Outside of Santa Marta
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OUTSIDE OF SA N TA MA R TA
ARACATACA
You can take a bus to a small town called Aracataca an hour and a half from
Santa Marta. This is the birthplace of famed Nobel Literature Prize Winner
Colombia author Gabriel García Márquez. There is a museum in the house
where he grew up. The original house was in very poor condition so it was
demolished and a nice replica was built in its place. Aracataca is widely known
to be the model for the town “Macondo”, the main setting in García Márquez’s,
One Hundreds Years of Solitude. After visiting the house, a walk to the
downtown and the river can be very interesting. It’s a wonderful town that
allows for glimpses into a less visited Colombia. It’s not exactly small, with a
population over 50,000, but it has a character that you can’t find in destinations
on the main tourist track. It’s suggested to visit if you have plenty of extra days
to burn. The best plan is to just wander around.
There is a small house named The Gypsy Residence, which is highly
recommended by many travelers. The Gypsy Residence has bikes available for
use. Aracataca is the perfect Colombian town to explore by bike. The Gypsy also
conducts full day tours or Aracataca for 99,000 COP, which includes breakfast
and lunch. The tour includes guided visits to the town museums, the river, and
several monuments in town. There is a shorter tour on the back of a motorbike
where guests visit the tiny Colombian towns of El Prado Sevilla and Macondo. 3
hours - 35,000 COP. The Gypsy Residence, [email protected], Calle 6
No. 6-24 (Cell – 321-251-7420). Dorms, 20,000 COP; Budget Double, 60,000 COP;
Junior Suite, 90,000 COP. (www.thegypsyresidence.com).
EAST OF TAYRONA
Directly East of Tayrona there are a few areas of interest. Within minutes of
Parque Tayrona's Zaira gate are two beautiful beaches with accommodations