San Gil and Barichara are a small town and a perfectly preserved colonial village located in the Santander department. They are a mere 45 minutes from each other which is why it is uncommon to visit one without also visiting the other.
San Gil is widely regarded as Colombia’s capital of adventure sports. Its warm climate, rugged landscapes and fast-flowing rivers make it an excellent base for rafting, kayaking, paragliding, cycling, caving and hiking. Parque El Gallineral, a wooded riverside park close to the centre, is also an interesting place to visit within the town itself.
Barichara offers a very different experience. Its cobbled streets, whitewashed buildings, red-tiled roofs and traditional architecture give it a character quite unlike San Gil. The town has excellent small hotels, restaurants, cafés and craft workshops, as well as impressive views across the surrounding arid landscape.
Santander also has a strong regional identity and its own culinary traditions. The best known are hormigas culonas, roasted queen ants that have been eaten in the region for centuries and remain a familiar sight in local shops and markets.
San Gil and Barichara are approximately five hours overland from Bogotá. The journey can be divided with a stay in Villa de Leyva before continuing north into Santander. Beyond Barichara, the route continues through the Chicamocha Canyon towards Bucaramanga and its airport.
Programme
We recommend spending two or three nights in Barichara, arriving overland from Villa de Leyva. During the journey, we suggest stopping at Quebrada Las Gachas near Guadalupe, where shallow natural pools have formed in the red rock of the riverbed.
Barichara is our preferred base in the region. San Gil remains within easy reach for activities, while staying in Barichara allows you to enjoy its distinctive pueblo atmosphere during the quieter mornings and evenings, after most day visitors have left.
If you have one full day, we suggest beginning early with a walk along the Camino Real to Guane. Established as a commercial route in 1867, the Camino Real was declared a national monument in 1977 and restored in 1988. The historic stone path descends through Santander’s striking arid landscape to the small village of Guane.
During the afternoon, we recommend a guided walking tour of Barichara. The town is easy to explore independently, but a local guide provides the historical and cultural context behind its churches, architecture, cemetery and enduring craft traditions. Combining the Camino Real with the walking tour gives you both the surrounding landscape and a much better understanding of Barichara itself.
With an additional day, we recommend a guided hike to the Juan Curí waterfalls. The shaded trail, lush vegetation and natural pool beneath the waterfall offer a cooler and greener contrast to the dry landscapes around Barichara and Guane.
After your stay, we recommend continuing north rather than backtracking towards Bogotá. The road to Bucaramanga passes through the spectacular Chicamocha Canyon, with breathtaking views and opportunities to stop for photographs at roadside refugios. You can also visit the historic town of San Juan de Girón before continuing to Bucaramanga Airport for an onward flight to Medellín, Cartagena, Bogotá or Yopal.
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