The Forgotten Catacombs of Santa Marta: Colonial Tunnels Beneath the Historic Center

The Rumor of the Secret Tunnels

If you walk through the center of Santa Marta and look closely at the ground, you might notice something strange. A ventilation grate on a cobblestone street. A rusty wooden door at sidewalk level, almost invisible among the fruit stalls. A basement that shouldn't be there. Those of us from Santa Marta who grew up listening to grandmother's stories know that there is another city beneath our feet. A network of colonial tunnels that some call catacombs, others call smuggling passages, and many believe exist only in the imagination of the old. But the truth is more interesting than any myth.

Since the time when Santa Marta was the most important port in the New Granada Caribbean, rumors circulated about underground galleries connecting the Cathedral to the sea, the San Francisco convent to the Customs House, and the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino to the bay. It was said that gold, runaway slaves, pirate letters, and even saints hidden during persecutions passed through there. Today, in May 2026, the mystery lives on. Some sections have been discovered by accident during sewer works. Others remain sealed, waiting for someone daring enough to search.

Origins

A City Built on Sand and Stone

Santa Marta was founded in 1525 by Rodrigo de Bastidas, making it the oldest city in Colombia. But what few know is that the original layout was not what we see today. The first Spaniards built on top of an indigenous village, and the terrain, between the Sierra Nevada and the sea, was swampy. To lay the foundations for the first churches and strong houses, they dug deep cellars that served as warehouses, chapels, and refuges.

Over time, these cellars became interconnected. Local historians believe the tunnel network began as a drainage and storage system, but it soon became strategic. In the 16th century, Santa Marta was a constant target for attacks by English and French pirates, such as the famous John Hawkins or Francis Drake. The Spaniards needed a way to move goods, people, and documents without being seen from the sea. Thus, the tunnels were born.

Smuggling and Faith: The Dual Purpose

Smuggling was the city's economic engine. While the Spanish Crown prohibited trade with other nations, the people of Santa Marta sold pearls, gold, and cacao in exchange for cloth, wine, and slaves. The tunnels allowed goods to be taken from the port directly to merchants' houses, without paying taxes or attracting attention. At the same time, religious orders — Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits — used the passageways to move religious objects and, according to some chronicles, to hide indigenous people and slaves fleeing exploitation.

The Cathedral of Santa Marta, built between 1760 and 1790 on top of an earlier church, has a huge basement that some claim connects to the sea. Tour guides say that priests used it to escape when pirates arrived. But archaeologists who have studied the site say the real connection is with the former Santo Domingo convent, now disappeared, whose foundations lie beneath the Parque de Bolívar.

Timeline or Historical Milestones

• 1525: Foundation of Santa Marta. First cellars dug to store provisions and protect against indigenous attacks.
• 1543: Attack by French pirate Jean-François Roberval. Spanish documents mention for the first time the existence of "underground passages" to evacuate the city.
• 1596: Francis Drake burns Santa Marta. The tunnels save several priests and the Cathedral's treasure.
• 1760-1790: Construction of the current Cathedral. The cellar network is expanded and connected to the San Francisco convent (today the Museo del Oro Tairona).
• 1810-1820: During the Independence, the tunnels serve as a hideout for royalist and patriot soldiers. Original maps are lost.
• 1920: A collapse on Calle 14 reveals a tunnel section with human bones. The discovery is hidden for fear of looting.
• 1970: During sewer construction on Carrera 5, workers find a brick vault with colonial coins. The site is walled up again.
• 2016: The Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH) conducts a ground-penetrating radar study in the historic center. It detects anomalies that coincide with possible tunnels under Calle 17 and Plaza de la Aduana.
• 2023: An excavation to install fiber optics on Calle 10 uncovers a stone staircase descending to a sealed chamber. Neighbors report "chain noises" at night.

Key Figures or Events

Rodrigo de Bastidas: The Founder Who Knew It All

The Spanish conquistador not only laid out the streets. According to historian from Santa Marta Eduardo Posada Carbó, Bastidas ordered the construction of "artificial caves" under his house, located where the Hotel Santa Marta stands today (Calle 17 with Carrera 3). That house, which served as the first government seat, had a passageway that reached the beach. Bastidas, who knew the Caribbean well, knew pirates would attack sooner or later. He wanted an escape route. Today, the hotel has a basement that employees call "the dungeon," but no one has been able to confirm if it still connects to the sea.

