Latest news with #SantaMarta
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Travelers Flock To 500-Year-Old Santa Marta, Colombia, The Next Best Destination in the Caribbean
Aerial view of Santa Marta, Colombia getty I'll let you in on a little secret: one of the coolest destinations in the Caribbean isn't on an island at all. Located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, the colorful, colonial-era city of Cartagena transformed tourism in the region, slowly at first and then all at once. It's a destination that seamlessly mixes history, heritage, and beachy beauty in a way few others in the Caribbean can. Cartagena's transformation over the past fifteen years has been the talk of Caribbean tourism, but ask a local where they're headed on a beach vacation, and you'll hear one answer: Santa Marta. Just a few hours up the coast from Cartagena, Santa Marta is a beachfront gem that handily proves that Colombia's self-styled moniker as 'the Country of Beauty' is easily earned. Celebrating its 500th birthday this summer, Santa Marta finally seems poised to emerge from the shadow of bigger, buzzier Cartagena, once and for all. Beachfront dining at Santa Marta Marriott Resort Playa Dormida. Santa Marta Marriott Resort Playa Dormida The sweet, seaside city of Santa Marta is only the third-largest city on Colombia's Caribbean coast; it doesn't even crack the top ten cities in the country in terms of size. Yet as the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in Colombia, Santa Marta holds an immensity of historic and cultural influence that has shaped the nation. Out of every city in Colombia, Santa Marta shines as the destination to show the most rapidly growing tourism industry, during a year when Colombia hit a record-breaking 6.8 million visitors. Recent statistics from the nation's Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism show that in February, Santa Marta showed the most rapid growth in national arrivals of any city in Colombia, welcoming 26.1% more visitors than it did the previous year. In March, it welcomed 19.9% more visitors. Santa Marta also showed a 22.7% increase in international arrivals over the previous year, third among all Colombian cities in terms of the most rapid growth from abroad. This is even more remarkable considering the city's flight capacity. Currently, Santa Marta receives just three international direct flights a week, all via Copa Airlines' Hub of the Americas in Panama City, Panama. Cabo San Juan in Tayrona National Park outside Santa Marta, Colombia. getty Destination Diversity What's bringing so many visitors to Santa Marta these days? Perhaps the better question is: what isn't? "[Santa Marta] is the oldest city in the country and one of the few places in the world where you can go from the Caribbean Sea to snow-capped mountains in a single day," says Tomas Ford, General Manager of Santa Marta Marriott Resort Playa Dormida, one of the most beloved beachside places to stay in the city. "Its blend of history, culture, biodiversity, and coastal charm offers travelers an experience that feels authentic," he says. "From our Marta attracts a rich mix: foodies looking for Caribbean flavors, families seeking comfort and fun, beach lovers chasing sunsets, and adventure seekers drawn to jungle treks and diving," says Ford. Like Cartagena, it's a destination that has a unique mix of vibrant city life and coastal relaxation. But in Santa Marta, the beaches are even better. Well-heeled travelers familiar with the Caribbean coast of Colombia will tell you that while Cartagena is waterfront, its beaches leave much to be desired. Santa Marta, on the other hand, is home to Tayrona National Park, known for having the best beaches in Colombia, if not in all of South America. Here, the golden, palm-fringed sands rival those found on any Caribbean island neighbor. Even better, beaches sit within a strictly protected territory that limits daily visitor numbers and prevents overtourism, making them almost totally undeveloped and untouched. It's hard to find a more paradisiacal playa anywhere these days. Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City, hidden in the jungle near Santa Marta. getty "We've also noticed an increasing number of travelers looking for meaningful, nature-connected experiences, and this region delivers on all fronts," says Ford. Hidden within the mountains that hem in Santa Marta is a geological and ecological richness that Cartagena just can't compete with. Visitors can take excursions into the jungle to encounter everything from endemic flora and fauna to hidden waterfalls with swimming holes, but the biggest reward comes from the four-day trek to Ciudad Perdida, a "lost" city known only to the indigenous communities that cared for it until the 1970s. Some compare the terraced ruins to Machu Picchu, but with only a few dozen visitors reaching this architectural marvel every day via trekking routes loving cared for and protected by indigenous communities, the experience of a visit couldn't be further from that at the overrun city of the Incas. Tayrona National Park near Santa Marta, Colombia. getty The Next Half Millennium 2025 has already been a banner year for tourism in Santa Marta, but as the city celebrates its 500th anniversary, there's even more reason to visit now. "Expect cultural events, traditional music, local gastronomy, and storytelling that honors the city's legacy," says Ford. "It's the perfect time to enjoy signature flavors like bollos, arepas de huevo, and fresh seafood while walking streets that have seen half a millennium of history." Celebrations are ongoing in the city through the end of the month, though the festive spirit of the city feels likely to linger the rest of the year. There's still much to be done to continue to strengthen Santa Marta as a Caribbean destination with international appeal. The city's airport still can't hold a candle to Cartagena when it comes to receiving direct international flights, despite the numerous flights it receives daily from Colombian destinations like Bogotá, Medellín and Cali. Only time will tell if Santa Marta is ever able to reach the level of buzz of nearby Cartagena. However, for many visitors, it's Santa Marta's serenity, combined with its untouched, unchanged beaches, bays, and natural beauty that makes it so appealing in the first place, and that's something they hope will never change.
