Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias by bus, van, flight, taxi from COP 57,840

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias Destination Reviews

Ernest

The trip went very well no delay I am very happy with the company

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus AC Seater, Expreso Brasilia, Feb 28, 2026

Dorthe

We bought tickets to express bus from Santa Marta but the buscompany put us in a bus that was 6 1/2 hour'sto take the trip. It stopped many times, one time for almost one hour. The driver drow to fast and the space was limited.

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus Non-AC Seater, Expreso Super Star, Feb 28, 2026

Emma T

We were told that it arrived at 15.00… It arrived 16:30 because of a long stop in Barranquilla.

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus AC Seater, Unitransco, Jan 15, 2026

Ganee H

The bus was almost an hour late. We were supposed to arrive at 3:45 but didn't arrive until 5:50.

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus AC Seater, Unitransco, Jan 14, 2026

Edgar P

Says the journey is 3.5hrs but was actually 5.5hrs

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus AC Seater, Unitransco, Dec 9, 2025

Ibai Z

It took 2 houra more than defined

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus AC Seater, Copetran, Nov 17, 2025

Ine D

We did not have the bus at 11:15 am but at 11:00 am. It was complete chaos at the bus terminal at Santa Marta. Although we had a voucher, they wanted us to pay voor new tickets. Online we had a reservation for an arrival at 15:00. We arrived at 16:30 without any traffic. The bus made so many stops! Is was nowhere indicated that we would have so much stops allong the way.

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus AC Seater, Unitransco, Oct 13, 2025

Robert D

I purchased a ticket for a 3 hour 45 minute trip and they oversold the seat and kicked me onto another bus that took 6 hours. I am not happy!!!

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus AC Seater, Unitransco, Jul 28, 2025

Paolo M

The bus leave at 8.10 instead 7.30 and have a stop in bucaramanca for 30 min

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus Servicio Preferencial, Unitransco, Apr 28, 2025

David

The coach was comfortable but the journey was more than 2 hours late. Why this company advertises buses that do not operate and then put you on a different bus that takes longer is false advertising. I didn't get what I paid for. No USB ports available They did get me here eventually.. safe and sound. So, that is certainly a positive thing.

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, Bus Gaviota Preferencial, Expreso Brasilia, Feb 3, 2025

4.4

101 customer reviews

67%

13%

12%

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias Schedule

Type	Operator	Class	Departure Time	Arrival Time	Price	Rating
Bus	Unitransco	Servicio Preferencial	00:00	02:45	€6.71	3.0
Bus	Unitransco	Caribe Express	00:30	03:00	€6.71
Bus	Unitransco	Caribe Express	01:00	02:30	€6.71
Bus	Unitransco	Caribe Express	01:30	02:45	€6.71
Bus	Unitransco	Servicio Preferencial	04:00	09:30	€13.03	3.0
Bus	Unitransco	Caribe Express	04:30	06:30	€11.60
Bus	Unitransco	Servicio Preferencial	05:00	10:30	€13.11	3.0
Van	Transportes Marsol	Tourist	05:30	11:00	€13.88	2.0
Van	Cartagena Toures y Excursiones	Minivan	06:00	10:00	€49.12
Bus	Unitransco	Servicio Preferencial	06:30	08:30	€6.71	3.0
Flight	JetSmart	Economy	06:49	08:48	€70.69
Flight	LATAM Airlines Group	Economy	07:05	12:09	€168.00
Flight	LATAM Airlines Group	Economy	07:24	18:55	€73.00
Bus	Unitransco	Servicio Preferencial	07:45	10:00	€16.68	3.0
Flight	LATAM Airlines Group	Economy	08:09	17:30	€89.00
Flight	JetSmart	Economy	08:25	06:48	€91.10
Flight	LATAM Airlines Group	Economy	08:41	16:00	€59.00
Bus	Unitransco	AC Seater	09:00	15:00	€16.08	2.0
Flight	JetSmart	Economy	09:17	08:38	€137.70
Flight	Wingo	Economy	09:35	19:03	€103.50

How to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias

When you want to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias, you have a few options to consider. Traveling between these destinations is possible by different means of transport:

Flight
Bus
Van
Taxi

If you’re looking for a quick trip, it’s recommended that you use Taxi. However, if you’d rather take your time with a slower, more affordable travel option, you can book a Flight ticket.

