Santander
One of the most historically rich regions of Colombia is the department of Santander. When the conquistadors arrived, the region was inhabited by several indigenous peoples, including the Guanes, the Agatáes, the Chipatáes and the Yariguíes.
Commerce and industry flourished in the XIX century, people attracted by the nascent exploitation of Quina, El Tabaco, gold mining, and oil deposits in Barrancabermeja, all this made the department to consolidate in one of the most important regions of migration of German, English, Italian, French citizens, among others will settle in the department.
Adventure has its epicenter in this land, where you can enjoy truly spectacular sites for rafting, paragliding and canoeing, exploring caves or speleology is an activity that should not be missed, as well as visiting emblematic towns with a lot of history such as Socorro and Barichara.
Barichara: Known as the most beautiful town in Colombia, and is within the network of heritage towns in the country, there are many reasons and one of them is its tranquility, its cobblestone streets and cobblestone ocher color, its warm and dry climate will make your trip enjoyable. Walk through its streets to learn about its culture, history and the traditions of its inhabitants. Among the most important sites to visit are the Chapel of Santa Barbara, and the Jorge Delgado Park for the Arts, you can observe the stone work of the artists of the time, then continue to the temple of the Immaculate Conception and San Lorenzo, the chapel of San Antonio, among other attractions. At the end of the afternoon you can go to the Mirador de Barichara where you can enjoy a magnificent view of the canyon of the Suarez River. A few kilometers away there is another viewpoint a little further away and is the Santo del Mico, thanks to its huge mountains allow you to enjoy the colorful landscapes offered by the department of Santander.
Guane: When you travel through this population located 10 km from Barichara There you will encounter the ancestral past of its population. For centuries it was the cradle of the Guane empire, where pre-Hispanic traces of this population are preserved as testimony of the aboriginal culture that dominated the region. Legend has it that the last cacique called Guanentá, before submitting to the European yoke, preferred to throw himself from the canyon of the Suárez River. It is an epicenter of many cultural and ancestral traditions, its architecture, craft expressions, as well as the story of its inhabitants are its main and important attractions. There is the royal road of Guane you can do if you stay in Barichara and make the journey to this beautiful and important population. The route was declared a national monument in 1988, for this reason has increased the number of visitors and hikers who arrive daily to the town.
Archaeological and paleontological museum: The museum is located in Guane, it has three rooms that make up the tour, the first are the fossils, with more than 200 species, which populated the territory more than 120 million years ago, according to paleontologists. In the second room you will find an exhibition of tools, weapons, fabrics, clothing and decorative items belonging to the indigenous people of the Guane empire. In the third room you will find religious articles, among them the door of the tabernacle, covered in gold leaf, and the Holy Sepulcher of Good Friday dating from 1658. The most striking of the museum and most recognized is the Guane Mummy, preserved in a squatting position.
San Gil: It is the capital of the practice of adventure sports, such as rafting, paragliding, rappelling, rappel, bungee dumping, caving and ecological hiking; for this reason many visitors arrive attracted looking for different experiences. Its main attractions The Gallineral Park, three main rivers and about ten streams, these attractions have turned the municipality into a striking ecotourism destination. The Gallineral Park is a natural park located in the urban perimeter, it is characterized by its wild flora, ceibas, mosses and heliconias that you can observe through its hectares. The park is surrounded by the Curiti streams, its main attraction is the Balneario pescaderito also, are the Cueva del Yeso cataloged as the most beautiful cave of Santander, has majestic formations and galleries that captivate visitors with its exuberant beauty. The cave is totally dry, the visitor will observe imposing galleries and enormous limestone formations; creating a different world underground. The Cueva de la Vaca, located in the direction of the village of El Palmar, 5 minutes from the town center, offers a great opportunity for the practice of speleology. You will have fun and you will prove how far you are capable of extreme sports!
Panachi: The park is located on the San Gil - Bucaramanga road, it was built on the Chicamocha canyon, taking advantage of the historical and cultural riches; the park comprises an urban complex made up of different elements and places that represent the culture of Santander. The Chicamocha Cable Car is one of the most visited attractions of the park because it crosses the Chicamocha Canyon from the park in Aratoca to Mesa de los Santos. The park is focused on ecotourism, which is why it offers the following services: Mountain Biking, Hiking, Canoeing, Ecotourism, Mountaineering, and an unforgettable experience such as Paragliding, to enjoy the view of the canyon.
Chicamocha Canyon: More than 108,000 hectares, the Chicamocha is one of the largest in the world, and was formed 46 million years ago in a place that before was a huge lake that allowed the formation of caverns and housed marine animals of which remains are still found. The canyon has been highlighted as one of the main attractions of Colombia, this majestic place is a visual spectacle for those who have the opportunity to experience it.
Socorro: It is a very laborious population in the field, was the first producer of fine woods, mead, molasses, dye stick and was the epicenter in the production of handicrafts, cotton and fique textiles and tobacco cultivation. It was the main town of the insurrection of the commoners in the history of Colombia and in its square Manuela Beltrán, who broke the King's tax edict during the time of Independence. The historic center was declared a National Monument, the Basilica Nuestra Señora del Socorro is Bastarda-itálico-Tuscan style of the Renaissance, the House of Culture, on the outskirts is the bridge of the commoners, where the muleteers along the Chicamocha River took the royal road leading to the suspension bridge Lenguerke, named after the German colonizer Geo Von Lengerke, to transport on mule or horseback their crops, cinchona and tobacco.
In this beautiful department you will have the experience of traveling real roads, full of history of our colonization, small towns with attractions and gastronomy: Hormigas culonas is the symbol of Santander gastronomy to eat it fried or toasted, the Mute is a thick soup made from grains, such as corn, beans and chickpeas. The Cabrito, Arepa of peeled corn, and you can not miss the sweets: Maizenitas, snacks veleños; arequipe, mantecadas and masaticos, panuchas and sweets 'arrancamuelas', in Charalá.
The handicrafts in Santander preserve the ancient craft techniques of the last century, which have been passed down from generation to generation. Natural and biodegradable elements, among them fique, are the raw material for their elaboration. Cotizas (country sandals) and decorative items are the expression of local artists.
The destination has very traditional small festivals, such as: Festival de la Guabina and Tiple, rhythms of Colombia. Feria Ganadera de Bucaramanga, the breeds of zebu, dairy, sheep and goat cattle are combined in this local festival. Feria Bonita Ibero-American Storytellers Festival. Pineapple Fair and Contest, in the last week of July. In Barichara. Stone Carving Festival, in the first half of September, among others.
- The temperature in the department of Santander varies according to the town where you are located, you will have an average temperature of 23 °C. and the average maximum temperature is 30.9 °C, a very pleasant climate for your trip.
- For transportation within the region or between municipalities the recommendation is to use the transportation provided by your travel agency.
- Bucaramanga, Barichara and San Gil are the three cities where we recommend accommodation, hotels vary according to budget, you can find 3*, 4* and 4* superior, in remodeled colonial houses, some farm style, with very nice views and landscapes.
- Connectivity is very easy if you want to arrive directly to the Palonegro International Airport is located west of Bucaramanga in the municipality of Lebrija, or if you come by land, from Bogota, through Boyaca you will arrive to the destinations you want to visit in the department of Santander.