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Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta viewed from Space.
Elevation	5,700 metres
Location	Northern region of Colombia's Caribbean coast
Coordinates	10°52′N, 73°43′W
Easiest route	From Santa Marta (North)

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is an isolated mountain range apart from the Andes chain that runs through Colombia. Reaching an altitude of 5,700 metres above sea level just 42 km from the Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada is the world's highest coastal range. The Sierra Nevada encompasses about 17,000 km² and serves as the source of 36 rivers. Its range covers the Magdalena Department, Cesar Department and La Guajira Department.

The highest point of the Santa Marta group may be either Pico Cristóbal Colón or Pico Simón Bolívar; it has never been determined which is higher. SRTM data and local topographic maps show that their true elevations is approximately 5,700 metres, lower than the 5,775 metre elevation that is often quoted.

The Santa Marta is a compact group, relatively small in area, and completely surrounded by lands with elevations below 200 metres. The main backbone of the Andes cannot be reached from the Santa Marta without dropping below this level. This makes its highest point the world's fifth most prominent summit.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is home to a number of ecoregions, which vary with elevation.

The Guajira-Barranquilla xeric scrub region lies near the Caribbean seacoast to the north of the range. The Sinú Valley dry forests cover the range's lower slopes, up to an elevation of 500 meters.

The Santa Marta montane forests lie above 500-800 meters elevation. The montane forests are separated from other moist forests by the lower-elevation dry forests and xeric shrublands, and have large numbers of endemic species. The montane forests ecoregion has several distinct plant communities, distinguished by altitude and rainfall; moist lowland forests cover the windward northern and western flanks of the range between 500 and 900 meters elevation, and the drier eastern and southern flanks from 800 to 1000 meters elevation. Above 900 meters elevation is a transitional forest zone of smaller trees and palms. Cloud forests occur above 1000 meters elevation; the Sub-Andean forests from 1000-1150 to 2500 meters elevation form a canopy 25-35 meters tall, while the higher-elevation Andean forests, between 2500 and 3300 meters elevation, grow to 15-20 meters in height.

The Santa Marta Páramo, a high altitude belt of montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with marshes and acid bogs, occupies the zone between 3300 and 4500-5000 meters. The Santa Marta Páramo is the northernmost enclave of Páramo in South America, which occur along the Andes belt. Above 4500-5000 meters lies the permanent snow cap.

Village of Taganga near the city of Santa Marta by the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Caribbean coast.

It is composed of Cretaceous metamorphic rocks (predominantly schists and gneisses) and quartzdioritic intrusives of Tertiary age. The Quaternary of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is mainly represented by colluvial-alluvial valley fill and by recent beach deposits. The coastlines of the northwestern part of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are indented, reflecting the alternation of rocky headlands and deep, NNW trending tectonically controlled bays. The headlands are typically 100 to 150-m-high plunging cliffs cut into schists and granites, whereas the embayments front alluvial valley deposits. The bay shores are typically steep, reflective beaches composed of very coarse sand to granules eroded from adjacent cliffs and alluvial deposits. Wide pocket beaches and tombolos are common along sectors with abundant rocky erosional remnants and stacks.^[1]

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is home to the remnants of the native American Tairona Culture; Arhuacos, Koguis, Wiwas and others, that live in Resguardos Indigenas (Indian reserves) located in the mid-highlands.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta as seen from Valledupar.

For the last ten years, access to the highest summits has been very difficult, and this situation continues [1]. There have been no documented recent ascents. Access from the south is prevented by native tribes who regard hikers and trekkers with suspicion; the main problem with access from the north is the drug growing and guerilla activity, where there is ongoing intense conflict with the U.S. backed Colombian military.^{[citation needed]}

• Santa Marta montane forests (World Wildlife Fund)
• Santa Marta Páramo (World Wildlife Fund)
• Sinú Valley dry forests (World Wildlife Fund)
• Case study by Fundación Pró-Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta