History &amp; Heritage in Santa Marta

The Secrets of the Rodadero Stairs

If you've walked through El Rodadero, you've surely come across them: stairs that climb the hillside, some of worn concrete, others with rusty iron handrails, m

The War of the Caciques: How the Tayrona-Chibcha Alliance Defeated the Conquistadors in the Sierra Nevada (1525-1530)

When one thinks of the arrival of the Spanish in Colombia, the image that comes to mind is that of a handful of bearded conquistadors defeating entire empires w

Where Taxis Stop: The Storytelling Corner

There is a corner in El Rodadero that doesn't appear in travel guides, has no official name, and you won't find it on Google Maps. It's right where Carrera 2 me

The Burial of the Carnivals: Where Mamatoco Cries and Dances

In Mamatoco, the oldest neighborhood of Santa Marta, there is one night a year when time breaks. While the rest of the city prepares for the official Batalla de

24 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Sounds That Are No Longer Heard: El Rodadero at Dawn

Have you ever been to El Rodadero at 4:30 in the morning? If you grew up here in the 90s, you know that the sound of the sea wasn't the only thing that set the