The 3 Ghost Buildings Nobody Tells You About

El Rodadero that no longer exists: three buildings swallowed by time

If you walk through El Rodadero today, among new hotels and restaurants with sea views, it's hard to believe that thirty years ago this neighborhood was a different world. But if you stray half a block from the beach, you'll come across structures that seem frozen in the eighties. Half-finished buildings, with boarded-up windows and rusty grilles, that have been waiting for an ending that never came for decades. They are not horror legends or internet myths: they are real properties, with exact addresses and papers tangled in legal disputes. Here I tell you the story of three of them, with cadastral data, neighbor testimonies, and a couple of mysteries that even the oldest residents of the neighborhood can't agree to solve.

Historical or contextual introduction

El Rodadero began to take off as a tourist destination in the sixties, when wealthy families from Bogotá and Medellín discovered they could have a beach house without going all the way to Cartagena. By the eighties, the construction fever was unstoppable: hotels, apartment buildings, and condominiums were being built at a pace that even the blueprints couldn't keep up with. But not everything that was started was finished. The economic crisis of the late eighties, partner disputes, poorly divided inheritances, and, in some cases, simple bad luck, left several projects paralyzed. Today, those concrete shells are part of the urban landscape, although few tourists know they hide stories of money, family, and even apparitions.

What to do: tour the three ghost buildings

Don't expect a tourist attraction with ticket booths or official guides. This is more like a tour of urban curiosity, ideal for those looking for something different from sun and sand. You can walk through the streets of El Rodadero and find these buildings on your own, but I recommend doing it with respect: they are private properties, some with security, and entry is not allowed. The interesting part is observing them from the sidewalk, talking to the older neighbors, and letting yourself be carried away by the stories that float in the air.

The Building on Avenida 1ra with 10: the hotel that never opened

On the corner of Avenida 1ra and Calle 10, just half a block from the beach, there is an eight-story building that looks like it's from an eighties movie. The polarized glass facade is cracked in several windows, the hotel sign was never installed, and the lobby, which was once going to be marble, is now a dump for rubble and dust. According to neighbors, construction began in 1985, but stopped in 1989 when the main owner, a businessman from Bogotá, went bankrupt after a bad investment in cattle. The building changed hands for years, but no one managed to raise the capital to finish it. Today it is owned by a bank that has had it in judicial auction since 2015. Reference prices from June 2026 indicate the property is valued at around 2.5 billion pesos, but no one has bought it yet. Locals call it "the ghost hotel," not because they have seen spirits, but because they say the building "has the soul of a hotel but the body of a ruin."

The Condominium on Calle 8: the family dispute that stopped everything

Going up Calle 8, between Carreras 2 and 3, there is a condominium of six towers that look ready to inhabit, but have been empty since 1992. The facades are painted, the balconies have railings, and even the apartment doors are installed. But inside there is nothing: no floors, no electrical installations, no plumbing. The story goes that the project was from an Italian-origin family who wanted to build the first residential complex with a pool and tennis court in El Rodadero. Everything was going well until the patriarch died in 1990 and the three sons got tangled in a fight over the inheritance. Each claimed rights to the towers, and while the lawyers litigated, the construction stopped. Twenty-five years later, the grandchildren inherited the dispute. Today, the condominium is a monument to family disunity. Neighbors say that sometimes lights are seen on in the upper floors, but it's just security turning on bulbs to scare off the curious. The curious fact: in 2018, a group of European investors offered to buy the entire complex, but the negotiation failed because the heirs couldn't even agree to sign the power of attorney.

The Studio Apartment on Carrera 2: the last floor that never sold

On Carrera 2 with Calle 12, there is a seven-story studio apartment building that looks normal from the outside: it has a lobby, an elevator, and even a sign that says "Edificio Bahía." But if you look closely, the seventh floor is unfinished: the windows are holes without glass, the walls are exposed brick, and the roof is a concrete slab without waterproofing. The story is sadder than mysterious: the building was built in 1987, and the first six floors sold quickly. But the owner, a doctor from Santa Marta who had invested all his savings, died of a heart attack in 1988, just as he was about to start the seventh floor. His widow tried to sell the project, but found no buyer. Over time, the apartments below were sold to individuals, and the seventh floor remained as a reminder of what could have been. Today, that floor is owned by a company that doesn't even know what to do with it. Residents of the building say they sometimes go up to take photos of the sunset from the terrace, but it's sad to see the empty rooms, with door frames not installed and dust accumulated for decades.

