Santa Marta's food is the cooking of a Caribbean port and a mountain hinterland: fried and grilled fish, coconut rice, plantain in several forms, corn arepas, tropical fruit and some of the best coffee and cacao in the country. It is not fine dining, and that is the charm. Meals are generous, flavors are straightforward and most of the best eating happens in small restaurants, market stalls and street carts. This guide explains the dishes to look for and how to eat well on a budget.
Breakfast
The coast starts the day with filling food. Look for cayeye, a mash of green plantain topped with cheese and often served with a fried egg, which is a signature breakfast of the Magdalena region. Arepas de huevo, crisp corn pockets with an egg cooked inside, are sold on street corners, and bakeries offer cheese-filled pastries, empanadas and bread. Order a tinto, a small black coffee, or a cafe con leche, and a fresh juice of mango, passion fruit or lulo. Breakfast is usually cheap, and a simple plate can keep you going through a morning hike.
Lunch: fish, rice and patacones
The classic lunch is a whole fried fish, often mojarra or snapper, served with coconut rice, salad and patacones, flattened and fried green plantain. Fish stews, shrimp dishes and ceviche are also popular. Many restaurants offer a menu of the day, called corrientazo, with soup, a main dish, rice, a salad and a juice for a low price, which is the best value for a sit-down meal. Seafood near the bay is fresh, and the smaller fishing village of Taganga has simple beachfront restaurants with the day's catch.
Street food
Street carts and small stalls sell empanadas, fried cheese pastries, grilled meat skewers, fruit cups sprinkled with salt and lime and cold coconut water. A guided street food tour in the old town is a good way to taste seven or eight of these in one outing and learn which vendors locals trust. As with street food anywhere, choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh, and carry hand sanitizer.
Fruit, juices and drinks
The tropical fruit here is a pleasure, from guanabana and lulo to mamoncillo, mango and pitaya. Juices are made fresh, either in water or milk, and corozo, a tangy red palm fruit, is a coastal favorite. For something cold and sweet, try limonada de coco, a blend of lime and coconut. Beer is cheap, with Aguila and Club Colombia among the common brands, and aguardiente, an anise-flavored spirit, is the traditional party drink. Drink bottled or filtered water, and check that ice is made from purified water in smaller places.
Coffee and cacao
The Sierra Nevada has grown coffee for well over a century, and the farms around Minca welcome visitors for tours and tastings. You can follow the beans from picking and drying to roasting and the cup, and many farms also grow cacao and show how it becomes chocolate. Buy a bag of beans or a chocolate bar directly from a producer, which supports small farmers and makes an excellent souvenir. In the city, specialty cafes now serve local beans prepared with care.
Eating near Tayrona and in the villages
Meals inside and beside the park are simple: rice, fish, chicken, beans and fried plantain, often at set times. Bring snacks for long hikes and expect limited choice at eco-lodges, where menus may be fixed. In Palomino and Minca, small restaurants and cafes serve a mix of local and traveler-friendly dishes, from fresh fish to vegetarian plates.
Vegetarians and dietary needs
Meat and fish dominate menus, but vegetarians can eat well on arepas, plantain, rice, beans, fruit and cheese. Tell restaurants clearly what you do not eat, because soups and rice may be cooked with meat stock. In the old town and in tourist areas you will find more vegetarian and vegan options, particularly in cafes.
Practical tips
Lunch is the main meal and usually starts around noon, while dinners are lighter and later. Tipping of around ten percent is customary in sit-down restaurants and is often added to the bill as an optional service charge, so check before you add more. Carry cash for small places. Learn the words for common dishes, and do not be afraid to ask what is fresh that day. A relaxed approach and a bit of curiosity will take you a long way.
A simple eating plan
Start the day with an arepa de huevo and a juice, eat fried fish and coconut rice at lunch near the water, snack on fruit or empanadas in the afternoon and finish with dinner in the old town, where seafood restaurants and small bars stay lively late. Add a coffee tour in Minca and a street food walk, and you will have eaten across the region in a few days.