A Cheap Beach Vacation
Made In Colombia Prices

Your cheap beach vacation begins when you get off the plane on Colombian soil, your money finally has spending power, and for the small amounts of money spent you will get to do a lot, and enjoy the hospitality of a great people in a low harassment country.

And why shouldn’t your vacation be inexpensive when the area didn’t have to be built, not as far as the tropical beaches go, and beach camping is an option that doesn’t cost much, laying on the beach all day working on a suntan shouldn’t be too pricey.

The Colombian economy is not dependent on foreign tourism, and the tourist business has survived for many many years with both Colombian and visitors from other parts of South America.

They like Santa Marta for

• Beaches
• Weather
• Beautiful surroundings
• Parties
• Low costs
• Low harassment factor

For a cheap beach vacation though you’re going to be on your own, to get to the beaches, to hunt down the cheapest restaurants, to figure out the bus system, you will find it’s fun to do it all yourself. I like to find a place that I like and take a short trip, then return, then try a different place then return, then go a little further, as I get more and more familiar and get a good feel for the area I keep moving farther away, and when you do it this way it’s all easy. Do a little and build your confidence, do a little more, sometimes it’s good to move forward, other times you need to back up and reassess the situation.

Another good way is to partner up with a person, you can go out together or have a person watching out for you if you are late returning, we do this in the helicopter business all the time, no one goes out alone without a plan of

1. Destination
2. Route
3. Contacts, name, phone numbers, addresses
4. Estimated time of arrival
5. When you arrive call your friend up to tell them you have arrived safely.

There’s a saying “You plan to fail if you fail to plan,.

As a major destination for cheap beach vacations for Colombians and with a population of over 42,000,000 people, there is a good hotel and restaurant infrastructure to serve you.

This is why the normal pricing for hotel rooms are below what you would expect to pay for a cheap beach vacation in the Caribbean. As the construction costs and land costs are low, and the average Colombian salary is low they have priced their rooms and food to serve a Colombian family, in other parts of the Caribbean the islands are totally dependent on foreign tourism so the pricing is based on what an American, European or Canadian would be willing to pay and they will pay a lot. Hang out with people who don’t have money and you and you will spend quite a bit less than if you are with a group that has lots of money, with the poorer group you will feel rich, with the well off group you will feel poor.

If you look for an international hotel chain you can probably expect to pay international prices. That does give you a certain amount of security of knowing what you will be getting, for some that’s the best way to go, at least until you see what is out there and what other people are paying, then you will be anxious to move.

I know that’s the way it works for McDonalds restaurants, these meals are expensive in Santa Marta, a regular meal at a Colombian restaurant is half the price.

Speaking of restaurants, in the city of Santa Marta you should be able to enjoy you main meal of the day for $3.00, I have seen some places for $2.00, another option is the Olimpica chain of food stores, who serve buffet style meals for bargain prices, the restaurant is towards the back of the stores, there are many other grocery stores that do the same so stay on the lookout, I eat at the stores as I like to spend like a Colombian.

Taking a cab

The cab system works well, 3000 pesos seems to be a normal fare for 5 -10 city blocks, thats about $1.50. the cabs are always in circulation and they are super convenient.

City Bus System

Learn to use the bus system and you can go all over the city for 1200 pesos, that’s only 60 cents. The buses shown are small ones, many are larger, they seem to be run by independent owners. As the majority of the people travel by bus you never have to wait long to find a bus showing up. The system works very well, you certainly don’t need a car to get around.

If you stay away from the area from mid December to Mid January and April 20-25 you will find the best rates. The high season through Christmas and New Years and April 20-25 is party time in Colombia.

For a cheap beach vacation here are a few possibilities.
1 US dollar will buy about 1800 Colombian pesos so divide the Colombian prices by 1800 to get the American dollar equivilant.
See their tariffs

Hotel Medellin Rodadero
Just blocks from the Caribbean
Prices begin at about $25.00 with a fan and $35.00 air conditioned.
Four to a room $17.00

Hotel Tayrona

El Rodadero has published rates at around $50.00 a night.

Hotel Turismar
This is a very good budget priced hotel just across the street from the beach.

As you move out of Santa Marta towards Taganga a cheap beach vacation is easier to find, with lower prices as Taganga hosts many hostels and also bed and breakfasts, some places for less than $10.00 a night.

Whether you just want to save some money or need to spend little for accommodation, at least it’s easier to spend less and your money will go far if you put a little time in to inquire about places, locations and prices.

Although Santa Marta has a population of approximately 450,000 the city is small, no freeways but many parks.

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