The library that smells of salt: what is read and who writes in Santa Marta beyond the beach

Santa Marta is read too: a city of letters between the sea and the mountains

There is a scene that repeats itself every afternoon in the historic center of Santa Marta: someone sits on the steps of the Plaza de la Catedral with a book in hand, the sun falls on the paper and the salty air turns the pages before they finish the paragraph. That image says a lot about a city that tourists rarely look for and that locals know well: here reading is not an isolated gesture, it is a neighborhood habit, a mealtime habit, a conversation that stretches on.

The Biblioteca Pública Gabriel García Márquez, part of the Red Cultural del Banco de la República, is the heart of that reading life. There, more than 30,000 volumes coexist on open shelves, along with reading rooms, workshops and a cultural program that runs all year long. A few blocks away, the Universidad del Magdalena holds up another leg of the table with its literature programs, its student journals and its writers' gatherings. And in between, small bookstores, reading clubs and fairs that appear and disappear according to the calendar.

In this verified Malokal guide you will find updated prices for workshops and activities; use the interactive cards for each place on malokal.com to check the safe map by neighborhood (Locals vs. Foreigners), live holiday hours and book directly via WhatsApp. The data you will see here corresponds to October 2026, when the city enters the rainy season and cultural life takes refuge in the reading rooms.

From colonial chronicle to contemporary poetry: a history of letters

Santa Marta is the oldest city in Colombia —founded in 1525— and that means it has spent five centuries accumulating texts about itself. The chronicles of the conquest, the diaries of nineteenth-century travelers, the reports of the Comisión Corográfica and, later, twentieth-century narrative shaped an imaginary in which the city always appears as a place of passage, of heat and of frontier. That condition of port and border has also marked its writers.

The biggest name associated with the city is, inevitably, Gabriel García Márquez. Although he was born in Aracataca and lived much of his life elsewhere, his relationship with Santa Marta was constant: here he studied at the Liceo Celedón, here he returned many times, and here he is buried. The public library that bears his name is not a decorative gesture: it is a real cultural infrastructure, with a collection, programming and users who frequent it daily.

But reducing Santa Marta literature to García Márquez would be a mistake. There is a generation of writers who work from the city, who publish with independent presses, who run workshops and who participate in festivals. It is not a massive circuit —readers recognize each other in the same cafés and the same readings— but it has a constancy that shows: it moves mainly around three nodes, the university, the library and the bookstores of the center.

What to do: the spaces where the city writes and reads

Biblioteca Pública Gabriel García Márquez

Entering this library is understanding how the intellectual life of Santa Marta works. It is in the historic center, a few blocks from the Catedral, and its collection exceeds 30,000 volumes organized on open shelves: you can take a book, sit at one of the long tables and stay there all afternoon without anyone rushing you. The general room is bright, with air conditioning that is welcome on October afternoons, and it has a newspaper archive with local and national press.

What distinguishes this library is not only its collection but its programming. There are creative writing workshops, reading clubs for children and adults, book presentations, film series and talks with authors. Many of these activities are free and open to the public, although some require prior registration. The schedule changes month to month, so it is worth checking the social media of the Red Cultural del Banco de la República or asking directly at the reception. The space also has a well-stocked children's room, which is useful if you are traveling with children and need a cultural break between beach and beach.

A detail that few visitors take advantage of: the library has access to databases and digital resources that you can consult in the room. If you are a researcher, student or simply curious, the library staff is friendly and knows the local collection well.

Universidad del Magdalena

The campus of the Universidad del Magdalena, in the El Jardín area, is another entry point to the literary life of the city. The university has undergraduate and graduate programs in humanities and social sciences, and its students and professors sustain constant activity: literary journals, writers' gatherings, open workshops and academic publications that sometimes transcend the university circuit.

The university also organizes events open to the public, such as book fairs, poetry series and lectures. It is not always easy to find out if you are not inside the circuit, but it is worth following the social media of the faculty of humanities or asking at the campus's central library. If you are interested in knowing what is being written in the city right now, this is one of the best places to start: here first-semester students coexist with professors who have been publishing for years, and that mix is felt in the workshops.

