San Gil.
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Overview

San Gil is a city with a population of 50,000 in the Santander region in Eastern Andino. It is known as "Colombia's adventure sport capital".

Get in

Bus terminal. The bus terminal to major Colombian cities is 2 km west of the city center. San Gil is on the road between Bucaramanga and Bogotá, hence there are frequent buses to towns along this axis. For other destinations, you'll most likely have to change buses in Bucaramanga. You could also catch them the buses from the main terminal. If possible, try to sit on the right side for the best views of Rio Umpala. Consider stopping at the Chicamocha Canyon National Park on the way.

See

Parque El Gallineral. Pleasant park for a stroll. Also has a swimming pool or you can dip in the Rio Fonce.

Cascadas de Juan Curi. Beautiful 180-meter-high waterfalls outside of town. It's a nice 20-minute walk to the bottom of the Juan Curi waterfall where you can swim. Your shoes will get wet crossing the water several times and there are ladders and ropes to help you climb. 100 meters before the waterfall, a small track on your right will lead you up to the middle of the waterfall. Rappelling is possible from there.

Do

Tour companies generally offer similar activities and are clustered around the entrance of park El Gallineral. If you plan to go rafting or kayaking on rapids of class 3 and over, check that the guides are certified by the International Rafting Federation (IRF).

Colombia Rafting Expeditions. Organizes all adventure activities as well as being the experts at big rapids and kayaking.

Colombian Bike Junkies. Mountain Biking Tours. The mountains and canyons around San Gil make this a great area for mountain biking. You can find bikes for hire in town, but for a guided tour ask at Gringo Mikes. They run full-day tours under the name Colombian Bike Junkies including new full suspension Kona bikes and protective equipment, 4WD transfers, breakfast, lunch and drinks and snacks along the way. You get to see some great scenery, and best of all it's about 95% downhill so you can let gravity do most of the work. You don't need to be a downhill guru, but should be comfortable with riding on dirt roads.

San Gil is the pioneering place for white water rafting in Colombia : Rio Fonce, This is the river going through San Gil, it offers an 11-km trip lasting 1hr 15min on class 2-3 rapids depending on the season. It suits all kind of public. Rio Chicamocha, An 1hr 30min rafting trip with rapids from level 2 to 4. More adrenaline and amazing scenery going through the canyon. Possible to organize expeditions up to 3 days long.

Rio Suarez. Considered the most advanced, this is a 3-hour and 20-km trip of non-stop class 4-5 rapids. Rafters must have prior experience with class 3 rapids and be under 50 years of age. Tours run in the morning and afternoon, but are dependent on the water level for any given day.

Cueva de Vaca. Named for cows that would become trapped after falling into the entrance, Cueva de Vaca is purportedly the more adventurous of the caving options in the region. The cave contains bats, bugs, and the usual stalactite and stalagmite formations, as well as a creek that flows through its entirety. During high water, it's necessary to swim submerged using a rope as a guide to access the deeper chambers. Most tours will spend 1–1.5 hr inside the cave before returning to the entrance (an exit has yet to be discovered). It's possible to purchase tickets directly from one of several companies in Curití, or through a tour operator or hotel in San Gil.

Cueva Del Indio. Access to the cave is by rapelling down a zipline. Tours last approx 1 hr and showcase several chambers that contain bats, stalactites, stalagmites and ponds. In the last chamber, it is possible to jump five meters into a four-meter deep waterhole.

There are lots of places around San Gil to go for a swim: Pozo Azul : Close to San Gil and accessible by taxi, it is popular with locals. 300 meters down river is la Milagrosa where you can jump from rocks. More details and a GPS track can be found here. Pescaderito : Close to the town of Curiti, it has swimming holes and water slides. Camping possible.

Other activities are caving, parapente, paintballing, kayaking, hydrospeed and rapelling.

