Posted on May 20, 2026
According to the District Council for Disaster Risk Management (CDGRD), which extended the declaration of public calamity, the works are being carried out on an area of 280 linear meters that were destroyed by coastal erosion.
The dredging work to recover a strip of beach in Cabo Tortuga, which has been eroded by the effect of storm surge due to the passage of two cold fronts, which occurred in February of this year, is progressing rapidly and without setbacks.
The District’s Office of Irrigation Management and Climate Change, Ogricc, in its most recent meeting of the District Council for Disaster Risk Management, CDGRD, assured that it seeks to recover between 15 and 20 meters of beach in an area of 280 linear meters.
A week ago, a dredger began removing earth from the sea, depositing it in the area subject to recovery, with the aim that at the end of the work there will be a beach with the aforementioned dimensions.
Darío Linero Mejía, director of the Ogricc, the entity that is monitoring the work, without giving further details, said that the schedule for the beach construction work is being met.
“The dredging works at Cabo Tortuga are progressing; we continue working on the recovery and stabilization of the beach terrain, through work that strengthens coastal protection and helps mitigate risk,” the official said moments after inspecting the works.
THE ACTIONS
On April 23, the Mayor’s Office of Santa Marta, through the District Council for Disaster Risk Management, CDGRD, extended the Declaration of Public Calamity 495 of 2025, initially issued on November 21 to address the emergency caused by severe coastal erosion in the Cabo Tortuga sector.
A technical and administrative evaluation was already carried out over a period of six months to determine the appropriateness of its extension, given that the analyses show the need for a profound intervention to avoid the total loss of the beaches and permanent structural damage.
The project involves the recovery of approximately 0.57 hectares of beach through the redistribution of 14,753 cubic meters of sediment. Mitigation measures include soft sand remediation works and hydraulic dredging, with the goal of achieving a berm width of 20 meters.
Linero Mejía explained that the dredging operations should begin between April 27 and May 4, which is a very important piece of news for the city, as it turned out.
The public calamity was extended to allow for dredging interventions in Cabo Tortuga to recover the beach area that has been lost due to advanced coastal erosion, a problem that has been ongoing for years and which, thanks to public-private collaboration, is on its way to being resolved.
INTER-INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION
The involvement of entities such as Dimar, Dadsa, Corpamag, as well as the participation of the concessionaires Cabo Tortuga and Sierra Laguna, was highlighted as fundamental to guaranteeing the protection of the collective interest and public use assets.
Camilo George Díaz, Secretary of Government of the District, said that, with these decisions, the District Council for Disaster Risk Management reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens and the preservation of the natural environment of Santa Marta, advancing in definitive solutions to coastal erosion and other urban risks that threaten the integrity of the population and the environmental heritage of the city.
As part of the measures adopted to guarantee the safety of citizens and allow the progress of the works, the District Mayor’s Office announced the temporary closure of Cabo Tortuga beach and the Sierra Laguna sector for a period of 30 days.
It was learned that the restriction, which began to take effect last Friday, May 8, seeks to avoid risks to bathers, tourists and residents while coastal recovery work is carried out.
