Santa Marta Street Food Tour: 7 Tastings with a Local Guide
Description
In this experience you will explore the authentic flavors of the Caribbean coast of Colombia with a local guide. We visit 7 different stops in the Historic Center of Santa Marta, tasting traditional dishes such as fresh zapote fruit, creamy local avocado, handmade arepas from Doña Ketty, the famous cayeye from Doña Yami, coconut sweets, specialty Colombian coffee at GNAM Café, and Caribbean‑style patacones at a local restaurant. Along the way, you’ll meet family‑owned vendors, learn about regional ingredients, and discover how food reflects the history and culture of Santa Marta. This tour is friendly for vegetarian and vegan travelers, and we eat enough for both lunch and dinner—so come hungry and ready to enjoy!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We meet in front of San Francisco Church to introduce the flavors and stories of Santa Marta before starting our food adventure.
We enter the local market to taste fresh zapote and creamy local avocado from street vendors. This is where Santa Marta’s daily life and flavors truly begin
Doña Yami – Traditional Cayeye We visit Doña Yami’s stand to try cayeye, a beloved Caribbean dish made from mashed green plantains. You’ll learn why this breakfast is essential to costeño culture.
Doña Ketty – Handmade Arepas We stop at Doña Ketty’s street stand to watch how she prepares her famous handmade arepas. You’ll enjoy them fresh, just like locals do.
GNAM Café – Specialty Coffee Experience At GNAM Café, a cozy specialty coffee shop, a barista prepares high‑quality Colombian coffee using alternative brewing methods. We explore aromas, flavors, and the cultural importance of coffee in Colombia.
Santa Marta Bay – Scenic Walk & Cocadas We walk along the bay to enjoy ocean views and taste cocadas, traditional coconut sweets sold by local vendors. It’s a relaxing moment to enjoy Santa Marta’s coastal atmosphere.
Restaurante Mañe Cayón – Caribbean Patacones We finish the tour with delicious Caribbean-style patacones topped with Santa Marta flavors in a traditional local restaurant.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(41)
Trying street food here is an authentic experience. From freshly made stuffed arepas to tropical juices served with a smile, every bite has the taste of the Caribbean. Ideal for those looking for something local, economical and delicious.
Muchas gracias por tu comentario. Nos alegra saber que disfrutaste la comida callejera y los sabores auténticos del Caribe. En nuestro Santa Marta Street Food Tour buscamos precisamente eso: mostrar lo local, lo sencillo y lo delicioso de la ciudad a través de sus platos tradicionales y sus historias. Será un gusto recibirte nuevamente para seguir explorando juntos los sabores de Santa Marta.
It was an amazing and you really get to see different parts of Santa Marta! Our guide Al took us all over to see the open fish and fruit and vegetable markets. We tried juice drinks and food from local people! Great
Thank you so much for your kind review 😊 We’re very happy to hear you enjoyed exploring different parts of Santa Marta and tasting local food along the way. These authentic, local moments are what make the experience so special.We’ll also share your feedback with Alvaro; guides like him make a big difference in creating memorable experiences. Thanks again for joining us, and we hope to see you again in Colombia soon ✨ The True Colombian Experience Team
WOW! Amazing tour! Hugo is the best guide ever. He is a wonderful, caring and extremely knowledgable guide. He went above and beyond, devoting his whole day to us. Thank you, Hugo! His love for the English language comes through his happy and funny stories. I am a retired English teacher from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Hugo's English is better than mine. My wife and I have taken tours all over the world. Hugo is the best guide we have ever had. Do yourself a favor, book a tour with Hugo!
We had a wonderful experience with this tour. We got to see some of the city outside the historic center and experienced some local food that we wouldn't have tried on our own. One word of caution - go hungry. This is more that just a tasting tour and we had plenty of food and drinks for a nice lunch. Our guide spoke perfect English and the pacing was just right. It was a lovely tour and a highlight of our few days in Santa Marta.
Tour led us to many sites in Santa Marta, fruit markets, fish, meat etc. We made many stops to taste fruits, local dishes, and wonderful juices and coffee. Meanwhile Hugo was giving us much background on food, Santa Marta and local culture. Fun and informative. Hugo was a great guide, very dedicated, friendly and fun.
Great walking tour of the fruit/veg stands, trying fruit along the way. Also the fish market and meat market. Ate amazing arepas, green banana cayeye, plantain crust with cheese and shrimp. Add lemonade and wonderful coffee to make a wonderful time. Only 4 of us with Al and Hugo - their knowledge was shared freely and made me appreciate so much about Colombia. My only warning is that we walked at a good pace which might make this not a great fit if mobility is an issue.
The food tour was enjoyable. A lot of great options. We snacked on fruit on the way to the market, and got to try many foods typical to the region. My favourite thing we tried was the arepa con huevo. Our guide Alvaro was fantastic. He has a lot of knowledge of Santa Marta and the surrounding area. The tour lasts for 3-4 hours. Although there are many stops in between , bring good walking shoes. Sidewalks and roads are uneven.
If you’re looking for a nice way to see this city, this is it. Our guide did a lovely job. We were able to eat like locals, and we had a lot of food, including ice cold beers. I will do it again when we are next in Santa Marta.
We went to so many places, amazing street food and nice restaurant at the end. Our host answered all our questions. Overall about 4 miles walking over 4 hours. I would highly recommend.
The walking food experience was well paced, informative and provided excellent tasting opportunities. Our guide, Caroline was superb. Knowledgeable, friendly and professional.
