Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Colombia Property Pack
Get all the data you need about the real estate market in Santa Marta
Owning an Airbnb rental in Santa Marta in 2026 can work, but the market is already competitive and the best results usually come from well-located residential apartments, not from ordinary units listed without a clear strategy.
In this updated blog post, we look at Airbnb rules, current housing prices in Santa Marta, likely revenue, expenses, occupancy, neighborhoods, and the property types that still make sense for a non-professional buyer.
We constantly update this blog post because Santa Marta Airbnb data, local tourism demand, exchange rates, and short-term rental rules can change quickly.
And if you’re planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Santa Marta.
Insights
- Santa Marta Airbnb demand in 2026 is not only beach demand, because Tayrona, Minca, family holidays, and city events all create different booking peaks.
- The safest Airbnb property in Santa Marta in 2026 is usually a 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom condo in a building that clearly allows tourist rentals.
- Santa Marta has thousands of active short-term rental listings, so the biggest risk for a new host is not demand, but standing out from similar apartments.
- The typical Airbnb listing in Santa Marta in 2026 earns about US$650 to US$900 per month before expenses, with beach condos often doing better.
- Air-conditioning is not a luxury amenity in Santa Marta Airbnb rentals, because guests treat reliable AC as a basic comfort in the Caribbean heat.
- El Rodadero is busy and liquid, but Playa Salguero, Bello Horizonte, and Pozos Colorados often give newer buildings and higher nightly rates.
- There is no clear public 90-night cap for Airbnb in Santa Marta in 2026, but RNT registration and building authorization matter a lot.
- Santa Marta villas can earn strong peak-season revenue, but higher maintenance, pool costs, staffing, and security make them riskier for casual investors.
- The best white space is not cheap studios, but family-ready 2-bedroom units with pool, parking, self check-in, fast Wi-Fi, and honest beach access.
Can I legally run an Airbnb in Santa Marta in 2026?
Is short-term renting allowed in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, short-term renting is allowed in Santa Marta, but an Airbnb rental in Santa Marta is treated as tourist accommodation, not as a casual informal lease.
The main legal framework is Colombia’s national tourist-accommodation regime, especially Decreto 2119 de 2018, which covers vivienda turística and other non-permanent lodging services.
The most important condition is that the Santa Marta Airbnb property must have a valid Registro Nacional de Turismo, and the RNT number must be shown when the property is advertised.
On top of that, the property must be allowed by the building rules, the local land-use rules, and the host must register guests through the official lodging guest-registration system.
If a host operates an illegal Airbnb in Santa Marta, the likely consequence is suspension, fines, removal of formal registration, or problems with the building administration and tourism authorities.
For a more general view, you can read our article detailing what exactly foreigners can own and buy in Colombia.
If you are an American, you might want to read our blog article detailing the property rights of US citizens in Colombia.
Are there minimum-stay rules and maximum nights-per-year caps for Airbnbs in Santa Marta as of 2026?
As of early 2026, we found no clear public citywide minimum-stay rule or maximum nights-per-year cap for Airbnb rentals in Santa Marta.
This means the same general rule applies across residential property types in Santa Marta, so apartments, houses, townhouses, and villas are not subject to a simple public 90-night cap.
In practice, Santa Marta hosts manage stay length through Airbnb settings, building rules, market demand, and guest-registration duties rather than through a citywide annual-night counter.
Do I have to live there, or can I Airbnb a secondary home in Santa Marta right now?
You do not usually have to live in the property to operate an Airbnb in Santa Marta, as long as the residential unit is legal for tourist accommodation.
A secondary home or investment apartment in Santa Marta can be used as an Airbnb when the property has RNT, the building allows tourist rentals, and the land-use rules do not block the activity.
For a non-primary residence, the practical conditions are the same core conditions: RNT, guest registration, parafiscal contribution, tax setup, and building approval.
The main difference is not that a primary residence gets a special easy rule, but that a secondary home is more clearly a commercial tourist-accommodation operation.
