Santa Marta

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Santa Marta
District and city
Top: Panorama of the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta, 2nd left: Mirador in Cabo San Juan del Guia, Tayrona Natural Park, 2nd right: Santa Marta Cathedral, 3rd left: Statue of Simon Bolívar in Quinta of Saint Pedro Alejandrino, 3rd upper middle: Colombian National Pantheon in Barrio Mamatoco, 3rd lower middle: Santa Marta City Hall, 3rd right: Tribute to the Tayrona Ethnicity Square, Bottom: Panorama of Acuático El Rodadero Park
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname:  America's Pearl (La Perla de America)
Location in the Department of Magdalena. Municipality (red) City (dark grey)
Santa Marta Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 11°14′31″N 74°12′19″W / 11.24194°N 74.20528°W / 11.24194; -74.20528
Country	Colombia
Region	Caribbean Region
Department	Magdalena
Foundation	July 29, 1525
Founded by	Rodrigo de Bastidas
Named for	Martha
Government
• Mayor	Virna Lizi Johnson Salcedo (2020–2023) (Fuerza Ciudadana)
Area
• District and city	2,393.65 km2 (924.07 sq mi)
• Urban	55.10 km2 (21.27 sq mi)
Elevation	15 m (49 ft)
Population  (2018 Census[1])
• District and city	499,192
• Density	210/km2 (540/sq mi)
• Urban	455,299
• Urban density	8,300/km2 (21,000/sq mi)
	DANE
Demonym	Samario
Time zone	UTC-05:00 (Colombia Time)
Postal codes	470001–470017[2]
Area code	57 + 5
Website	Official website (in Spanish)

Santa Marta (Spanish pronunciation: [ˌsanta ˈmaɾta]), officially the Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta (English: Historic, Cultural & Tourist District of Santa Marta), is a port city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena Department and the fourth-largest urban city of the Caribbean Region of Colombia, after Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Soledad. Founded on July 29, 1525, by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, it was one of the first Spanish settlements in Colombia, its oldest surviving city, and second oldest in South America.^[3] This city is situated on a bay by the same name and as such, it is a prime tourist destination in the Caribbean region.^[4]