trickle of rain, then more rapidly a downpour, and soon after became a torrent. Was this to be our first tangle with a monsoon? The trail soon became a river that forged a hell of its own and the river we had previously crossed raised an entire foot with the added rainfall. Our rain slickers, while effective in moderate rainfall, were helpless in what was akin to being submerged by rain without swimming. Thunder crashed loudly, suddenly, through the forest and we felt the need to pick up the pace a little more.
We shortened the distance between ourselves and a small group of older tourists attempting to cross the now-deepened river. The gentleman nearest to me stumbled into the river and I helped pull him back to his feet. Unable to hear over the rain, we all nodded in understanding before setting off again. We pushed hard for the rest of the trek, cold and wet, back to the bus stop.
The weather here changes on a dime with dramatic results. Bring a rain poncho and water shoes, and perhaps leave the waterfalls before that wisp of cloud can arrive overhead. What follows is abrasive and shocking. Even having been on dives in the ocean, I don’t believe I have ever felt wetter than this very moment. It took a full day with a ceiling fan to dry out our clothes and belongings (see below regarding our tip of the week).
The storm was so large that it knocked out electricity to the village. Our hotel had a backup generator for the kitchen and guest room lights, but we spent our last night without air conditioning or wifi. This just felt like a fun part of the experience. If not for this minor inconvenience, we probably would have asked about staying another night, as there are many more natural wonders to explore in the area.
Perry’s Travel Diary
Santa Marta
While we were still damp from the previous day’s monsoon, we arrived back in Santa Marta for our final three days in Colombia.
Santa Marta is a colorful and gorgeous city, much like Cartagena. And I’m not just talking about the buildings. We walked from our hotel to the shoreline our first night and were greeted by one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen in a long time.
It was so great that I returned with my better camera the following night.
This area along the shoreline was clearly targeting tourists, with a large park, tchotchke stands, and a variety of restaurants. There were throngs of people out walking… and there were also throngs of police officers.
Santa Marta, a port town, has a troubled history that includes drug smuggling among other issues. Today, tourists primarily need to be concerned about petty theft (read: don’t wave your phone around and take standard pickpocketing precautions). I appreciated the police presence, but I have to admit that I felt increasingly unsafe the more officers that I saw, which is likely the opposite of their intentions.
On our last full day in Santa Marta, we received a notification from STEP (the Smart Travelers Enrollment Program offered by the US Department of State) that protests were planned that day for several Colombian cities. It wasn’t the first warning we’d received about Colombian protests during our trip, nor would it be the last during our South American adventures. Santa Marta wasn’t included in the list of cities where protests were planned. Nonetheless, as we ate breakfast that morning, we heard the sounds of gunshots – and then just as quickly, the sounds of church bells ringing.
We decided it would be a great day to hang out in our hotel room and book our future travels.
We never did find out if the disturbance was related or unrelated to STEP’s warning. When we ventured out for dinner, all was normal… until we got mixed up on our walk home. We turned onto a street that took us past what appeared to be an abandoned building, but it had a large and imposing gentleman standing at its front door. We’ll let you read between the lines. We took care not to walk that way again.
So as much as I wanted to love the colorful (truly colorful and beautiful!) restaurants and shops in Santa Marta, I can’t say we would come here again. It was too far from the edge of our comfort zone. Other travelers recommend the beach in Rodadero, just south of Santa Marta, and the jungle town of Minca as alternative options.
Pete’s Travel Diary
Booger-Sugar Prison Blues
The locals of Colombia are heavily invested in changing the image of their once controversial nation under the thumb of drug lords, towards one of natural beauty, coffee exportation, and growth in the tourism industry. They do not care to be asked about the infamous Pablo Escobar and seemingly have the desire to wipe the criminal tyrant from their history books entirely – so much so that there are harsh and brutal punishments for those caught breaking laws regarding the drug trade (though this still does not stop many tourists from partaking). One of the local newspapers during our stay noted quite proudly the death of a drug dealer at the hands of law enforcement and the resulting disruption of a local drug ring.
We spoke to one gentleman, an American who has spent a lot of his retired years exploring South America, later on in our travels. He was a wealth of information and is a large part of the reason we remained safe when in Peru as chaos unfolded around us. (Bob, if you are out there, we thank you.)
Our friend reports that when he is in the area, he occasionally stops in at one of the jails in Colombia (or possibly Ecuador, I was busy scribbling travel tips and admittedly didn’t catch all of the details of this tale) where an idiot tourist he had met has been for the better part of 10 years for attempting to take cocaine across a border. He noted in some detail that the conditions in just about any South American prison are crude, unsanitary, and unforgiving. “You don’t want to land yourself in the prisons down here over something stupid like drugs and cocaine,” he remarked.