Get fresh and reliable information about the market in Santa Marta
Don't base significant investment decisions on outdated data. Get updated and accurate information.
Can I run multiple Airbnbs under one name in Santa Marta right now?
In principle, one person or company can run multiple Airbnb listings in Santa Marta, as long as each property is individually compliant.
We found no clear public rule that limits one Santa Marta Airbnb host to a fixed maximum number of residential properties.
For multiple listings, the important point is that every apartment, house, townhouse, or villa must have the right RNT setup, building permission, guest registration, and tax treatment.
The policy reason is simple: Colombian tourism rules focus on formalizing tourist accommodation, protecting guests, and making operators visible to the tourism system.
Do I need a short-term rental license or a business registration to host in Santa Marta as of 2026?
As of early 2026, a Santa Marta Airbnb host needs the Registro Nacional de Turismo, and a serious host should also have a suitable tax setup with DIAN.
The typical process is to prepare the property and owner documents, register through the RNT system, verify building authorization, and activate lodging guest reporting before receiving guests.
Typical documents include owner identification, property details, tax information, proof that the activity is allowed, and the information needed to register the tourist-accommodation service.
The RNT registration itself is usually treated as a formal registration step rather than a large license purchase, but hosts should budget for paperwork, accounting, renewals, and compliance support.
Are there neighborhood bans or restricted zones for Airbnb in Santa Marta as of 2026?
As of early 2026, we found no official citywide neighborhood ban that blocks Airbnb rentals across whole Santa Marta neighborhoods.
The stricter checks are usually property-level checks in areas such as Centro Histórico, Taganga, El Rodadero, Playa Salguero, Bello Horizonte, Pozos Colorados, protected areas, and buildings with strict horizontal-property rules.
The main reason is that Santa Marta combines tourism corridors, residential buildings, environmental sensitivity, heritage areas, and high visitor pressure near beaches and nature routes.
Get to know the market before buying a property in Santa Marta
Better information leads to better decisions. Get all the data you need before investing a large amount of money.
How much can an Airbnb earn in Santa Marta in 2026?
What's the average and median nightly price on Airbnb in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, the average nightly price for an Airbnb listing in Santa Marta is about COP 310,000, or about US$85 and €77, while the median is closer to COP 235,000, or about US$65 and €59.
A realistic nightly price range for most Santa Marta Airbnb listings is about COP 110,000 to COP 650,000, or about US$30 to US$180 and €27 to €165.
The single biggest pricing factor in Santa Marta is not just neighborhood, but the exact combination of beach access, building quality, sea view, pool, air-conditioning, and guest capacity.
By the way, you will find much more detailed rent ranges in our property pack covering the real estate market in Santa Marta.
How much do nightly prices vary by neighborhood in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, nightly prices can range from about COP 180,000, or US$50 and €45, in Taganga or older inland Gaira to more than COP 650,000, or US$180 and €165, in Bello Horizonte or Pozos Colorados.
The three higher-priced Santa Marta Airbnb areas are usually Bello Horizonte, Pozos Colorados, and Playa Salguero, where good residential units often sit around COP 360,000 to COP 650,000, or US$100 to US$180 and €90 to €165.
The three more affordable Santa Marta Airbnb areas are usually Taganga, older Gaira, and some inland parts near El Rodadero, and travelers still choose them for budget stays, diving, local transport, or beach access at a lower price.
What's the typical occupancy rate in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, a typical stabilized Airbnb listing in Santa Marta should be underwritten around 38% to 42% occupancy.
Most Santa Marta Airbnb listings likely fall between 30% and 50% occupancy, while strong beachfront or well-reviewed residential units can do better.
Compared with many Colombian inland cities, Santa Marta has stronger holiday demand but also heavier seasonal swings and more competing beach inventory.
The single biggest factor behind above-average occupancy in Santa Marta is a professional listing in a building with pool, AC, reliable Wi-Fi, strong photos, and a clear beach or city-use case.
