City · At the house
The neighbourhood by bike
El Pibe, the Mercado and the corner shop: the neighbourhood makes more sense by pedal.
Tía Chela Hostel · Santa Marta, Colombia
Welcometo the Tía’splace.
A white house with a curved balcony and murals everywhere, in a traditional Santa Marta neighbourhood. Six private air-conditioned rooms, a kitchen for everyone, coffee, bikes and an aunt who knows every plan in town.
Come on in — make yourself at home
There are hostels… and then there are the ones that feel like home.
Tía Chela is the second kind: a big, cool, hand-painted family house where you’re welcomed like a nephew back from a trip. It isn’t luxury, it’s care — and you notice it in the details.
“The little details matter.”
- 6 private rooms From the double for two to the family room for five. All air-conditioned.
- 1 kitchen for everyone Fridge, stove, coffee and a long dining table under a jungle mural.
- tips from the Tía Beaches, buses, prices and travel times. She knows them all.
The tour
Come in, let me show you around
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01 The way in
A white house with a storybook balcony
Two white storeys, a curved balcony with a wrought-iron railing, gates crowned with fan motifs and, out front, a tree whose trunk is painted in colourful patches. Impossible to miss… unless you trust Google Maps.
the map pin is wrong: it’s Carrera 16C #7-14
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02 The lounge
Wicker, painted bamboo and a fan that never rests
Wicker sofas and armchairs with leaf-print cushions, a bamboo-and-palm mural along the wall, arched wrought-iron doors and a terrazzo floor with a star set into it. The place to read, chat or do nothing with dignity.
official nap spot: the wicker sofa
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03 The dining room
A long table to plan the day
A patterned turquoise tablecloth, high-backed rattan chairs and a jungle mural that grows across the wall. Breakfast happens here, bus tips get passed around and beach-versus-mountain gets decided.
decision time: beach or mountains?
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04 The kitchen
Watermelon, papaya and bananas… painted on the wall
The guest kitchen has a fridge, a stove, pots and a fruit mural that makes you hungry. Coffee for everyone and a counter for rice-with-whatever-there-is.
coffee for everyone
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05 The stairwell
A mural that climbs to the ceiling
Cut-out shapes in fuchsia, blue, orange, yellow and black dance across the stairwell wall and ceiling, above terrazzo steps and a wrought-iron banister. This website’s colours and shapes came from here.
climb slowly and look up
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06 The balcony
The hammock faces the mango tree
The curved balcony has wicker chairs, a little glass table, a rattan lamp and a striped hammock. Opposite, the mango tree’s leaves work as a curtain. Slow mornings guaranteed.
slow mornings, zero rush
Open the doors
Six doors, six private rooms
Each with its own personality painted on the wall, all air-conditioned. No shared dorms: the room is yours.
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the one with the green triangle
Budget Double Room
- 2 ppl
- Private bathroom
- 10 m²
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the one with the turquoise wall
Family Double Room
- 4 ppl
- Private bathroom
- 18 m²
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the one behind the black arched door
Budget Twin Room
- 3 ppl
- Shared bathroom
- ≈12 m²
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the one with the orange flowers
Basic Triple Room
- 3 ppl
- Shared bathroom
- ≈12 m²
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the one with the colour blobs
Family Room with Private Bathroom
- 4 ppl
- Private bathroom
- 15 m²
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the one with the blue squiggles
Family Room with Shared Bathroom
- 5 ppl
- Shared bathroom
- 15 m²
The Tía’s chalkboard
House rules, with a joke
HOLA
- Check in:
- 14:00
- Check out:
- 11:00
Breakfast: ask the Tía
Explore on our bikes
Warning! Bringing food into the room may result in an improvised ant party.
Make yourself at HOME
Follow us @hostaltiachela
the original 👉
The plan picker
What’s the plan, love?
That’s how the Tía asks at breakfast. Pick today’s mood and the map shows you where to head.
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City · Beach
Sunset spots
The bay, Los Cocos, Taganga or the mountains: here the sun always leaves to an audience.