CBS News
03-07-2025
- CBS News
Drone "narco sub" — equipped with Starlink antenna — seized for the first time in the Caribbean
Combating narco-subs and narco-terrorism in the U.S. and abroad The Colombian navy on Wednesday announced its first seizure of an unmanned "narco sub" equipped with a Starlink antenna off its Caribbean coast. The semisubmersible vessel was not carrying drugs, but the Colombian navy and Western security sources based in the region told AFP they believed it was a trial run by a cocaine trafficking cartel. "It was being tested and was empty," a naval spokeswoman confirmed to AFP. Manned semi-submersibles built in clandestine jungle shipyards have been used for decades to ferry cocaine north from Colombia, the world's biggest cocaine producer, to Central America or Mexico. But in recent years, they have been sailing much further afield, crossing the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The latest find, announced by Admiral Juan Ricardo Rozo at a press conference, is the first reported discovery in South American waters of a drone narco sub. The navy said it was owned by the Gulf Clan, Colombia's largest drug trafficking group and had the capacity to transport 1.5 tons of cocaine. A low-profile unmanned semi-submersible vessel sits between two Colombian Navy boats off the coast of Tayrona Park near Santa Marta, Colombia, on July 2, 2025. Colombian Navy Press Office / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images The Gulf Clan is one of several cartels recently designated as foreign terrorist groups by the United group's "primary source of income is from cocaine trafficking, which it uses to fund its paramilitary activities," according to the U.S. State Department. A video released by the navy showed a small grey vessel with a satellite antenna on the bow. This is not the first time a Starlink antenna has been used at sea by suspected drug traffickers. In November, Indian police seized a giant consignment of meth worth $4.25 billion in a vessel steered remotely by Starlink near the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands. It was the first known discovery of a narco sub operated by Starlink. Floating "coffins" Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the U.N. drug agency said last month. In Colombia, production has reached record levels, fuelled by surging global demand. Rozo said the use of autonomous subs reflected the traffickers "migration toward more sophisticated unmanned systems" which are hard to detect at sea, "difficult to track by radar and even allow criminal networks to operate with partial autonomy." Juana Cabezas, a researcher at Colombia's Institute for Development and Peace Studies, told AFP that powerful Mexican drug cartels, who operate in Colombia, "hired technology experts and engineers to develop an unmanned submarine" as far back as 2017. She pointed out that drone vessels made it harder for the authorities to pinpoint the drug lords behind the shipments. "Removing the crew eliminates the risk of captured operators cooperating with authorities," agreed Henry Shuldiner, an investigator for the U.S.-based InSight Crime think tank, who co-authored a report on the rise of narco subs. Shuldiner also highlighted the challenge of assembling crews to sail makeshift subs described as floating "coffins." The journey can be deadly: In 2023, a "narco sub" with two dead bodies and nearly three tons of cocaine aboard was seized off the coast of Colombia. A submarine with two dead bodies and nearly three tons of cocaine aboard was seized in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia, officials said. Colombia Navy A near record number of the low-profile vessels were intercepted in the Atlantic and Pacific in 2024, according to the report. In November last year, five tons of Colombian cocaine were found on a semi-submersible en route to faraway Australia. Colombian law punishes the use, construction, marketing, possession, and transportation of semi-submersibles with penalties of up to 14 years in prison. Though commonly spotted off the coast of Colombia, narco subs have been intercepted across the globe in recent months. Just last week, the Mexican navy seized 3.5 tons of cocaine hidden in a semisubmersible vessel off the Pacific coast, while releasing video of the "narco sub" being intercepted. In March, Portuguese police said forces had confiscated nearly 6.5 tons of cocaine from a semi-submersible vessel off the remote Azores archipelago that was bound for the Iberian peninsula. In January, a suspected narco sub broke in two pieces as a fishing boat was towing it to a port in northwest Spain.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Breakthrough in gruesome murder of London-based scientist found hacked to pieces in Colombia
