History & Heritage
Traces of the Rupture: Streets That Were Once Beach
View all
Explore
Bolívar
Your local guide to discovering the best of the area.
What to do
Editor's Picks
Recommended in
New
Traces of the Rupture: Streets That Were Once Beach
If you walk today along Carrera 4 in the barrio Bolívar in Santa Marta, what you see are houses, neighborhood stores, parked motorcycles, and the constant noise
5 days ago
1
New
Bolívar: the workshop of memory on the hillside
If you come to Santa Marta and only stay in El Rodadero or the Historic Center, you are missing the city that truly breathes. Up on the hillside overlooking the
5 days ago
1
New
Postal Code 470004: The Other Solidarity Network
If you arrive in Santa Marta with a map of tourist sites in hand, barrio Bolívar doesn't appear. There is no monument, boardwalk, or hostel with a pool to put i
6 days ago
1
New
The Sounds of Bolívar: Champeta, Porro, and Corner Reggaeton
If you walk through Barrio Bolívar in Santa Marta on a Saturday afternoon, the first thing that hits you isn't the heat, but the bass. A rumble that comes from
6 days ago
1
New
Bolívar from the Heights: Neighborhood Viewpoints and Rooftops
When most people think of Santa Marta, they imagine El Rodadero, the Historic Center, or Tayrona National Park. But if you move a few blocks away from the touri
6 days ago
1
New
The Working-Class Memory of Bolívar: Factories and Struggles
If you walk through el barrio Bolívar in Santa Marta today, what you see are colorful houses, mechanic workshops, and the hustle and bustle of daily life. But i
6 days ago
1
New
The Pool Hall That Is the Last Gathering of Old Fishermen
The smell of saltpeter and old wood clings to your clothes before you even cross the door. Inside, the sound of ivory balls colliding against the green felt com
10 days ago
1
New
The 1920 House That Hides a Family Photography Museum
In the barrio Bolívar of Santa Marta, amidst the noise of mototaxis and the smell of fried fish coming from the market, there is a house with a yellow facade th
10 days ago
1
New
Hidden Bolívar: The 3 Surviving Saddle-Making Workshops
The barrio Bolívar, in the center of Santa Marta, is not a place that appears in conventional tourist guides. While travelers crowd into El Rodadero or the Hist
10 days ago
1
The Corner Store: Commerce That Unites
If you walk through Barrio Bolívar in Santa Marta on any given Tuesday at 4 in the afternoon, you will see something that doesn't appear in tourist guides: a ma
17 days ago
1
Bolívar at Night: Voices on the Corner
When the sun hides behind the Sierra Nevada and the lights of Santa Marta Bay begin to twinkle, the historic center empties of tourists. But ten blocks from Par
17 days ago
1
The Graffiti That Scared Off Drug Sales on Calle 17
In Santa Marta, Barrio Bolívar is not the typical tourist destination that appears in travel guides. It is a middle-class residential area, with colorful houses
17 days ago
1