Azalea Hostal

I’ve stayed at Azalea four times, six nights in total, and it’s a welcoming place to relax between adventures. Jorge, the owner, is a great guy and always working to make sure guests are enjoying their visit. One night he handed out rum and cokes, another night Aguila, and on my last night he cooked everyone a big pork and potatoes dinner. None of it was announced ahead of time, and it was all free.

The hostel has a relaxed space with hammocks and a free billiard table, plus breakfast with toast, eggs, and coffee. The owner helped us a lot with our trips and stored our luggage for free. I can only recommend it.

I booked one night and wound up staying three. It’s a super chill, very cheap hostel, and the owner speaks both Spanish and English. There’s a supermarket just a block away. You can get downtown Santa Marta by bus in about 20 minutes, and La Quinta San Pedro, where Simon Bolivar is buried, is a short bus ride too.

I stayed here on two separate days and had a nice time. The staff were fun, really nice, and ready to help. There’s a room with air conditioning, which you need in Santa Marta, and the beer costs just 2,000 pesos. They’ll also keep your bag while you go to Tayrona. I recommend it!