Santa Marta Aerial Maps Illustrate The Regions Unique Geography Looking at Santa Marta from an aerial maps perspective it is easy to see the Santa Marta and region unique layout that fosters unique species of animals, climatic seasons based on elevation rather than the time of year. The larger regional area includes the travel destinations of Santa Marta, Taganga, El Rodadero, Bello Horizonte, Pozos Colorados, going eastward towards Riohacha, south from Santa Marta moves you towards the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta then onward to the higher elevations.
Tayrona National Park is the central part of this region, this region has a mandate from the government to remain pristine and not to have the region destroyed by development by large multinationals, so hopefully Tayrona Park will remain beautiful and untouched. Aerial maps of this region give a good idea of the landforms of this coastal area You have to travel a long way to find beaches this nice, there are not very many places in North America that could compare when you consider the park has only a dirt road for an entrance, that's a big change from a ten lane freeway passing by that you would find in North America or Europe. Highway 90 will take you fairly close to the entrance of Tayrona Park, the highway is 2 lane. Tayrona Park is truly one of the great travel destinations if you like nature and beautiful beaches.
Going in the other direction westward from Santa Marta you reach the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta which is a large swampy area of mangroves partially destroyed from a highway that was constructed in the 1950's which upset the balance of the region. As you travel a little further west you reach the Magdalena River. Aerial maps of this region show how easy it would be to change the character of this region, the highway ended up serarating the natural flow of water from the ocean to the inland areas.
The city of Santa Marta with a population of roughly 430,000 sits along the Caribbean coast facing a westerly direction, when you look out at the bay at night your sure to notice the beautiful sunsets of the region. This area is not an industrial city so there is not that much air pollution, the people in the area conserve and probably use one fifth the energy as Americans or one sixth Canadians use, there is not the same need for a 4000 square foot house and three cars sitting in front of the house, that translates into far less pollution and less need of supporting resources. The city is also compact and does not suffer from urban sprawl, it's easy to get around with no freeway system and hopefully it will stay that way.
El Rodadero is located just to the west of Santa Marta, my estimate is that the population is less than 100,000. In my opinion you simply cannot beat El Rodadero for it's nice hotels and the proximity of the beach. and it sits at the bottom of the foothills and has music, vendors on the beach, warm waters and enough to do so you won't be bored but not so much going on that you don't get to rest and relax while you are visiting. I like walking around and sitting in the shade of the restaurants, having a beer and something to snack on, that is what I call an ideal vacation, no schedules, plenty of free time, good food and drinks to keep you cool.
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