Colombian police have made a breakthrough in their investigation into the brutal murder and dismemberment of a UK-based Italian scientist. Molecular biologist Alessandro Coatti was reported missing on April 4 after arriving in the coastal city of Santa Marta for a holiday. Two days later, his body parts were found scattered across several different locations. His torso was discovered miles away from his dismembered legs, head, hands and feet. Cops had wildly varying theories as to how and why the scientist, who previously worked at London 's Royal Society of Biology (RSB) for eight years as a senior policy officer, was murdered. They ranged from a case of mistaken identity between battling cartels to a kidnapping at the hands of organ traffickers. But investigators settled on the theory that Coatti fell victim to a gang that targets foreigners looking for dates, luring them to abandoned buildings before robbing them. Colombian police this weekend swooped in to arrest four people, three men and one woman, they believe were complicit in the scientist's murder. It comes as Coatti's remains arrived in Ravenna, close to his hometown of Longastrino in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, for further examination, the Italian embassy in Bogota announced. Alessandro Coatti's head, hands and feet were found in a black suitcase while other parts were discovered wrapped in a bin bag floating in a river Local news site Seguimiento Santa Marta release images of the four detainees arrested in connection with Coatti's murder Local news site Seguimiento Santa Marta release images of the four detainees arrested in connection with Coatti's murder The detainees were named by Colombian newspaper Hoy-Diario del Magdalena as Oswal Moises Ospino Navarro, arrested in Medellin, Isaac Enrique Màrquez Charris, captured in Arjona (Bolivar), Andrea Camila Berdugo Escorcia, in Bogotà, and Brian Augusto Cantillo Salcedo, arrested in Santa Marta. Colonel Jaime Rios Puerto, commander of the Colombian Metropolitan Police, said investigators had confirmed the location of Coatti's murder and dismemberment and subsequently tracked the alleged perpetrators despite attempts to evade authorities. Coatti's head, hands and feet were found in a suitcase near the Sierra Nevada stadium on April 6, two days after he was last seen leaving his hotel by the coast. His torso and other body parts were then found near the Minuto de Dios bridge a day later, before his legs were found in a coffee sack near the stadium on Tuesday. Investigators are yet to specify exactly how Coatti's murder transpired, but the leading theory is that the gang lured him to an abandoned property in San José del Pando, a neighbourhood of Santa Marta, under the pretence of a date. There, they are thought to have tried to drug him with scopolamine, better known as 'Devil's Breath', an anti-sickness medication that can be used as a tranquiliser in higher doses. Victims of the Devil's Breath can suffer temporary paralysis, confusion and sink into a stupor. Cops believe the gang members may have tried to drug and tie up Coatti in an attempt to make him hand over his bank cards, pin codes and valuables, but attacked and killed him in a robbery-gone-wrong scenario, according to Italian outlet Corriere. Coatti had worked at the Royal Society of Biology since April 2017 - first as a science policy officer and for the past six years as a senior science policy officer. Before joining the professional association, created to advance the interests of biology in academia, industry, education and research, the Italian-born scientist had been a post-graduate neuroscience researcher at University College London. He was among RSB representatives who appeared before Parliament, in June 2022, to discuss the future regulation of UK genetic technologies. The RSB shared a touching tribute to Coatti in the wake of his death. 'We are devastated to announce the death of former colleague Alessandro Coatti who was murdered in Colombia. 'Alessandro, known as Ale... was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading RSB animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organising events and giving evidence in the House of Commons. 'He will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with him. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to his friends and family at this truly awful time.' Coatti's LinkedIn profile was subsequently memorialised by the RSB as 'a tribute to his professional legacy'. The molecular biologist last year departed the RSB to travel to South America. He had spent time volunteering in Ecuador and Coatti's family members said he had gone on holiday to Colombia because he was entertaining the idea of moving there. His uncle, Giovanni Coatti, previously said of his nephew: 'He wanted to go and live in South America so he went for a trip to see; he was supposed to be back next week.' They are still working to understand whether or not he ever arrived, scouring CCTV and phone records. According to his uncle, he would not have been an obvious target for thieves. 'He never had much money in his pockets, or a watch or other precious objects,' he said. 'All he had was a new mobile phone to take pictures but even that was a cheap one.'