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City
Historic centre & waterfront
Five hundred years of history, Tairona gold for free and the bay at the end of every street.
- Explore on your own
City
Public market & local food
Cayeye, bollo limpio, fried fish with coconut rice and a green-mango raspao for the heat.
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City
Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino (Bolívar’s estate)
The hacienda where Bolívar died, among old trees, iguanas and a sugar mill.
- Explore on your own
Beach · City
Beach volleyball at Los Cocos
In the afternoon, Los Cocos fills up with volleyball, football and people up for a game. Bring your own ball.
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- Explore on your own
Beach
Playa Grande (Taganga)
Taganga’s neighbouring bay: a short boat hop, seafood kiosks and a no-fuss beach day.
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Beach
Inca Inca beach & marine life centre
A boat from El Rodadero, a cove for swimming and the old aquarium, now the Centro de Vida Marina.
- Explore on your own
Beach
El Rodadero & Playa Blanca
The liveliest beach in town and, a quick boat hop away, Playa Blanca.
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Beach
Neguanje & Playa Cristal
Tayrona without the long hikes: a mangrove-fringed bay, snorkelling and a short boat to Playa Cristal.
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Beach
Bahía Concha
The Tayrona closest to town: a calm bay, snorkelling and the park’s cheapest entry.
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Beach · Adventure
Tayrona National Park
Dry forest, giant boulders and Cabo San Juan. You hike, you sweat, you’re grateful.
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Beach · Adventure
Palomino
Over the line into La Guajira: a river down from the Sierra, an inner tube, a hammock and the sea at the end.
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Mountains · Adventure
Minca: waterfalls, coffee & viewpoints
A good half-hour uphill and you swap the sea for river pools, coffee farms and birds.
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Mountains · Adventure
Lost City (Teyuna) trek
Four days of jungle, rivers and mud to climb some 1,200 stone steps. Worth every drop of sweat.
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Mountains
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The world’s highest coastal mountain range, and home to four peoples. Visit with respect, and only where it’s allowed.
Tía Chela doesn’t run tours: the house recommends, advises and helps arrange transport. Third-party services are contracted by you directly.
Golden hour
When the sun goes down, Santa Marta turns every colour
Just after five the city slows down. Some head to the Camellón, others to Taganga, the wisest go up to Minca. And those who stay home sway in the balcony hammock, facing the mango tree.
- 1 The Camellón and the bay The sun drops behind El Morro. A short taxi ride from the house.
- 2 Taganga The fishing village the house recommends for sunset.
- 3 Minca’s lookouts Mountains, mist and an orange sky. Best if you stay the night.
And ask the Tía about her “secret spot” — that’s what she called it on Instagram.
“Palo e’ mango!” (mango tree!) — the title of one of the house’s best-loved videos (July 2026). The balcony looks right into its leaves: shade, breeze and a hammock.
Watch the video ↗What guests say
What keeps coming up in the reviews
- Air conditioning that actually cools
- Clean, comfortable rooms
- Family-style care
- Help with plans and transport
- A quiet, safe street
- Good value for money
“La estancia fue maravillosa, se siente un ambiente hogareño, la anfitriona es muy amable y siempre está atenta a cualquier cosa, la casa es muy bonita, y las habitaciones muy cómodas.”
Translation: A wonderful stay — it feels like home, the hostess is very kind and always attentive, the house is beautiful and the rooms very comfortable.
“Clean, comfortable and great value-for-money hostel. We really enjoyed our stay here, especially with the AC after a week of sweating all night in Tayrona.”
“Excelente atención desde el ingreso hasta la salida […] recomiendan lugares para visitar y te ayudan pidiendo el transporte para donde quieras ir. Volvería sin dudar.”
Translation: Excellent service from check-in to check-out […] they recommend places to visit and help you order transport wherever you want to go. I’d come back without a second thought.
And what they also say: it isn’t in the old town. Some guests put it at half an hour on foot; a taxi or bus sorts it out.
Read every review on Booking.com · Hostelworld
Check availability
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