Santander
This region is made up of many small towns situated amongst the lush foothills of the Andes mountains. Each town has a unique personality with access to mountains, valleys, waterfalls, rivers, and colonial Spanish architecture. While standing in a dusty bus terminal, surrounded by sprinter vans, each displaying a different town’s name on their window shield, a friend said, “The magic of this place is that each of these vans is arriving to a different destination, full of hidden gems and stories”. He was right. As a tourist, expat, backpacker, cafe frequenter, people watcher, or adrenalin junkie, you can surely find what you are looking for, or what you didn’t even know that you were looking for, all within arms. Well – rather vans, reach.
The Towns
- San Gil: the launching off point for all things adventure. Bungee jumping, kayaking, rafting, paragliding, etc. It’s a larger town in comparison, with no shortage of restaurants, hostels, and hotels. For real charm though, make your way to the surrounding towns and attractions as San Gil is also a transportation hub, with an abundance of taxis and two bus terminals. You will most likely find yourself returning to San Gil, even if it’s just for transit to a different destination.
- Barichara: as charming as charming gets. In my opinion, a must see if you’re in the region. Life slows down in Barichara. Cobble stone roads form a grid to explore the well preserved Spanish colonial architecture. Flowers and ferns weave their way into the houses seamlessly. The town overlooks mountains and valleys. It’s small and walkable, but will give you a good workout as the hills are no joke. When your calfs start to cry, treat yourself to a tuk tuk home.
- Guane: this is an easy visit from Barichara. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to stay the night in Guane as it is very small. It has less than 1000 residents. The half day trip from Barichara is very much worth it. You can walk there via the beautiful Camino Real, a stone paved path with rich history as it facilitated trade between the towns before paved roads. The scenery along the way will not disappoint. The path in the direction of Barichara to Guane is recommended as it’s mostly downhill. Try to avoid the mid-day heat by going early in the morning. Spend some time in Guane, and then you can take a tuk tuk back to Barichara. Just be sure to bring cash.
- Guadalupe: If I were to go back to Santander, I would spend a night in Guadalupe for sure. We made a day trip from Barichara to Guadalupe. It was a JOURNEY, for sure, but so worth it. Read below about Las Gachas, the highlight of Gaudalupe and maybe the highlight of my trip in Santander (more about this below).
- Curití: this town allows for easy access to Chicamocha Canyon, Cueva de la Vaca (cave of the cow), and some interesting horticulture such as tobacco and the plant that is used for the fibers of their traditional bags.
- Charalá: for the water enthused. This town has waterfalls, rivers, and lagoons to explore.
- Bucaramanga: the capital city with a great name. It’s not a town like the rest. It’s a proper city. I spent a few hours roaming a bougie-ish neighborhood as I had 5 hours before my next bus. I spent the time visiting a few coffee shops and restaurants. They are famous for leather shoe making if that appeals to you. Likely this will be your starting off point if arriving by plane, as San Gil is a 3 hour bus ride away. It’s nice, but staying the night isn’t necessary in my opinion.
Wher To Stay
Barichara: There is no shortage of places to stay in Barichara
- Casa Guatí: This is where we stayed. It was perfect. Set about 10 minutes from the center of town by foot. The property was beautiful. It was slow season when we were there because we originally booked a “glamping tent” which I was a bit underwhelmed by the idea of to begin with (see photo below), but then we were upgraded to an actual room. It had reliable wifi, fantastic service, a pool, and included breakfast. Not just a crappy buffet of fruit and stale bread. It was really good, made to order.
- Look on Booking.com for other hotels similar to Casa Guatí, there are many, all within different price ranges. I would only recommend that it’s walking distance from the main square/park “parque principal” and take into consideration hills if you’re on that side of town.
- Trip Monkey Hostel: This would be my suggestion if you’re a solo backpacker or looking for a social scene in this sleepy town.
- Airbnb: there are so many great options. After a quick browse, I think I may be going this route if I return. Especially if traveling in a group.
- For something a bit more off the grid, Nativo Glamping was recommended by friends. This camp ground places a great emphasis on taking care of the environment. It’s located between San Gil and Barichara.
