Santa Marta, << `san` tuh MAHR tuh >> , is a seaport near the northern tip of Colombia. The municipality of Santa Marta has a population of 491,535. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. It lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the world’s largest coastal mountain. The city is a popular seaside resort and an important banana-shipping center. El Cerrejon, in the Santa Marta area, is one of the world’s largest open-pit coal mines. Many years ago, the city was the point from which adventurers started in search of El Dorado (see El Dorado ). Rodrigo de Bastidas, a Spanish navigator and explorer, founded Santa Marta in 1525. It is the oldest permanent settlement in South America.
