How to get from Barranquilla to Santa Marta

Why visit Santa Marta?

Santa Marta is one of the main tourist hubs on Colombia’s north coast. It is the gateway to Tayrona National Park, arguably the most beautiful national park in the country. But to be honest, there’s not much to do in Santa Marta itself.

You can spare a few hours exploring the colonial houses in the Old Town or scuba diving in El Rodadero, which has some of the most affordable scuba diving centres in South America. But we recommend saving your time for the more exciting destinations near Santa Marta — like Tayrona, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Ciudad Perdida.

There are 3 ways to travel the 104 kilometers (65 miles) from Barranquilla to Santa Marta. You can choose between the bus, minivan and private transport. The journey takes 1 hour 50 minutes to 1 day 4 hours and the quickest way is by bus. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by minivan with tickets starting at 39,000 COP ($9.30).

There are a number of companies offering a minivan service, but the most popular ones are Marsol, Caribe Vans, Pro Tours and Coche Express. They all have set departures every 2 hours, from 08:00 to 20:00.

You can check the availability and book with Marsol through BookAway, providing your pick-up and drop-off addresses. It’s best to book in advance, preferably the day before travelling and wait for their confirmation.

Expect to pay around 39,000 COP ($9.30). Prices can increase by around 25% during holiday seasons, though.

You will be picked up at the address you provided before beginning the 2 hours to your drop-off address in Barranquilla. You literally don’t have to worry about anything else!

Barranquilla Airport (BAQ)

Shuttle

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Destino Colombia

From 438,000 COP ($105)

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• 24/7 customer support

438,000 COP ($105)

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Check on BookAway

• 24/7 customer support

657,000 COP ($155)

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Check on BookAway

The bus is an affordable way to get from Barranquilla to Santa Marta. Bus fares start from 54,000 COP ($12.80) and the journey takes around 1 hour 50 minutes to 1 day 4 hours.

You can choose from five bus companies operating on this route: Expreso Almirante Padilla, Expreso Brasilia, Unitransco, Copetran and Flota La Macarena.

Barranquilla bus terminal is in the southern district of Soledad, pretty close to the airport, however it is not the safest area. Therefore it is best to take a taxi for around 20,000 COP ($4.70) that will take around 30 minutes to get to the bus terminal.

It is also possible to take the metrobus using any line going towards Portal de Soledad. Get off at “Pacho Galan” station and walk around 15 minutes to the bus terminal. Tickets cost 2,000 COP ($0.60).

We don’t really recommend taking the metrobus to the bus terminal since the service is pretty poor and tends to be crowded. On top of this, the area of the bus terminal is not very safe for walking.

There are two major bus companies covering this route: Expreso Brasilia and Copetran. Thankfully, the buses tend to have both AC and reclining seats.

Expreso Brasilia offers one departure a day and is probably the most convenient in terms of its schedule.

Copetran can be a bit cheaper and it offers 4 departures a day, but all of them are late at night, so arrival times are not very practical.

You can book your tickets online (showing them on your phone is not sufficient, you must print them off) or buy them directly from the bus terminal.

Terminal de Barranquilla

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Expreso Brasilia

From 30,000 COP ($7.20)

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Redbus

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Check on Redbus

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Copetran

31,000 COP ($7.40)

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• 24/7 customer support

31,000 COP ($7.40)

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Check on BookAway

Redbus

32,000 COP ($7.70)

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Check on Redbus

The best way to get to Santa Marta city centre is by taxi. The fare should be around 8,000 COP ($1.90) to Santa Marta city centre, where most hotels are. If you are staying in the El Rodadero or Taganga areas, that fare will increase to around 25,000 COP ($5.90).

A private transfer is a convenient option when travelling in a group from Barranquilla to Santa Marta.

Rates start from 472,000 COP ($110) for a 2-seater private transfer. Divide the cost and that’s just about 236,000 COP ($56) per person. Travel time is around 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes.