Founded on the 29th of July of 1525 by Rodrigo de Bastidas, Santa Marta is the oldest city in all of North and South American continents. They named the city Santa Marta because the day in which its port and bay were discovered in 1501, Spain celebrated the religious holiday of Santa Marta. The location was chosen because of its beauty and the safety provided by the bay. Santa Marta was the seat of the Spanish Empire during the conquest of the region known as the Nuevo Reino de Granada. Later on during the Spanish colonial period, Santa Marta was the capital of a viceroyalty and it therefore benefited from the prominent architecture of the time.

The city of Santa Marta is located to the north of Colombia facing the Caribbean Sea. It has a population of 450,000 inhabitants and a main economic source is tourism. Santa Marta's natural beauty and colonial architecture make it a charming city to visit!