Make a profitable investment in Santa Marta
Better information leads to better decisions. Save time and money. Download our data.
What's the average monthly revenue per listing in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, the average monthly gross revenue for an Airbnb listing in Santa Marta is about COP 2.7 million, or about US$750 and €680.
A realistic monthly revenue range for most Santa Marta Airbnb listings is about COP 1.3 million to COP 5.4 million, or about US$350 to US$1,500 and €320 to €1,360.
Top Santa Marta Airbnb listings can reach COP 7.2 million or more per month, or about US$2,000 and €1,820, in strong months. For example, 20 booked nights at US$100 per night gives about US$2,000 in gross revenue before costs.
Finally, note that we give here all the information you need to buy and rent out a property in Santa Marta.
What's the typical low-season vs high-season monthly revenue in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, a typical full-unit Airbnb in Santa Marta may earn COP 1.3 million to COP 2.2 million in low season, or about US$350 to US$600 and €320 to €545, and COP 4 million to COP 6.5 million in high season, or about US$1,100 to US$1,800 and €1,000 to €1,635.
Low season usually includes May, September, and parts of October and November, while high season usually includes December, January, Semana Santa, June and July school holidays, Fiestas del Mar, and major long weekends.
What's a realistic Airbnb monthly expense range in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, a realistic Airbnb monthly expense range in Santa Marta is about COP 1.3 million to COP 2.3 million, or about US$350 to US$650 and €320 to €590, for a normal 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom apartment.
The largest cost category in Santa Marta is usually utilities and building-related costs, especially electricity for air-conditioning, which can easily represent COP 400,000 to COP 900,000 per month, or about US$110 to US$250 and €100 to €225.
Most Santa Marta Airbnb hosts should expect operating expenses to absorb about 40% to 60% of gross revenue before mortgage, income tax, and major repairs.
If you want to go into more details, we also have a blog article detailing all the property taxes and fees in Santa Marta.
What's realistic monthly net profit and profit per available night for Airbnb in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, realistic monthly net profit for an ordinary Santa Marta Airbnb is about COP 550,000 to COP 1.3 million, or about US$150 to US$350 and €135 to €320, which equals about COP 18,000 to COP 43,000 per available night, or about US$5 to US$12 and €5 to €11.
Most listings in Santa Marta likely sit between near break-even and about COP 2.9 million in monthly net profit, or between US$0 and US$800 and €0 to €725, before mortgage and income tax.
Typical net profit margins in Santa Marta Airbnb rentals are often around 20% to 40% for well-run apartments and lower for weak listings or high-cost villas.
A typical Santa Marta Airbnb break-even occupancy rate is often around 25% to 35%, depending on nightly price, electricity use, HOA costs, cleaning costs, and platform fees.
In our property pack covering the real estate market in Santa Marta, we explain the best strategies to improve your cashflows.
Don't buy the wrong property, in the wrong area of Santa Marta
Buying real estate is a significant investment. Don't rely solely on your intuition. Gather the right information to make the best decision.
How competitive is Airbnb in Santa Marta as of 2026?
How many active Airbnb listings are in Santa Marta as of 2026?
As of early 2026, Santa Marta has roughly 4,500 to 11,600 active short-term rental listings, with about 5,000 to 6,000 as the practical Airbnb-like residential core.
The number appears higher than a few years ago because Santa Marta has grown as a beach, nature, family-holiday, and remote-work market, but the long trend also means new hosts face a much more crowded market.
Which neighborhoods are most saturated in Santa Marta as of 2026?
As of early 2026, the most saturated Airbnb neighborhoods in Santa Marta are El Rodadero, Rodadero Sur, Gaira, Playa Salguero, Bello Horizonte, Pozos Colorados, Centro Histórico, and Taganga.
These areas are saturated because they combine beach access, known tourist names, apartment towers, restaurants, transport, family demand, and easy listings for owners of second homes.