CBS News
23-06-2025
- CBS News
Reward leads to suspected killers of Italian scientist whose dismembered body was found in Colombia, police say
Colombian police said Monday that a reward had led them to the suspected killers of a noted Italian scientist whose dismembered remains were found scattered around the Caribbean resort city of Santa Marta in April. Alessandro Coatti, 42, worked for Britain's Royal Society of Biology as a science policy officer whose job included giving evidence to parliament, before leaving that post in 2024 to travel in South America. Part of his body was found in a suitcase on a riverbank on April 6. Other remains were later found in other locations. Coatti had arrived in Santa Marta, a city that acts as a gateway to idyllic palm-lined Caribbean beaches and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada mountain range, as a tourist. The police said he was lured by a gang that planned to rob him to an abandoned house in the city, through a dating app for the LGBTQ community. Scientist Alessandro Coatti was reported missing in Santa Marta, Colombia, on April 5, 2025. Royal Society of Biology El Tiempo quoted a local hotel worker as saying Coatti was conducting research on local animal species and had asked about visiting the village of Minca, about six miles southeast of Santa Marta. Santa Marta's Mayor Carlos Pinedo said Sunday that four people suspected of his murder and dismemberment had been arrested in raids in the Colombian capital Bogota, the second city of Medellin as well as in Santa Marta and the town of Arjona, near the port city of Cartagena. At a press conference on Monday, Santa Marta police chief Colonel Jaime Rios said that the police had received a tip-off, which led them to a house where traces of blood were found. "Through arduous investigative work, interviews were conducted, biological traces belonging to the victim were collected, and security camera footage was analyzed, which were all key to solving the case," he said. The gruesome killing of Coatti, described by colleagues at the Royal Society of Biology as a respected scientist, caused shock in Colombia. "He was a passionate and dedicated scientist, leading RSB animal science work, writing numerous submissions, organizing events and giving evidence in the House of Commons," the RSB said in a statement after Coatti's death. "Ale was funny, warm, intelligent, loved by everyone he worked with, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with him." Pinedo had offered a reward of $12,000 for information leading to the capture of his killers. Rios said the reward had led to the breakthrough in the investigation. The Sierra Nevada mountains are home to a drug-running paramilitary gang known as the "Conquistadors of the Sierra Nevada." It is not known if they had any hand in Coatti's murder, but they have been linked to the murder and dismemberment of others in recent years.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Daily Mail
I visited a little-known town that is the 'real Colombia' - and looks like time has stood still
Everyone loves Cartagena. Ask the next person to describe the perfect Caribbean town and, chances are, it will look just like this Spanish‑colonial jewel, on Colombia's sunny northern coast. Dainty wrought-iron balconies droop with bougainvillea, those pastel-hued plazas and churches are Insta-perfect. The only trouble is - as everybody agrees - Cartagena's quaint narrow lanes get jammed with mariachi trios and American honeymooners. Not to worry, for I am told that if you put in some effort, you can find a colonial Colombian town just as exquisite - yet you can essentially have it all to yourself. Where might that be? Next dawn I jump in my car-plus-driver. Soon enough the cityscape dissolves into banana groves. Three hours later we rattle into Santa Marta, an agreeably vivid port in a spectacular location, where snowcapped mountains barge their way into the ocean. Sipping a café cortado on the breezy seafront I mention my onward plan. The dashingly moustachio'd barista says, 'Are you really going to Mompox? You are lucky. And unlucky.' Lucky, he explains, because I will see the 'real Colombia'; unlucky because after that, everywhere else might seem a bit colourless. Onwards and inland. In time, the ranches and pastures give way to waterways and jungle Finally, after a full six hours of driving, the great Magdalena River widens before us, and we pull into my ultimate destination. Santa Cruz de Mompox. Or just 'Mompox' to those that love it. History hangs languidly around Mompox, like one of its many hammocks. In the 17th century Spanish merchants, fleeing piratical British raids on the coast, stashed their fortunes here: building palaces, churches, warehouses, mansions. Then the channel silted up, trade evaporated, and Mompox was brilliantly marooned. Result - the nearest Starbucks is 200km away, likewise the nearest chain-hotel or hypermarket. No one complains. There are a few decorous boutique hotels – and a few laid-back bars and riverbank restaurants. Safe, sequestered, delightful little Mompox gets just enough tourism for that. My bijou bolt-hole is a tiled, colonial palacio with greenery around a plunge pool. After a soothing siesta I step out into the town and I discover that, just as I hoped, there is almost nothing to do. At dusk the locals bring out mahogany rocking chairs, and perch them on the riverside, sipping cold Colombiana beer. After an hour they drift off to the cafes, for fresh catfish in coconut curry. Meanwhile an owl roosts in an ornate church-tower, and boys play football in the starlit plazas. Next day I go out on the river - which is what people do when they're not staring at the river. As the afternoon draws on drowsily, the boat idles through lily‑clogged creeks where kingfishers swoop, electrically blue. A fisherman grins, knee‑deep in the river; the haul is so plentiful he barely has to work, so he waves at us instead. His laughing kids do the same. As we head home the skipper kills the engine - to watch the tropical sun perform its nightly trick. With the daylight dying behind, Mompox turns crimson, then purple, with its bell‑towers mirrored in the copper-coloured river-wash. That Santa Marta barista was right. Cartagena dazzles, Santa Marta sizzles, but Mompox enchants As I locate my evening rocking chair, I think of Gabriel García Márquez's famous words about this town: 'Mompox does not exist, yet sometimes we dream of her.' With all due respect, I disagree with the great Colombian novelist. Mompox exists, gorgeously and stubbornly, right on the watery edge of reality.