- Trip Monkey Hostel: Yes, there is a trip monkey in both San Gil and Barichara. It did the job for a one night stay. We stayed in a private room for a really good price. Was it glamorous? No. Does it attract a bit of the Israeli party crowd? Yes. But the common areas were comfortable, well maintained, and the staff was exceptionally nice.
- La Mansión Hostel: I really like the quirky design of their patio and they have reasonable private room prices as well. We ate at their restaurant(s) twice.
- There are a ton of options on booking.com and hostelworld. Sincerely though, this is a place to come for the adventure and to hop on a bus to go elsewhere. Do not linger too much. Spend your money on a nice accommodation in Barichara or another surrounding town.
Transportation
If you’re arriving from Bogotá, there are buses direct to San Gil. If arriving from virtually anywhere else, you will likely go to Bucaramanga first, by bus or plane. Then you can take a bus from Bucaramanga to San Gil
San Gil has two bus terminals – the main bus station where you can catch a bus to places such as Bucaramanga or Bogotá and the, endearingly named, terminalito, or the little bus station, which provides transfer to the surrounding towns. This was at least the theme but the people at the bus stations are happy to help you out to confirm where you should be and when.
Uber: available in Bucaramanga, but to my knowledge, not in any of the smaller towns.
Taxis: very prevalent especially in San Gil. Most accommodations can easily call a taxi, but I also recommend asking a taxi driver, for their Whatsapp number if you have a decent experience. Some may even have a business card. This way if you get yourself into a bind, miss a bus, or simply can’t be bothered to navigate public transportation that day, you can likely contact that taxi driver directly to catch a ride to the next destination. If they can’t, they surely know someone who can. It is considerably more expensive than the bus though, so weigh your options. As always, negotiate the price before you start the ride, and if you make it known that you might use them again, they’ll likely avoid ripping you off, give the wrong change, or any of that bullshit (looking at you taxi drivers of Cartagena).
Tuk Tuks – in the small towns there are tuk tuks mainly in the main plazas. Again, just agree on a price before hopping in
Colectivos: These are most common in the small towns to get to the next main town. For instance Guadalupe to Oiba, there is a colectivo which is more like a converted bed of a pick up truck, sometimes stuffed to the brim with people trying to get to Oiba where there is a proper bus terminal.
Barichara has a transportation store front in the main square. You can drop in to find the time tables and purchase tickets. They even post buses that go directly to Bucaramanga, but in my experience, these are far and few between and not always reliable.
When in doubt, ask anyone. A local, hotel, travel agency. People are more than happy to help.
Where to Eat
Restaurants/Cafes:
TIP: look up hours before you go. Many are open for limited hours and will close between lunch and dinner. Don’t be surprised that even after doing your google search due diligence, you still arrive to a closed restaurant. People tend to be super laid back in this region, especially restaurant owners. I found that the best way was to actually message the restaurants on Whatsapp or instagram to confirm hours before arriving and never letting it get the point of desperation hanger. Best strategy, line up a bunch of places you want to try out so you’re not upset when a place is inevitably closed.
San Gil
La Mansion / Penelope: To my understanding, La Mansion is the hostel, they have a cafe, and they have a pizza restaurant (Penelope) all within the same space. So essentially they are one in the same – but different. Maybe Penelope runs at dinner time. Let me know. But we had two great meals here, the first was lunch and it was a a menu del dia type thing, extremely veg friendly. Then we came back for dinner and ordered pizza which was impressively good for South America. This quirky but beautiful setting was relaxing. I didn’t stay here but I would consider it in the future.
Barichara
Elvia: I had my birthday dinner here. By far the best meal I experienced in Barichara, maybe in all of Colombia. Make reservations. It’s fine dining with an open concept kitchen. Highly recommend.
Gringo Mike’s: Come here for large portions of American/Tex-Mex inspired food. Laidback restaurant. They also have a location in San Gil.
Aljibe Librería: Part bookstore, part cafe, part exhibition. The brownie is incredible – just try it (pictured below). Fun Fact: The owner was actually inspiration behind and a cultural consultant for the movie Encanto, but you won’t find any reference of this within the store.
Nona’s: Cafe in the main square. Reliable wifi and hours. I have to admit I was underwhelmed by almost everything I had here EXCEPT their coconut lemonade. I made a dangerous habit of treating myself to one almost everyday.
