Santa Marta: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Santa Marta is a city of 499,192 people in Colombia (Magdalena Department), 14 m (46 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), 75 km (47 mi) from the centre. Our booking partner lists 1,847+ places to stay.
Key facts
Open Santa Marta in Google Maps
Daylight in Santa Marta runs from about 11 h 30 min a day in late December to 12 h 49 min in late June (computed for 11.24° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Santa Marta is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), 75 km (47 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,842 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR, 14 km).
Flights to Santa Marta: every airport, routes and times
Buses to Santa Marta · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 1,847+ places to stay in Santa Marta (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 677 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (305), and 12 are five-star. Across 196 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.5 out of 10. Guests have left 131,170 reviews in total.
Hotels in Santa Marta: the full picture, and book
Our booking partner lists 108 hostels in Santa Marta, out of 1,847 places to stay of every kind — 5.8% of everywhere it lists in the city, an above-average share: hostels here compete with each other rather than filling a gap. Across 24 hostels with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.6 out of 10, level with the city’s hotels. Guests have left 19,130 reviews across them.
Hostels in Santa Marta: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Maracaibo, 290 km (Venezuela) — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Barranquilla, 71 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Cartagena, 170 km — flights · buses · car rental · tours
- Montería, 332 km
- Valledupar, 134 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Cabimas, 314 km (Venezuela)
- Soledad, 72 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Sincelejo, 252 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Ciudad Ojeda, 335 km (Venezuela)
- Riohacha, 144 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Acapulco de Juárez, Moyobamba.
Common questions
Which airport serves Santa Marta?
Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ), 75 km (47 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Santa Marta?
About 499,192 people live in Santa Marta, across 294 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Santa Marta in?
America/Bogota, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Santa Marta?
The Peso (COP). Traffic drives on the right.
Are there hostels in Santa Marta?
108 of them, bookable on this site. Hostels in Santa Marta.
How many hotels are there in Santa Marta?
Our booking partner lists 1,847 or more places to stay in Santa Marta, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Santa Marta?
Maracaibo (290 km), Barranquilla (71 km), Cartagena (170 km), Montería (332 km), Valledupar (134 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.