Introduction: The Rodadero You Don't Know
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 rhythm of the day. Before the sun came up, before the tourists filled the beach, there was a symphony of voices, engines, and tools that has been fading away. In May 2026, that soundscape is almost a memory. This article is a guide for those who want to rediscover those sounds that are no longer heard, or for curious travelers who want to listen to El Rodadero with different ears.
Here you won't find lists of restaurants or beaches. This is a journey through the acoustic memory of a neighborhood that has changed as much as its noise. I'm going to tell you what it was like to wake up to the thud of fishing nets, the whistle of the first arepa vendor, and the roar of the garbage truck, and how today those sounds compete with the reggaeton from the boats and the hum of cars.
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The Sounding Dawn: Minute by Minute
To understand El Rodadero at dawn, you have to stand on the shore, right in front of the Oceanic building, and close your eyes. It doesn't matter if you're a local or a foreigner: the sound tells you a story that postcards don't show.
4:30am – The Fishing Nets
The first sound doesn't come from the sea, but from the sand. At 4:30, the artisanal fishermen, many from Don José's family, drag their wet nets. The noise is dry, like a whip against the beach: thump, thump, thump. Then comes the splashing of fish jumping in plastic buckets and the deep voices of the men, speaking in thick coastal dialect. This sound, which used to be heard from 12th Street to 14th Street, barely exists today. The fishermen have moved to Taganga or downtown, and El Rodadero wakes up quieter than ever.
Fun fact: in the 80s, the fishermen used a special whistle to call each other, a code only they understood. That whistle is no longer heard. It was lost with the arrival of cell phones.
5:15am – The First Arepa Vendor
If you walk along Carrera 2 with Calle 10, at 5:15 you used to hear Don Pedro's cart. It wasn't a shout, it was a metallic clang: the sound of the spatula against the budare. That clink-clink-clink mixed with the smell of corn and coastal cheese. Don Pedro whistled a cumbia while he worked, and his whistle was so well known that people used it as an alarm clock. Today, the cart is gone. In its place, there's a juice shop with speakers playing reggaeton from 6am.
6:00am – The Garbage Truck
The garbage truck arrived at 6 o'clock sharp, and it wasn't just any noise. It was the roar of an old engine, followed by the clatter of metal cans against the pavement. The neighborhood dogs, which had been sleeping until then, started barking in a chain: first the one from Doña Marta's house, then the one from the Mar Azul building, and so on down to the beach. That sound was so predictable that people knew it was time to get up. Now, the trucks are electric and almost silent. The dogs no longer bark at the same time.
What to Do: A Guide to Listening to El Rodadero Today
If you want to experience the current soundscape of El Rodadero, you don't need a tour or a guide. You just need time and attentive ears. Here are three activities you can do on your own, ideal for sensitizing yourself to the auditory nostalgia of the neighborhood.
- Sound walk at dawn: Get up at 4:30am and walk from the main beach to the pier. Bring a voice recorder on your phone. Listen to the sounds that remain: the engine of a distant boat, the rustle of palm trees, the silence between waves. Compare it to what you imagine was there before.
- Visit the fish market at 6am: On Calle 14 with Carrera 1, there is still a small market where fishermen sell their catch. The sound of knives against cutting boards and the voices of vendors shouting prices is one of the few acoustic relics that remain.
- Recording on the terrace of the Alcatraz building: This building, on Carrera 2 with Calle 12, has a terrace open to the public (ask at the reception). From there, at 5:30am, you can hear the sea and, if you're lucky, the echo of a fisherman mending nets.
Where to Eat or Drink: Places with Sonic History
Eating in El Rodadero is also listening. Some restaurants and bars have kept alive sounds that barely exist anymore. Here I recommend three places where the background noise tells a story.
- La Sirena (Calle 10 # 2-45): This seafood restaurant, open since 1985, still has an open kitchen. The sound of aluminum pots and the steam from the prawns is the same as 40 years ago. Order a ceviche and sit near the kitchen. Price: dishes from $25,000 COP.
- El Mirador (Carrera 1 with Calle 15): A bar on the terrace of an old building. At night, the sound of the waves clashes with the reggaeton from the speakers. But if you arrive at 5pm, before they turn on the music, you can hear the creak of the wooden tables and the wind. Price: beers from $6,000 COP.
- Arepas del Puerto (Calle 12 # 3-10): A street stall that opens at 5am. The sound of the budare and the vendor's whistle (he still whistles, but no longer cumbia, but popular songs) is the closest thing to nostalgia you'll find. Price: arepas from $4,000 COP.
How to Get There and Transportation
Getting to El Rodadero from Santa Marta is easy, but to experience the dawn soundscape, you need to plan your transportation well, because at 4:30am there are no buses.
- By taxi: From downtown Santa Marta, a taxi to El Rodadero costs between $15,000 and $20,000 COP. Ask to be dropped off at the main beach (Carrera 1 with Calle 10). At 4:30am, taxis are scarce, so book one the night before using an app like Uber or Didi.
- By bus: Urban buses (routes 1, 2, and 3) run from 5:30am. The closest stop to El Rodadero is on Avenida Santa Marta, a 10-minute walk from the beach. The fare is $2,500 COP.
