We woke and had breakfast, then saying goodbye to our hosts at the Casa D Mer hotel. It is family run, by an older couple and their 30ish year old son. 9 rooms, beautiful rooftop deck and a very comfortable stay. If I was ever back in Taganga, I would totally return.
We drive in to Santa Marta and find our small hotel in the heart of the historic Centro district. Again, a smaller boutique hotel that is family run and the hosts seem very nice. We cruise around the town checking things out, including the shore and malecon as well as the parks with many historic figures represented in statues. Santa Marta is where Simon Bolivar (Liberator of the upper half of South America and more important that Washington in these parts) passed away and is buried.
The narrow streets come alive shortly after dark when the temperature cools a little bit. We walked to an area with some restaurants surrounding a square and it was jam packed with people eating, street performers coming by and street vendors trying to sell their wares. We have dinner and watch all the activity, then walk the streets and a market by the pier for a couple hours before returning to the hotel. Although touristy, Santa Marta also has a very authentic feel to it.
Colombia Motorcycle Ride 