The cost of travel will depend on the means of transport you choose for your trip. A flight ticket is the most expensive option - it will cost you about EUR 875.05. If you want to save on transportation, it’s better to take a bus as a bus ticket costs as low as EUR 13.38.

How much does it cost to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias?

The cost of the trip from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias varies according to what means of transport you choose for your journey. The most affordable operator is Expreso Almirante Padilla: travelling by bus expect to pay as low as EUR 13.38 for your ticket.

However, if you’re after more upscale travel . The most expensive variant is to opt for a flight - a one-way flight ticket can cost as much as EUR 875.05.

Here is a chart of the average ticket prices and transportation options available from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias:

Bus tickets - EUR 13.38 to EUR 17.13;
Van price : EUR 21.83 - EUR 240.02;
flight price: EUR 127.83 - EUR 875.05. From Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias starting from 08:04 Santa Marta Airport until 22:04 Santa Marta Airport

You can order a taxi, too - an estimated cost of the ride is from EUR 195.93 to EUR 405.54.

How many trips per day are there between Santa Marta and Cartagena de Indias?

Depending on your choice of transportation, the number of daily trips varies.

99 by flight from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias starting from 08:04 Santa Marta Airport until 22:04 Santa Marta Airport
Buses start plying the route from 07:30 - you can also take a bus as late as 21:00. There are 34 available bus trips every day.
Vans from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias depart during the day - there are approximately 32 departures a day.
Taxis are a good option to consider for this route, too. Book a cab to take you from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias any time of the day.

Which means of transport is the best for the route?

Buses

Taking a bus from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias is cheaper than flying. Quite often, a long-distance bus is the cheapest transportation option. Buses normally make bathroom and/or lunch stops along the way.

Things to remember before opting for a bus ride:

If possible, make sure to choose higher-class buses for a more comfortable travel experience. Such buses often have an air conditioning system, soft reclining seats, Wi-Fi, bathrooms, etc.
As with plane tickets, buses are better booked in advance so that you can secure a good seat.
While booking a bus, keep in mind that delays are possible. Yet it still pays to get to the bus station at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled departure.

Taxi

Catching a cab is the easiest way to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias. It allows you to tailor-make your trip, plan all the detours and see all the places you want. You can choose the type and the size of your car as well to be as comfortable as you'd like to.

Depending on the route, it might cost as much as EUR 195.93.

Things to remember: It's a good idea to follow the route on Google Maps or any other GPS navigator.

Vans

A shared van is another means of transport for traveling from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias. As far as travel time is concerned, it’s basically equal to a taxi ride, while price-wise it’s way more affordable. The majority of tourists book a van online in advance.

Sometimes, when trains or buses aren’t available, a van is your only way to get from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias.

Things to remember: while traveling by van, you might not have as much space for luggage as you would on a train or a plane. It’s a good idea to pack only the most useful things for a van trip and put them in a backpack that will be easy to carry around..

The most popular transport from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias

How to choose the most convenient way of travel from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias? In order to make your choice of transportation easier, we asked 1000 users to range their preferences for this route. Here are the results of the poll:

75% decided to go for a bus.
24% opted for a van.
1% Other

Transportation from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias

Facts about the transport from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias

Cheapest Transport	€14
Fastest Transport	3h 30m
Earliest Departure	4:00 AM
Latest Departure	10:04 PM
Departures per day	200
Distance	175 kilometers
Transport Companies	Agencia Operadora de Viajes, Avianca, Beach Tayrona Park, Copa Airlines, Copetran, Daytrip private transfer with English speaking driver, Destino Colombia, Expreso Almirante Padilla, Expreso Brasilia, Flota La Macarena, Go Colombia, JetSmart, Magic Tour Colombia, Transglobal Ejecutivos, Transportes Marsol, Unitransco, Viajando por el Caribe, VIP Taxi Service, Wingo

Popular Routes

Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias