Santa Marta City Tour with Gold Museum Visit

We booked a private tour but was asked to share due to guide shortage. The van is 11 seater so we are good with 5 of us plus a couple. Gold museum was closed on Monday so our guide Andres gave us fruit tasting and chilled mango juice. So it was good even with sharing.

Our guide Heberth was very proactive in communicating with us prior to our meeting time. he was right outside the Cruse gate at tour time. His knowledge of the history of the area and especially of the four indigenous tribes was extensive. He did a great job was very personable and we thought the tour was great.

Even before the tour Andreas was helpful texting details about meeting at the cruise terminal and he also spoke to our taxi driver! We enjoyed sampling coffee and fruit and then headed to the museum and cultural sights. We felt safe and well taken care of!!

BEWARE! We were extremely scared by what happened to us and we did not feel safe. The tour is described as a "walking tour". The location was only a few blocks from our hotel. Here is what happened to us. We started asking Viator for details on meeting point a few days before. We received a message from Guillermo the night before saying he would pick us up. This is not what happened. In the morning we were met by a nice elderly man who had a tour vest on but no name tag that said Viator. He said we would be taking a taxi. When we got in the taxi we were told we were going to Taganga. I just happened to know that this is a small fishing village 20 minutes away and it's a rough place. We started saying why? They had no answers. I stepped out of the cab and contacted Viator. All they said was we were to ask them why? We got back in the cab and they started driving to Taganga! I said NO! We are not going to Taganga. The driver stopped by the warf and we got out and so did Manuel the tour guide. The tour guide had no knowledge about what the tour was supposed to be. We pulled up the tour description and showed it to him. He was very confused also. He pointed out that we were only a block from the Gold Museum so we went there. I do not blame Manuel for this. He was a nice man and had excellent knowledge about the history. The other thing that happened is we did not receive the "Caribbean" cuisine and drinks advertised. This was supposed to be included. It was 90 degrees and humid so we really needed this. I do blame Viator and their choice of tour operators. I believe we were in some kind of danger because on one side of the cab where we sat there was no handle on the inside to get out. Where were they taking us and why? We felt that maybe this could be a robbery at best? We would still like to get answers from Viator. This was not like any experience I've had in the past with Viator.

Our tour began and ended at the marina. We walked down the malecon as our guide told us about the history of Santa Marta, pointing out early landmarks and fortifications, such as . The malecon ends near Bolivar Plaza and the Santa Marta letters. We walked through the plaza to get to our first major stop, the Gold museum. The walk was pleasant because it is shady and cool. The Gold Museum was very good, giving us a view of the rich culture of the native tribes of northern Colombia and fueled the Spanish conquest of the region. The museum also contained other artifacts and information about the founding and evolution of Santa Marta. It was an interesting and must do stop on the tour. After the Gold Museum, we wandered through some of the streets going through street markets offering local artisan goods and local foods. We worked our way to the Cathedral of Santa Marta. A mass was in session so we couldn't enter during the tour, however, we returned later on our own. As is typical of churches from that era, it is ornate and quite beautiful. A historical note is Simon Bolivar's remains were buried in the church for several years before being returned to Venezuela. After the cathedral we continued to walk through other market streets and visiting other sights such as Parque de los Novios (Park of the boy/girl friends). The tour ended back at the marina. Our tour guide, whose name I do not remember, was excellent answering all our questions. This was a good tour and I highly recommend it.