CityView Magazine

32 May 2023 a large green lizard climbed out on a limb above us and feasted on a nest of eggs. A number of other comfortable and clean eco-hostels and lodges are located nearby, with frequent taxis and buses available to bring visitors to the entrance. City by the bay Santa Marta, the oldest Spanish settlement in Colombia and the second- oldest in South America, is a modern city with gleaming white apartments and a crowded marina at one end of the harbor and busy shipping docks at the other. e blazing tropical heat of midday calls for lounging by the pool or catching the breeze from a shady rooop terrace. We enjoyed both at the Hotel Boutique Casa Carolina, as well as luxuriant architecture, great service, a spotless room and a restaurant featuring delicious local fare. e hotel is among several such hidden gems tucked off the street in the colonial city center. A late aernoon walk along the waterfront offers the opportunity to dip your toes in the Caribbean and catch a glimpse of how the locals live. With a lively night life of shops and restaurants full of tourists and locals, the colonial streets and plazas of the old town are perfect for an evening stroll. Perhaps the city's top tourist attraction is the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, a hacienda built in the 17th century that was the death place of the liberator Simón Bolívar on Dec. 17, 1830. Other attractions near Santa Marta include El Rodadero, a high-rise beachfront town popular with well-to-do Colombians, and Taganga, a collection of scruffy streets by a deep-blue bay that is known as one of the best places in Colombia to learn scuba diving. On the last day of our trip, we took a half- hour boat ride up a fast-flowing river to visit Taironaka. e small, quiet nature preserve and archaeological site is planted with a profusion of tropical flora, with peafowl wandering amid splashy bird-of-paradise plants. A small museum tells the story of the Tairona people with artifacts and artwork. e centerpiece of the park is a series of familiar stone terraces that once served as the hub of a community, quiet reminders of a time long ago. Scott Parker enjoys the view at breakfast at the EcoHostal Yuluka near Tayrona National Park. Photo by Liliana Parker few to have successfully resisted subjugation and assimilation. e mountains served as the cradle of the Tayrona civilization, whose people built the Lost City of Teyuna and buried their dead there in upright tombs filled with gold offerings. e trail passes close by settlements of the Wiwa, a deeply spiritual people who live simply at one with nature and consider every living and breathing aspect of their world sacred. Caribbean coast As the mountains topple into the Caribbean, they form a series of dry rocky headlands, turquoise bays and pristine beaches within Tayrona National Natural Park. e protected preserve of lagoons, reefs, boulders and jungle is rich in biodiversity and an ecotourist's dream destination. Visitors can take a boat tour, birdwatch, hike, ride a horse, enjoy fresh-caught seafood, snorkel along coral reefs, swim in the clear blue sea or just relax on the beach. We stayed at the delightful Eco Hostal Yuluka near the entrance to the park, where one morning at breakfast we watched as

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