Bookstores of the historic center

The center of Santa Marta has several small bookstores that survive among commerce and tourism. They are not big chains but family businesses, with shelves that mix school texts, pocket novels, books on local history and the occasional out-of-print gem. Walking along Carrera 3 and its surrounding streets is the best way to find them: there is no fixed map because they open and close according to the season, but those that have been in the same place for years tend to be near the Plaza de la Catedral and the Parque de los Novios.

In these bookstores you can find books by local authors that are not in the big chains: poetry, chronicle, historical essay on the Magdalena. If you are looking for a souvenir that is not a fridge magnet, this is the place. Prices vary a lot depending on the title and the edition, but they tend to be cheaper than in chain bookstores in big cities.

Where to eat or drink: reading also makes you hungry

The literary life of Santa Marta does not only happen in libraries and classrooms. It also happens at the tables of the cafés in the center, where reading clubs meet once a month and where local writers write their drafts between cups. The Parque de los Novios and its surroundings concentrate several cafés with large tables and wifi, although the noise of the night can be a problem if you are looking for concentration. For that, the morning hours are better.

The Plaza de la Catedral and its surrounding streets have quieter cafeterias, some with books on the walls and low music. They are ideal for reading or writing during the day. Prices for a café con leche are around $6,000–$10,000 COP, and a full breakfast can cost between $15,000 and $25,000 COP. These are reference prices from October 2026 and may vary.

If what you are looking for is a place for a long literary conversation, the restaurants of the historic center with street tables work well after 6 p.m., when the heat drops. The gastronomic offer of the center is varied and ranges from seafood to author cuisine, with prices ranging between $25,000 and $60,000 COP per main course, depending on the place. It is recommended to check hours before visiting, especially in low season.

How to get there and transportation

The Biblioteca Pública Gabriel García Márquez is in the historic center of Santa Marta, in a walkable area from most of the hotels and hostels in the sector. If you come from El Rodadero or from the Bello Horizonte area, the most practical thing is to take a taxi or a moto-taxi to the center; the trip can take between 15 and 25 minutes depending on traffic. Taxis do not use meters in Santa Marta, so it is worth agreeing on the price before getting in. As a reference, a trip from El Rodadero to the center usually costs between $20,000 and $30,000 COP by taxi, although the price is negotiable and varies according to the time.

Local public transportation includes buses and minibuses that connect the center with the peripheral neighborhoods and with El Rodadero. They are cheap but can be slow and crowded at peak hours. To move within the historic center, walking is the best option: distances are short and the climate, although hot, is better handled on foot than waiting for a bus.

The Universidad del Magdalena is in the El Jardín area, a little further north of the center. You can get there by taxi from the center in about 10–15 minutes, or by bus if you take a route that passes along Avenida del Ferrocarril. If you go by your own car, the campus has parking, although at class times it can fill up quickly.

Local tips: how to get into the Santa Marta literary scene

• Ask at the library for the month's schedule. The cultural programming changes constantly and is not always well publicized on social media. The reception staff usually has the updated calendar and can tell you which workshops have space.
• Reading clubs are open, but you have to register. Some meet in the library, others in cafés in the center. If you are interested in participating, ask directly or check the university's bulletin boards.
• Buy books by local authors in the bookstores of the center, not in the chains. It is the best way to support the scene and to take home something you won't find elsewhere.
• October is the rainy season. If you plan to walk between the library and the bookstores, bring an umbrella or a raincoat. Afternoons usually clear up after the rains, so the nighttime reading plan works well.
• Don't expect a permanent book fair. Santa Marta does not have a stable book fair like other cities, but it does have specific events throughout the year. If you come during festival season, ask at the library or the university about open activities.
• The heat is real. Libraries and cafés with air conditioning are necessary refuges between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Take advantage of those hours to read and leave the walks for early morning or sunset.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Biblioteca Pública Gabriel García Márquez free?

Yes, access to the library and most of its activities is free. Some workshops or special events may require prior registration, but they usually do not have a cost. It is recommended