Santa Marta, officially the tourist, cultural and historic Santa Marta, a Colombian city, capital of the department of Magdalena and third major urban center in the Caribbean Region after Barranquilla and Cartagena. Founded on July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, is the oldest existing city in Colombia and the second oldest in Sudamérica. This city, located in the bay of the same name, is one of the leading tourist destinations in the Caribbean colombiano. Its location between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, with the highest peaks in the country, and the Caribbean Sea, make it attractive for visit the variety of wildlife that are in the area, as well as cultural and historical sites that the city has. As an important fact, Simon Bolivar died at a ranch named Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino who at the time was outside the city, on 17 December 1830. Because of this, the 1991 constitution conferred upon the character of Santa Marta District tourist, cultural and Histórico. More under http://www.santamarta.gov.co
