1) Safety - All are about the same, although Cartagena is full of people preying on tourists who will try to sell you stuff or steal what you bring to the beach.
2) Price - Cartagena is the most expensive. It's a city made for vacations - I can't really imagine living there.
3) Things to do - Santa Marta is probably the sleepiest, honestly the city itself is not that impressive. Cartagena has a lot going on due to all the people traveling through, especially around summer and Christmastime when Colombians flock there in droves.
4) Women - lots of pay for play in Cartagena, very hard to tell sometimes who is and isn't for sale. I thought the women in Barranquilla were pretty hot, lots of mulattas, also some Arab influence.
5) Misc - For my money Barranquilla. It's the only one that's a real city, barely. It is very polarizing though; most people think it is ugly. Its design reminded me of LA, very wide streets, and people there like a good time. Cartagena, outside of the touristy areas, is extremely poor. Santa Marta is pretty quiet for a city of its size, kind of bland overall. Tayrona is amazing though.
Why the coast and nowhere else in Colombia? Bogota, Medellin, Cali, and other Santa Marta-sized cities have their charm as well...then again, I miss the ocean.
2) Price - Cartagena is the most expensive. It's a city made for vacations - I can't really imagine living there.
3) Things to do - Santa Marta is probably the sleepiest, honestly the city itself is not that impressive. Cartagena has a lot going on due to all the people traveling through, especially around summer and Christmastime when Colombians flock there in droves.
4) Women - lots of pay for play in Cartagena, very hard to tell sometimes who is and isn't for sale. I thought the women in Barranquilla were pretty hot, lots of mulattas, also some Arab influence.
5) Misc - For my money Barranquilla. It's the only one that's a real city, barely. It is very polarizing though; most people think it is ugly. Its design reminded me of LA, very wide streets, and people there like a good time. Cartagena, outside of the touristy areas, is extremely poor. Santa Marta is pretty quiet for a city of its size, kind of bland overall. Tayrona is amazing though.
Why the coast and nowhere else in Colombia? Bogota, Medellin, Cali, and other Santa Marta-sized cities have their charm as well...then again, I miss the ocean.