Destination · Magdalena · Sierra Nevada and the Caribbean
Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada heights, Caribbean shoreline, and Colombia’s oldest city
One of ten destinations Muisca™ Travel & Events operates across Colombia.
| Department | Magdalena · Sierra Nevada and the Caribbean |
|---|---|
| Population | 582,394 city, 2025 projection [DANE 2025] |
| International routes | 1 Panama City, Copa Airlines [Route list 2026] |
| Airport | Simón Bolívar (SMR), 15 to 25 minutes to the resort strip and the historic centre [Aerocivil 2025] |
| Best season | December to April, the dry months on the coast |
The figures · every number carries its source
Santa Marta, in figures
- 3.79 million Airport passengers · fifth-busiest airport in Colombia [Aerocivil 2025]
- 24,987 Hotel rooms · across all registered accommodation [Cotelco Magdalena 2023]
- 1,200 auditorium Convention centre · Estelar Santamar, Gran Salón Simón Bolívar [Estelar 2026]
- UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Designation · Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, 2.4 million hectares [UNESCO 1979]
Tayrona’s coves, the Sierra’s indigenous communities and a 1525 historic centre in one radius: the programme changes register every day without a flight.
Resort buy-outs on Pozos Colorados and Bello Horizonte for 100 to 400 guests, with the Sierra Nevada as the day away from the room.
The Estelar Santamar seats 1,200 in auditorium; the city has no stand-alone convention centre, so the largest plenaries pair with Cartagena or Barranquilla.
A dinner on the sand with the highest coastal range in the world behind it, and a colonial centre that turned five hundred in 2025.
Connectivity
Non-stop from Panama City. [Route list] Domestic: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Pereira. [Route list]
One scheduled international route (Copa to Panama City) gives one-stop access to the Americas; most international groups arrive through Bogotá or Cartagena. Route counts should be confirmed against airline timetables for the programme dates.
Key hotels · rooms
Irotama Resort 374 · Zuana Beach Resort 330 · Hilton Santa Marta 261 · Santa Marta Marriott Resort Playa Dormida 182 · Estelar Santamar Hotel & Centro de Convenciones 128 · Casa de Leda, a Kali Hotel 18 [Irotama] [Zuana] [Hilton] [Marriott] [Estelar] [Kali Hotels]
Sources: DANE, Proyecciones de población municipal 2018–2042 (serie actualizada 30 jul 2025, base CNPV 2018) · DANE, Proyecciones de población departamental 2018–2050 (serie actualizada 30 jul 2025) · Alcaldía Distrital de Santa Marta, Geografía · Cotelco Magdalena, hotel inventory quoted by El Tiempo (15 Dec 2023) · Aerocivil 2025 traffic, reported by Corporación Pro Santa Marta Vital (6 Apr 2026) · Migración Colombia 2024 arrivals, via Pro Santa Marta Vital / Invest in Santa Marta (Seguimiento.co, 20 Feb 2025) · Aeropuerto Internacional Simón Bolívar, aerolíneas y destinos (public route list, to be read against airline timetables) · UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Biosphere Reserve (1979) · Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, PNN Tayrona · Estelar Santamar Hotel & Centro de Convenciones · Hilton Santa Marta · Santa Marta Marriott Resort Playa Dormida · Irotama Resort · Zuana Beach Resort · Casa de Leda, a Kali Hotel. accessed 2026-09-11.
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