Word is that drugs and illicit substances are abundantly available in most regions of South America and Colombia, but the ultimate takeaway is to go for the coffee, not the coke.
Itinerary
Hotel
- Eco Hostal Yuluka ($47/night for a private ensuite cabin, breakfast included) – Everything you could hope for in a budget hotel and hostel. In addition to the features I mentioned above, there is also a free washer for guests… but the only dryer is a clothesline, which doesn’t work in a rainstorm. And there’s a dog on-site! Helpful staff, too. Highly recommend.
- Masaya Santa Marta ($33/night for a private ensuite room, breakfast included) – Cute and colorful budget hotel and hostel. There are two swimming pools and an on-site kitchen for guests. I will note that while this is described as the quieter of the top two hostels in Santa Marta, it really isn’t that quiet. There was live music or a DJ every night that we could hear clear as day in our room – but it was good music and they wrapped it up by 10:00 PM. Breakfast was fantastic!
Food
Look, the food in Colombia is fantastic almost anywhere. Try the local dishes whenever you can!
Parque Tayrona
We ate all our meals at our hotel. It was tasty, typical Colombian food, including ceviche (the best!) and entrees with fish or meat, fried plantains, rice, and veggies. The menu also included burgers and pasta.
There are a few other small restaurants along the main highway that you can walk to. The area is remote; don’t expect anything fancy. Food delivery is not available.
Santa Marta
- Carmen de Bolivar Afro – The fanciest restaurant on this list. Great food. I tried the fish of the day – fresh and delicious.
- La Muzzeria – Very colorfully decorated place for pizza, paella, and other foods. I took issue with their “antique” decor behind the bar, which included the Ikea desk lamp from my childhood desk and other early-2000s items.
- El Mexican Santa Marta – Delicious Mexican food, but we thought the portions were a bit small for the price. They have a cute cat named Gordita.
- Masaya – Our hotel offered a lunch and dinner menu for reasonable prices. We ate hefty sandwiches for lunch.
- Rappi works well for food delivery. We used Rappi to sample arepas, a traditional Colombian food. Arepas are a corn flour cake that’s kind of like a cross between a pancake and a tortilla, split open and stuffed with a filling. Our dinner arepas were filled with shredded meat, cheese, and sauces. Delicious! (Arepas can often be purchased from street carts if you have the stomach for street food.)
Transportation
Buses
- Berlinas – We’ve linked to its location on Google Maps. You can’t buy Cartagena – Santa Marta tickets online, but there’s no need to. Note that the bus does stop in Barranquilla while in route.
- Marsol – We recommend booking through your hotel to ensure that your pickup time and location is correct, but you can also book through that link to Bookaway.
- Cootransoriente – The local bus to Palomino, including stops at Parque Tayrona and Quebrada Valencia. It’s used by locals and tourists alike – you’ll travel alongside schoolkids, elderly women with trays full of arepas, and backpackers galore.
Once in Santa Marta, we walked everywhere. You can arrange a taxi through your hotel or Uber if you need one.
Airport
Santa Marta does have its own airport, but it’s smaller and doesn’t have as many flight options as Barranquilla or Cartagena. As a result, we chose to spend one night in Barranquilla and fly out from there.
Currency
Colombia uses the Colombian Peso. We withdrew pesos using the ATM at Cartagena Airport, which is located in the departure hall. At the time of our visit, security guards were only allowing those with departure tickets into the hall (presumably due to COVID-19), but if you ask for the ATM they will let you in.
Make sure to withdraw all the cash you need for your trip – or at least until you’re in another major city. The small jungle towns, like Parque Tayrona and Minca, may not have ATMs.
Pete’s Travel Tip of the Week
Paracord
By carrying a good length of paracord in my bag, I was able to quickly construct a simple clothesline in our hotel rooms for more effective drying of our clothes and belongings after we got stuck in that monsoon. Paracord is affordable and abundant at any outdoor sporting outlet or online.
While traveling in South America there was seldom a dryer available, so air-drying clothes became the norm for us. While they make travel clotheslines, paracord is handy for cobbling together broken luggage and hundreds of additional uses, making it a much more versatile item to carry in your limited suitcase space. I would also recommend carrying some with you if you go camping or hiking, as it can be employed for hanging food, constructing a shelter, makeshift snowshoes, and anything else you can think of.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, we’d love it if you would share us with your friends.
All our love,
Pete and Perry