- Walking: If you are staying in El Rodadero, everything is within walking distance. The main beach is about 2 kilometers long, and you can walk it in 20 minutes. For the sounding dawn, I recommend walking barefoot on the sand to feel the sound of your steps.
Local Tips for Listening Like an Expert
These tips are from those of us who still live here, those of us who still remember what the neighborhood sounded like before the noise changed everything.
- Use open-back headphones: If you record sounds, don't use closed-back headphones. Open-back ones allow you to hear the environment while recording, so you don't miss the details.
- Wake up early on a Sunday: On Sundays, El Rodadero wakes up quieter. The fishermen don't go out, but the sounds of nature (birds, waves, wind) are stronger. It's the best day to record.
- Avoid December: In December, the noise of tourists, speakers, and cars is deafening. If you're looking for acoustic nostalgia, come between March and May, when the neighborhood is emptier.
- Carry a mental map: Before you go out, look at Google Maps and mark the points where you know there are specific sounds: the pier (boats), Calle 12 (vendors), the beach (waves). That way you don't walk aimlessly.
The Contrast with the Night: Broken Silence vs. Full Moon
El Rodadero at night is another world. 20 years ago, when there was no full moon, the silence was almost absolute. You could only hear the sea and, occasionally, the bark of a dog or the slam of a wooden door. Couples walked along the beach in silence, and the only artificial noise was that of a distant television.
Today, the night is a roar. From 7pm, the bars on Calle 10 and 12 play reggaeton at full volume. The bass reverberates through the buildings, and the voices of drunks mix with the engines of passing cars. The full moon silence, the one that allowed you to hear the whisper of the waves for kilometers, no longer exists. The oldest locals say that now El Rodadero "doesn't sleep," but it's not a dream: it's a noise that won't let you think.
Fun fact: in the 80s, fishermen used the full moon to guide them. When the moon was high, the sea looked silver and the silence was so deep you could hear a fish splash 100 meters away. That sound, of the moon on the water, is no longer heard.
Interview with a Local Musician: How Noise Changed the Songs
We spoke with Carlos "Cali" Mendoza, a 52-year-old guitarist and composer from Santa Marta, who grew up in El Rodadero and has seen how the neighborhood's noise has influenced his music.
"When I started playing, in the 90s, the songs I wrote had long spaces, silences. I was inspired by the sound of the sea at dawn, by the wind. But today, if you play a song with a lot of silences in El Rodadero, no one hears it, because the noise of cars and speakers drowns it out. Now I write faster songs, with more notes, to compete with the noise. It's sad, but the neighborhood forces you to change your music."
Cali also remembers a sound that no longer exists: "Before, at 6pm, you could hear the whistle of the guard at the Mar Azul building. It was a long whistle, like a train's, that signaled they were closing the gate. That sound was what told us it was time to go home. Now, the guards use radios and the whistle is lost."
Interactive Sound Map: Points to Listen to Today
If you want to make your own sound tour, here are five key points on Google Maps that you can visit. Each one has a characteristic sound that can still be heard, although some are in danger of extinction.
- Point 1: Main Beach (Carrera 1 with Calle 10) – Sound: waves crashing on the sand, distant motorboats. Best time: 5am.
- Point 2: El Rodadero Pier (Carrera 1 with Calle 14) – Sound: creaking wood, boat ropes hitting the water. Best time: 6am.
- Point 3: Calle 12 between Carreras 2 and 3 – Sound: street vendors, fruit cries. Best time: 7am.
- Point 4: Oceanic Building (Carrera 2 with Calle 13) – Sound: echo of footsteps in the hallway, air conditioning fans. Best time: 4:30am.
- Point 5: Calle 15 Park (Carrera 1 with Calle 15) – Sound: birds, wind through trees, children playing in the distance. Best time: 5:30am.
To make the map, open Google Maps, search for these points and save them to a list called "Rodadero Sounds." Then, when you visit each one, record 30 seconds of audio and compare them to the sounds you imagine from 20 years ago.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to listen to El Rodadero without tourist noise?
Between 4:30am and 6:00am. During this window, tourists haven't yet arrived at the beach and natural sounds (waves, wind, birds) are more prominent. After 7am, the noise of cars and vendors becomes dominant.
Where can I record sounds of El Rodadero without being disturbed?
The best spots are the pier (point 2 on the map) and the Calle 15 park (point 5). Both have less pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and the sound of the sea is clearly heard. Bring a small tripod for your phone and avoid talking during the recording.
What sounds of El Rodadero no longer exist and why were they lost?
The fishermen's whistle, the thud of nets against the sand, the guard's whistle at the Mar Azul building, and the sound of Don Pedro's arepa cart. They were lost due to modernization: the fishermen moved, the guards use radios, and the vendors now use speakers. The noise of cars and reggaeton has also drowned out these sounds.
Call to Action: Join the Sonic Memory
El Rodadero at dawn is not just a place, it's a sound that is being erased. If you want to help preserve it, I invite you to do two simple things. First, listen to the complete soundscape I recorded in May 2026 on our WhatsApp channel: search for "Malokal Sounds" and subscribe. There you will find 5 minutes of audio with the sounds that still remain. Second, record a current sound of El Rodadero with your phone, upload it to Instagram or TikTok with the hashtag #SonidosRodadero and tag @malokal. Each recording adds to a collective archive of the neighborhood's acoustic memory. Don't let these sounds be lost forever.