Where to eat or drink near the ghost buildings

After the tour, you'll be hungry and thirsty. El Rodadero has options for all tastes, and right near these buildings there are places worth knowing.

• La Casa del Pescado: on Calle 10 with Carrera 1, half a block from the Building on Avenida 1ra. Specializes in fried fish and rice with shrimp. Dishes from $25,000 COP. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 9pm.
• Donde Chucho: on Calle 8 with Carrera 3, right in front of the Condominium on Calle 8. They sell arepas de huevo, empanadas, and natural juices. It's more of a street stall than a restaurant, but the food is homemade and cheap (from $8,000 COP). Open Monday to Saturday, 7am to 2pm.
• El Muelle: on Carrera 2 with Calle 13, near Edificio Bahía. A seafood restaurant with a sea view, ideal for lunch after the tour. Dishes from $35,000 COP. Open every day, 12pm to 10pm.

How to get there and transportation

El Rodadero is about 15 minutes by car from downtown Santa Marta. If you come from Simón Bolívar airport, you can take a taxi (costs between $30,000 and $40,000 COP depending on traffic) or a city bus that says "Rodadero" on the sign (they charge you $2,500 COP).

Once in El Rodadero, the three buildings are a few blocks from the beach, so you can walk without a problem. Avenida 1ra is the main one, parallel to the sea. Calle 8 and Carrera 2 are internal streets, quieter. If you prefer not to walk, you can rent a bicycle on the beach for about $10,000 COP per hour, or use a mototaxi that takes you for $5,000 COP per trip.

Local tips

• Bring water and sunscreen: the sun in El Rodadero hits hard, especially between 10am and 3pm. The streets don't have much shade.
• Don't try to enter the buildings: they are private properties and some have private security. Also, the structures can be dangerous: there are stairs without railings, holes in the floors, and broken glass. Better enjoy them from the street.
• Talk to the neighbors: the oldest residents of the neighborhood are the ones who keep the best stories. Look for the men who sit on the sidewalks playing dominoes, or the women who sweep the building entrances. They will tell you details that don't appear anywhere.
• Visit early or at sunset: the morning or late afternoon light gives a special air to these buildings. At noon, the sun flattens them and they just look like ruins.
• If you like photography, bring a wide-angle lens: the facades of these buildings are photogenic, but you need to capture the whole context of the street for the image to tell the story.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit the interior of these buildings?

# All are private properties and entry is not allowed. Also, they are in poor condition and pose a risk of accident. If you want to see them, the best thing is to observe them from the sidewalk or, if you're lucky, talk to a neighbor who lets you peek from their balcony.

Are there plans to restore or demolish these buildings?

As of June 2026, there are no confirmed public or private projects for any of the three. The Building on Avenida 1ra is in judicial auction, the Condominium on Calle 8 is still tangled in the family dispute, and the seventh floor of Edificio Bahía is an unresolved inheritance problem. It's possible that in the future someone will buy them and finish them, but for now everything remains the same.

Are these buildings really "haunted" as some claim?

There is no evidence of paranormal activity, but the stories of apparitions are part of local folklore. Some neighbors claim to have seen shadows in the windows of the hotel on Avenida 1ra, and others say that in the condominium on Calle 8 you can hear footsteps at night. Most likely they are products of imagination and the silence of these empty places, but if you believe in those things, the tour will be even more interesting for you.

CTA: If you lived in El Rodadero in the eighties or nineties, or if you have any story about these buildings that we haven't told, write to us at historias@malokal.com. Your memory could be the missing piece to complete the mystery.