Santa Marta is a city and municipality, located in northern Colombia by the Caribbean sea and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, capital of the Magdalena Department. Founded on July 29, 1525 by Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, the city is an important maritime port and hub for tourism, history and culture. It was named after the Biblical Martha and was the first city to be founded in Colombia and second in South America after Cumaná (1521) in Venezuela[citation needed]. El Libertador Simón Bolívar died at a ranch named Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino on the outskirts of Santa Marta on 17 December 1830. The city has also been affected to some extent by the Colombian Armed Conflict.