Santa Marta

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
(snow mountain)

The world’s tallest coastal mountain is located near by the city of Santa marta which is situated on the north side of Colombia by the Atlantic ocean. The Sierra Nevada is an 18,942 foot massif separated from the Andes chain by plains and semiarid regions and it harbors numerous self-contained tropical and alpine ecosystems in a relatively small area. The mountain’s isolation has allowed for many unique plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth.

The Sierra Nevada is also sacred to several indigenous communities such as the Tayronas who still practice centuries-old traditions. These native peoples believe that the Sierra Nevada is the center of the universe and that the mountain’s health controls the entire Earth’s health.