How to get fromMedellin 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 2 ways to travel the 825 kilometers (513 miles) from Medellin to Santa Marta. You can choose between the bus and flight. The journey takes 2 to 19 hours and the quickest way is by flight. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by flight with tickets starting at 115,000 COP ($28).

Flying may be a more convenient option for those short on time. It takes a little more than one hour versus the 15 hours on the road with the bus. However, transfers to and from airports may increase the total cost in case you are on a budget.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

All flights to Santa Marta depart from Jose Maria Cordoba Airport (MDE), located 30 km from the city centre.

To get to Jose María Cordoba airport from Medellin city centre, there are three main options available every day: taxi, Colectivo or bus.

Taxis have a flat rate of 80,000 COP ($19.50) and take about 30 minutes. They are the safest option if you are flying at night.

Colectivos are shared taxis where you split the taxi cost with the other people. If there are 4 people you will pay 20,000 COP ($4.90). This option is good only if you do not have a lot of luggage. They depart from San Diego Mall in the city centre and go straight to the airport.

The bus service is provided by the company, Combuses. They depart every 15 minutes from San Diego Mall or in front of Nutibara hotel, both within the city centre area. They will all say ‘Aeropuerto JMC’ on the front and the cost is 11,000 COP ($2.60), which is to be paid directly to the driver.

There are 3 airlines that offer direct flights from Medellin to Santa Marta; Avianca, Latam and Viva Air. In total, there are five departures a day, from 07:15 to 20:30. Flight time is approximately 1 hour.

Prices start from around 100,000 COP ($24) with a cabin-luggage-only option. Note that prices may increase if you book on short notice as well.

In terms of service, Avianca is a bigger airline and their service is superior. They offer refreshments, plus most planes have an individual tv and charging port. Another good option is Latam, who also offers a fairly good service.

Viva air, on the other hand, is a low-cost airline that charge extra for everything, even checking in at the airport. Most of the time their service is poor, so, unless the price difference with the other airlines is significant (which is not often the case), we don’t really recommend it.

Simon Bolivar International Airport in Santa Marta (SMR) is located 17 km from the city centre.

To get to the city centre, you can take a taxi from right outside the airport for around 35,000 COP ($8.50). The ride is about 30 minutes.

A much more affordable option is to take the public bus for 2,000 COP ($0.40), but keep in mind it will take much longer, sometimes over 1 hour, and it may get crowded.

The bus stop is outside the airport, past the car park. The bus line going towards the city centre is the ‘03′. This line also passes through the Rodadero area, in case you are staying there.

Somewhat confusing to most travellers, there are actually no set stops for buses in Santa Marta, so you just have to rely on the driver and other people for knowing where to get off.

Another popular option is to pre-arrange an airport pick-up with your hostel, hotel or Airbnb. This usually costs about the same as a taxi.

The bus ride from Medellin to Santa Marta takes roughly 15 hours 30 minutes to 19 hours. You can expect a comfortable ride if you travel with any of the companies listed below. However, it’s worth noting that a bus ticket costs just about the same price as a 2-hour flight.

Buses operating from Medellin to Santa Marta depart from Terminal del Norte. The main bus companies covering this route are Expreso Brasilia and Rápido Ochoa.

The buses are comfortable and include reclining seats, AC, a toilet, individual TVs and charging ports.

You can book your tickets online (showing them on a mobile is not sufficient, so make sure to print your ticket in advance!). You can also buy your ticket directly at the bus terminal, but keep in mind that night buses tend to sell out quickly, especially on weekends, so it is better to book ahead.

Terminal del Norte

Rey Dorado Lo Maximo

Terminal de Santa Marta

09:15

18h 15m

03:30

13:00

18h 15m

07:15

16:00

18h 15m

10:15

19:00

18h 15m

13:15

21:00

15h

12:00

21:00

16h

13:00

Rapido Ochoa

From 137,000 COP ($33)

Compare prices

• 24/7 customer support

137,000 COP ($33)

09:15

18h 15m

03:30

13:00

18h 15m

07:15

21:00

15h

12:00

Check on BookAway

Redbus

154,000 COP ($38)

21:00

16h

13:00

Check on Redbus

• 24/7 customer support

193,000 COP ($47)

16:00

18h 15m

10:15

19:00

18h 15m

13:15

Check on BookAway

Terminal del Norte

Gaviota Diamante

Terminal de Santa Marta

20:00

16h

12:00

22:00

16h

14:00

Expreso Brasilia

175,000 COP ($43)

Compare prices

• 24/7 customer support

175,000 COP ($43)

20:00

16h

12:00

22:00

16h

14:00

Check on BookAway

Redbus

182,000 COP ($44)

20:00

16h

12:00

22:00

16h

14:00

Check on Redbus

The best way to get to Santa Marta city centre is to take a taxi. The fare should be around 8,000 COP ($1.90). If you are staying in either of the El Rodadero or Taganga areas, that fare will increase to around 25,000 COP ($6.10).