Bishop Francisco de la Torre: The Man Who Sealed the Tunnels

At the end of the 18th century, the bishop of Santa Marta, Francisco de la Torre, ordered most of the tunnel entrances to be walled up. The official reason was "to avoid sins and bad habits," but chroniclers of the time say he actually wanted to stop the smuggling of liquor and tobacco that came in through the catacombs. De la Torre had stone and lime walls built at the known entrances, but merchants simply dug new exits. His legacy is that today it is almost impossible to find a complete map of the network.

The Pirate "Blackbeard" of Santa Marta: The Myth of Edward Teach

A local legend claims that the English pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, visited Santa Marta in 1717 and used the tunnels to hide a treasure. The story says he buried chests of gold and jewels under the Cathedral, and that his ghost still wanders the passageways. There is no historical evidence that Teach was ever in the city, but the legend is so popular that some tour guides repeat it as fact. What is real is that in 1975, during a renovation of the Cathedral's atrium, 18th-century gold coins were found. No one knows if they were part of the pirate's treasure or that of a local merchant.

The Maroon Slaves: The True Masters of the Shadows

The tunnels were not only used by Spaniards and pirates. The African slaves who worked in the port and the Sierra Nevada mines knew the network better than anyone. During the 17th century, many escaped through the passageways inland, where they founded palenques (free communities). The most famous was the Palenque de la Ramada, on the foothills of the Sierra, whose descendants still live in the village of Minca. The maroons left marks on the tunnel walls: crosses, African symbols, and dates carved with charcoal. Some of these graffiti have been documented by archaeologists, but most remain hidden.

Current State

What Can You Visit Today?

The short answer is: very little. Most of the tunnels are sealed, walled up, or simply lost under the asphalt. However, there are a few places where you can get a glimpse of the underground world:

• Museo del Oro Tairona (Carrera 2 #14-10): This building, which was the San Francisco convent, has a colonial basement open to the public. It is not a complete tunnel, but it is a brick vault that served as a warehouse. Entry costs approximately $5,000 COP (reference prices for May 2026). Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am-5pm.
• Iglesia de San Francisco (Calle 16 #2-15): Behind the altar there is a door leading to a crypt with ossuaries. According to the parish priest, this crypt was connected to the sea. Today, entry is only allowed by appointment and is not recommended for claustrophobic people.
• Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino (Avenida del Libertador #1-20): This place, famous for being where Simón Bolívar died, has an underground aqueduct system that some consider part of the tunnel network. They are not visitable, but the garden has grates that let you see the water running underground.
• Calle 10 between Carreras 4 and 5: In 2023, an excavation uncovered a staircase. Today it is covered with a metal lid. Neighbors say that if you go near it at night, you can hear footsteps. There is no public access.

The Urban Exploration Project

Since 2024, a group of historians and amateur speleologists called "Samarios Subterráneos" has been mapping the tunnels with drones and laser scanners. They have identified at least 12 potential entry points within a 10-block radius around the Cathedral. Their goal is to open a section to the public by 2027, but they face bureaucracy from ICANH and a lack of funds. In the meantime, they organize night walks through the historic center where they tell the legends and show photos of the findings. You can find them on social media as @samariossubterraneos (not affiliated with Malokal).

Precautions and Practical Information

• Do not try to enter on your own: The tunnels are not reinforced. There is a risk of collapse, flooding, or encountering animals (bats, rats, snakes). Furthermore, most are private or state property.
• If you see an open entrance, report it: Call the Heritage Office of the Santa Marta Mayor's Office (phone number available on the mayor's website). Do not enter.
• Best time to explore the history: December to March, when it does not rain. In the rainy season (April-November), the tunnels flood.
• Bring a flashlight and closed-toe shoes: If you visit the basement of the Museo del Oro, the floor is uneven and the light is dim.

A Little-Known Curious Fact

In 1958, during the construction of the Magdalena Government building (Carrera 1 with Calle 17), workers found a tunnel containing a 17th-century bronze bell. The bell had Latin inscriptions that read "Freedom for the oppressed." It is believed to have belonged to a clandestine chapel where runaway slaves were baptized. Today, the bell is in the Cathedral Museum, but few know it came from the catacombs.

Conclusion (Without Calling It That)

The forgotten catacombs of Santa Marta are more than a tourist myth. They are proof that the city has layers, like an onion, and that each layer tells a story of resistance, greed, and faith. While the authorities decide whether to open them to the public or leave them sealed forever, the rumor lives on. The next time you walk through the center, look down. You might see a grate that breathes, a door that shouldn't be there, or a step descending into the darkness. And if you hear footsteps, don't be scared. It might just be the echo of a slave who fled 400 years ago, or that of a pirate still searching for his treasure.

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