The touristic, cultural, and historical district of Santa Marta is the oldest standing city in Colombia and has a fundamental place in its heritage and values. It is located on the Caribbean Sea in the north of the nation, close to the Tayrona National Natural Park’s beaches, at the base of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta sacred mountains, and next to the Ciénaga Grande Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. It is the birthplace of important vallenato music and folklore artists, as well as influential figures in the country’s identity. In 1830 the Brigadier-General Simón Bolívar died in this town in the Hacienda of San Pedro Alejandrino. It is the home of Unión Magdalena “el ciclón”, a first-class professional soccer team, where Carlos Alberto “el pibe” Valderrama began his career.