Santa Marta is both an important commercial port and a tourist destination. Everyday there are cargo ships coming and going and you can watch the action from any of the restaurants, bars, cafeterias and hotels that run parallel to the beach. From the beach, the view of the Caribbean Sea is more or less to the north with a huge rock of an island jutting up out of the water. Off to the right is the port, snug behind another even bigger rock. This is a decent beach if you like beaches that are right in town (i.e. lots of people, vendors, noise, etc.) The vendors are rather aggressive if you are on the beach or in one of the many businesses across the road from the beach. This also goes for the market district, although to a lesser extent.

Around and closeby
There is a little fishing village to the east, known as Taganga. There are a lot of possibilities there for diving and snorkelling.

Sightseeing
The nearby coral reef provides good possibilities for diving, although diving in Taganga might be cheaper. On the beaches, you can rent a jetski in increments of 10 minutes. If you are not comfortable operating one, you can ask for a ride around. If you are not a good swimmer, ask for a lifejacket.

Getting there
You can fly to Santa Marta from Bogotá and Medellín. The bus station is out of town, on the main highway, to the south. There are several daily buses from Bogotá, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla and Maracaibo.