228 SANTA MARTA
MUSEUMS
For museum buffs there are a handful of informative and interesting museums
to check out. The following three are within walking distance in the historic
district area.
Centro Cultural San Juan Nepomuceno (Check map for directions) (5,000 COP
entrance). This building houses a small art museum. The 5,000 COP may be
worth it or not, depending on your appreciation for art. The museum is staffed
with local high school students who give very informative tours. They are
performing their community service for their future graduation. This type of
community service is very common in Colombian schools. The museum has a
monthly rotating schedule for its main exhibit. At the time of this writing in July,
the museum housed a stunning exhibit of twenty or so paintings of Colombia's
liberator Simon Bolívar.
Museo Etnográfico de la Universidad del Magdalena (check map for directions)
(5,000 COP entrance). This museum is dedicated to culture, history and the
archaeology of Colombia and the local area. Once again you can find local
student guides for free.
Museo del Oro Tairona (check map for directions)(FREE, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM
and 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM). This is an interesting museum that displays artifacts of
the Pre-Columbian local indigenous population. The museum has very
interesting information displays in both English and Spanish on the history of the
Taironas and the local area. Student guides can be found here for tours.
MUST VISIT
Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, in Mamatoco on the edge of the town, 12,000
COP entrance. The Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino was the final resting place
of the liberator Simon Bolívar. If you're saving your money for one museum, this