Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino

Location:
Five Kilometers (3 miles) southeast of the city.
Santa Marta, Colombia

Museum Types:
History, Art, Botanical garden

By Lorraine Caputo

Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino has been around for ages (since 1608) with the mission to cultivate sugar cane. More than 200 years later, this finca would leave a deep mark on the history of Latin America. At 1:03 a.m. on December 17, 1830, Simón Bolívar exhaled his last breath in a front room. Restored to its original condition, this manor preserves the Liberator’s death bed, the carriage that brought him from Santa Marta to the farm and other artifacts. The grounds also house the Altar de la Patria monument, the impressive Museo Bolivariano de Arte Contemporáneo and the 22-hectare Jardín Botánico, all included in the price of admission.

Getting There
From Carrera 1 (Avenida Bastidas) in Santa Marta, take a south-bound buseta heading toward Mamatoca; tell the driver you want to get off at the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino ($0.50).

Travel Tips: Guides that speak Spanish and English are at hand (extra charge).

Price Description: $5.30 adults, $4.20 students and third-agers, $3.20 children 6-12 years, free children under 6 years).

Relative price: Mid-Range

Open Hours from:Daily 9:30 a.m.

Open Hours to:Daily 4:30 p.m.

Days Closed:Closed 1 January.

Travel Skills: None

You Need to Bring: Bring a camera, water, snack.

Bolívar’s former tombs in Santa Marta’s Catedral; the Museo de Oro Tairona, in the former Aduanas building, where the Liberator’s body reposed before burial; stroll the old Bananatown; visit Aracataca and Ciénaga; tour the other museums in Santa Marta and El Rodadero.

Currencies accepted
Colombian Peso