Santa Marta is one of Colombia’s best-known scuba diving spots, and the main reason is that it’s the place with the most attractive rates.
But beware of these rates , which often rhyme with poor service and average safety conditions. Still, Santa Marta and the waters of Tayrona Park are a great place to go scuba diving if you’re in the area!
In this post we introduce you to the Santa Marta diving spot and advise you on which dive center to contact.
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Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Diving in Santa Marta (Taganga)
THE SUPERB SEABED OF TAYRONA PARK
Santa Marta is one of Colombia’s many diving spots, along with Cartagena and the Islas del Rosario, Capurgana, Mucura and the Pacific Coast, notably Nuqui and Isla Gorgona.
Scuba diving in Santa Marta takes place in the waters off the Tayrona Park. The topography of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain in the world, juts out into the sea like the fingers of a giant hand, forming bays and coves of singular beauty.
This is one of the reasons why there is such an abundance of coral and a variety of fish, as not only do nutrients fall from the cold rivers of the sierra, but they also come with the north winds of the Guajira.
What level of diving in Santa Marta?
Diving in the waters off the Tayrona Park is accessible to all levels and allows you to admire a rich underwater flora and fauna.
The species that can be seen are quite unpredictable due to the constant movement of the waters, but with a little (a lot) of luck you can expect to see butterfly fish, turtles or whale sharks.
In any case, you can discover a wide variety of reef fish and large schools of coral.
Thewaters of the 4.500-hectareTayrona Park, in the Isla Aguja and Baie de Granate regions, boast over 100 species of coral, more than 200 species of sponges, over 300 species of algae and 400 species of sea and river fish.
Best seasons for diving
Scuba diving in Santa Marta
Depending on the season, the sea in Santa Marta is more or less welcoming to divers.
When the wind starts to blow, the sea becomes very rough, as is traditionally the case during the months of January and February in Santa Marta. But this is also the period when visibility is at its best.
In any case, scuba diving in Santa Marta means you can enjoy the Tayrona Park seabed all year round. On the other hand, choosing a serious diving center means you can be sure you’re only going out in the safest possible conditions. Never skimp on safety when scuba diving!
Seasons in Santa Marta
- Best visibility: December to April
- Calm sea: May to November
Who to dive with in Santa Marta
Scuba diving in Taganga
There are many scuba diving agencies in both Taganga and Santa Marta, but beware! Many centers are in the business of making money, at the expense of service and safety.
We advise you to check the quality of service, and the seriousness and professionalism of the agency you are going to dive with.
Don’t look for the cheapest dive center. As we say in Colombia, “lo barato sale caro”, meaning that sometimes wanting the cheapest possible price is very expensive. And when it comes to scuba diving, your safety is at stake…. so it’s best to take precautions.