Relatively better opportunities may exist in selected parts of Playa Salguero, Bellavista, Los Cocos, Don Jaca, and the airport corridor, but only when the building quality and tourist-rental permission are strong.
If you want to know more, we have a blog article listing all the top property areas in Santa Marta.
What local events spike demand in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, the main Airbnb demand spikes in Santa Marta are New Year, Reyes, Semana Santa, June and July school holidays, Fiestas del Mar, long weekends, and year-end holidays.
During the biggest events and holiday weeks, bookings and nightly rates in Santa Marta can rise by about 20% to 60%, and strong beach units can sometimes do better.
Hosts should usually adjust pricing and availability 60 to 120 days before Semana Santa, July holidays, Fiestas del Mar, and December because the best family groups often plan early.
What occupancy differences exist between top and average hosts in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, top-performing Airbnb hosts in Santa Marta can reach around 55% to 65% annual occupancy when the unit is well located and professionally managed.
An average Santa Marta Airbnb host is more likely to sit around 35% to 42% occupancy, especially if the listing is similar to many nearby apartments.
A new Santa Marta host usually needs 6 to 18 months to approach top-performer occupancy, because reviews, pricing discipline, photos, operations, and repeat demand take time.
We give more details about the different Airbnb strategies to adopt in our property pack covering the real estate market in Santa Marta.
Which price points are most crowded, and where's the "white space" for new hosts in Santa Marta right now?
The most crowded nightly price range for Santa Marta Airbnb listings is about COP 160,000 to COP 325,000, or about US$45 to US$90 and €40 to €82.
The better white-space opportunity is usually around COP 345,000 to COP 505,000, or about US$95 to US$140 and €86 to €127, for a property that feels clearly better than ordinary Rodadero and Gaira apartments.
A new host can compete in that underserved segment with a 2-bedroom residential condo, pool, AC in every room, washer, parking, self check-in, blackout curtains, fast Wi-Fi, and honest photos of the beach distance.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Colombia compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
What property works best for Airbnb demand in Santa Marta right now?
What bedroom count gets the most bookings in Santa Marta as of 2026?
As of early 2026, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom Airbnb listings get the broadest booking demand in Santa Marta.
A practical booking-demand breakdown for Santa Marta is about 10% to 15% for studios, 40% to 50% for 1-bedroom units, 25% to 35% for 2-bedroom units, and 10% to 20% for 3-bedroom or larger homes.
This bedroom mix works best in Santa Marta because the city attracts couples, digital workers, small families, and Colombian holiday groups who want a full apartment without villa-level costs.
What property type performs best in Santa Marta in 2026?
As of early 2026, the best-performing Airbnb property type in Santa Marta is usually a well-equipped apartment or condo in a building that allows tourist rentals.
Apartments and condos can often reach about 38% to 45% occupancy, strong houses may sit around 35% to 45%, and villas can earn more per night but often have less stable occupancy and higher costs.