La Piazza: Italian food slightly outside of the center, lovely staff, nice pizza, pasta, and sangria.
El Compa: Super busy at lunch time filled with locals.
Casablanca Cafe: A habit was made of coming here for tea and cake after dinner. It’s a really nice ambiance – impeccably decorated. If I went back I’d ask about dinner reservations.
Charcutería: Lunch Cafe. Gah I wanted to love this place so badly. To be honest, we had a salad that was awesome but all I can remember is my disappointing waffle. HOWEVER, they have salads, chia pudding, smoothies, and tons of vegan/veg options so I’d give them another chance, just skip the waffle.
La Puerta Secret Kitchen: Fantastic reviews. Must make a reservation.
Épice: Middle eastern food. Unfortunately closed when we were there but it looks good.
Siete Tigres: Another highly rated pizza restaurant.
Milana Barichara: This place looks incredible, a 10-15 min drive from town. Check out their instagram. I sent a message via Whatsapp to make a reservation but unfortunately they were closed the week we were there.
Guane
Ojalá: Unfortunately they weren’t open (catching a theme?). But this place was highly recommended from a couple that I met in the north of Colombia. They are apparently very veg friendly.
Misia: We had lunch here. It was lovely, food was fine. No complaints.
Regional Cuisine:
Hormigas Culonas: This is the delicacy of the region – translated literally as big ass ants. I didn’t partake but you can see ant dusted butter in a picture below.
Arepa Sanadereana – these are yellow arepas. Any Colombians reading this, don’t hate me, but arepas, no matter the region, I find to be same same but different. As a non corn enthusiast, I’ll entertain an arepa as a vehicle for other food but it’s not my first choice.
Queso Siete Cueros – translated as 7 skin cheese. This is a cheese typically found rolled into a circle. Like a cinnamon roll shape, Apparently it’s not from this region, but I did see it here more than anywhere else that I’ve been in Colombia.
Large portions: Santander is known to provide large portions. Something I found more notable though was that the food was a bit on the heavy side. By no means is it impossible to eat healthy, but the temptation to indulge, is plentiful.
What to do
Adventure: Rafting, Kayaking, Bungee Jumping, Hang gliding. You can do it here, for relatively cheap. Most hostels, hotels, and travel agencies in San Gil can easily arrange this.
Hike to a river: Cañon del Chicamocha is a popular attraction. I didn’t make it there in this trip but there are many blogs that detail how to make the most of your time there.
Museums/monuments: I’m not so much of museum gal but I’m sure this is a thing to do.
Explore the towns: Strolling the streets really takes you to a different world with it’s preserved architecture, landscaping, and everyday life passing you by. I remember getting stuck in the rain, I mean torrential downpour, in Guadalupe and as I was walking, soaking wet, I saw all of the residents come out of their homes holding out their house plants to be watered. It just made so much sense and a different perspective. Walking around the towns is the only way to appreciate the lifestyle and culture.
Hike to a viewpoint: In Barichara you can hike, well more like walk, to the Barichara Viewpoint. It’s a hotspot for sunset, for good reason. Theres a restaurant along the way if you want to stop for some drinks with a nice view (pictured below), or there are a few tiendas right by the view point to buy some cervezas and snacks.
Shop handicrafts: Souvenir shopping is admittedly not my forte. I typically avoid shopping, partly due to traveling with a backpack with limited space, while also valuing spending money on extended travel and experiences over buying tangible things, and one too many regretful purchases. That being said, the handicrafts in Santander are actually really beautiful, using stones and fabrics from the region. You’ll find bags, jewelry, artwork, home goods, and clothing. As with anything, you get what you pay for, so if you want something special, leave some room in your budget.
This region accomplishes something that in my experience is hard to do. They effortlessly blend local everyday life with fair and responsible tourism.
General Tips
- Brush up on some basic Spanish before you go and make use of google translate when needed. Granted, I was traveling with a Colombian at this time, and my Spanish was decent, but not a single person spoke to me in English. Fantastic for practicing, but I would imagine this is a reflection of the general comfortability with English.
- Cash – make sure you have cash. In the larger towns, there are ATMs but at times they may not be functioning.
- Wifi – there is reliable wifi in many hostels, cafes, and hotels. A good place for a digital nomad.