Apartments and condos outperform because Santa Marta visitors often want a hotel-like building experience with pool, security, elevator, AC, and beach access, but at a private-apartment price.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it’s in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Santa Marta, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can and we don’t throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we’ve listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why this source matters | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Función Pública, Decreto 2119 de 2018 | It is Colombia’s official public-law database for national regulations. | We used it to define tourist accommodation and vivienda turística. We also used it to confirm that hosts must show the RNT number when advertising lodging. |
| MinCIT, Decreto 2119 page | MinCIT is Colombia’s tourism ministry and the main sector regulator. | We used it to cross-check the lodging decree against the ministry’s own publication. We treated it as the sector source behind the legal interpretation. |
| Función Pública, Ley 2068 de 2020 | It is an official publication of Colombia’s tourism law reform. | We used it to understand the national policy direction around formal tourism. We also used it as context for RNT, sustainability, and competitiveness rules. |
| Registro Nacional de Turismo | It is the official RNT portal used by tourism service providers in Colombia. | We used it to confirm the practical registration requirement for hosts. We also used it to frame the first licensing step for a private owner. |
| TRA, Tarjeta de Registro de Alojamiento | It is the official MinCIT guest-registration system for accommodation providers. | We used it to confirm guest-registration duties. We also used it to separate a formal Airbnb operation from a simple informal lease. |
| MinCIT, parafiscal contribution FAQ | MinCIT publishes guidance on the tourism parafiscal contribution. | We used it to estimate the small mandatory tourism contribution. We applied the 2.5 per thousand rate as 0.25% of operating income. |
| FONTUR, parafiscal contribution | FONTUR is the public tourism fund that administers the contribution. | We used it to verify that the contribution is part of formal tourism activity. We also used it to separate tourism contributions from normal taxes. |
| Santa Marta POT page | It is the district’s official source for urban-planning material. | We used it to check that zoning and tourist-interest areas matter. We avoided claiming a citywide neighborhood ban without official evidence. |
| Santa Marta POT documents | It is the official repository for land-use, map, and planning documents. | We used it to cross-check land-use and map references. We did not infer property-level legality without checking building and zoning rules. |
| DANE, Encuesta Mensual de Alojamiento | DANE is Colombia’s official statistics agency. | We used it as a formal accommodation benchmark. We treated it as hotel and lodging context, not as direct Airbnb income data. |
| MinCIT tourism reports | MinCIT aggregates official tourism, lodging, traffic, and macro tourism data. | We used it to understand demand drivers in Santa Marta. We treated it as a macro source, not a listing-level Airbnb source. |
| SITUR Magdalena | It is the official tourism information system for Magdalena and Santa Marta. | We used it to understand the local tourism structure. We also used it to ground the article in beach, nature, heritage, and event tourism. |
| AirDNA Santa Marta | AirDNA is a major short-term rental data provider for Airbnb and Vrbo supply. | We used it for listing count, occupancy, ADR, property mix, bedroom mix, and amenity benchmarks. We cross-checked it because its property universe is broader. |
| AirROI Santa Marta | AirROI publishes transparent 2026 short-term rental metrics by market. | We used it to cross-check ADR, occupancy, revenue, and RevPAR. We gave it high weight for a 2026 market snapshot. |
| Airbtics Santa Marta | Airbtics is a recognized Airbnb analytics provider with public market estimates. | We used it as a third benchmark for active listings, occupancy, and annual revenue. We used it to widen the range where providers disagreed. |
| Colombia Travel, Fiesta del Mar | Colombia Travel is the official tourism promotion portal for the country. | We used it to identify Fiesta del Mar as a major annual demand spike. We also used it to explain why late July is important for Santa Marta Airbnb pricing. |
| Parques Nacionales, Tayrona closure notice | Parques Nacionales is the official manager of Tayrona National Park. | We used it to identify Tayrona disruption risk. We also cross-checked later reopening reporting because Tayrona is central to Santa Marta tourism. |
| El País, Tayrona reopening report | It is a major news source with detailed reporting on the 2026 Tayrona reopening. | We used it to update the article after the temporary closure. We treated it as context for demand risk, not as a legal source. |
| AirROI Magdalena markets | It gives regional STR context beyond the city boundary. | We used it to compare Santa Marta with nearby Magdalena submarkets. We also used it to avoid judging Santa Marta only by citywide averages. |
| Airbnb El Rodadero stays | It shows live platform supply and guest-facing positioning in a key Santa Marta area. | We used it to sense real price presentation and listing competition. We did not use it as a statistical source because live listings change constantly. |
| USD/COP 2026 exchange-rate history | It gives a practical 2026 exchange-rate reference for converting Colombian pesos and US dollars. | We used it only to make rounded currency conversions easier to read. We rounded all conversions because exchange rates move every day. |
Get fresh and reliable information about the market in Santa Marta
Don't base significant investment decisions on outdated data. Get updated and accurate information.
Related blog posts