Trekking There are numerous trekking opportunities in the countryside surrounding San Gil. The following itinerary goes through 3 colonial towns before going down in the Chicamocha canyon and up on the other side. Doing the whole trek in 2 days is possible if you leave San Gil really early on the first morning but it will probably be more enjoyable do it in 3 days and take your time checking out the towns in details. You can also do only parts as there are buses going back to San Gil in every town except Jordan. You don't need to carry food and camping equipment as there are restaurants and hotels in every town. Carry a lot of water and be careful of the midday heat.

Here check out the church. At the upper left corner of the plaza, take the steepest street up (Calle 7) and turn left at the top. Follow the path along the stations of the cross (14 of them). From the top keep on going straight, the path is fairly flat and you'll soon see Barichara in the distance. Across the street you can see upright stones placed in regular intervals under the trees. These are either meant to secure cattle for 'servicing' or possibly used as an abattoir (slaughter) a long time ago; there are different stories when asking locals. Look out for iguanas taking the sun up on the tree branches. Quite likely you will see several flocks of vultures as well hanging around near the stone bridge. A bit further there is a stone bridge that you have to cross. After a final small climb you're in the town of Barichara. Walking time: 2½ hr. Barichara - Guane - From the main square take any Calle going up the hill until you reach Carrera 10. Turn left towards the ridge. A stone marks the start of the trail, it is an old paved path that was restored 180 years ago by a German Geo Van Leguerke. The path crosses the paved road twice, just cross it. Refreshments are (sometimes) sold at the farm at midway. walking time: 2 hr. Guane - Villanueva - To exit Guane, take Calle 6 from the main plaza towards the hill and soon you'll be back on the camino real. At some point there are farms on both sides of the path and right after you get to a crossing with a bigger road, taking that road to the right would bring you back to Barichara, you need to go straight (on the good road) and keep going uphill (the track is not exactly but a bit to the right). Keep on going up through the fields and tobacco farms. Soon after passing a finca named La Ceiba on the left hand-side, you get to a fork with a cross in the middle and a basketball court on the left, take a right there. Less than 5 minutes after, you encounter a needle head turn, take a left towards the house with a white flag. This is a mirador with great views of the canyon and all the ascent you've accomplished. Keep on going up. At some stage there will be two farms on the right and what looks like a road going uphill, do not turn and keep going straight, the road goes down a bit towards bare land for 5 minutes and after that is the final part of the climb. Once you reach the hilltop, you can see the next valley with Villanueva on the left but hidden by a hill. On your right is the road used by cars to reach town but it does a lot of turn. The shorter option is to take a left and look for the path going directly to town. You have to follow the barbwire, it will start dropping towards the valley and what looks more like a ditch will turn in a footpath. After a while you'll exit a field through a door and reach jeep track, take left towards the red and white antenna. From there it's straight to town. Walking time: 3 hrs.

Villanueva - Jordan - The way from Villanueva down to Jordan takes approximately 5 hours. It is best to leave after noon so that you go down the canyon (900 m) in the late afternoon. Leave Villanueva in north-east direction and ask some locals to point you to the road towards the canyon and Jordan (details and GPS can be found here). You start off on some dirt roads then end up on a path that leads down the canyon. You will encounter many crossings. Best thing is to ask locals when they pass by. After you went down 900 m to the canyon you will hit a dirt road. Turn right and it's a 20-min walk to Jordan. In Jordan, La Posada del Caminante has dorms and private rooms. Food can be had at the little kiosk just opposite. The river is good to cool down after a long hike. Walking time: 4-5 hr. Jordan - Los Santos - The last part consists of a 900-m difference climb to get out of the canyon. Cross the bridge over the Chicamocha river. The stone path starts just after, you can't miss it. The path goes up continuously but is never too steep and getting to Los Santos should take around 2 hours. Avoid doing this in the midday heat. There´s a house selling refreshments halfway up. Los Santos is a decent size town compared to Jordan. Buses leave from the main square. Flota Cachira goes there but Transporte Mesa de Los Santos takes a different route to Piedecuesta, check with your driver to be sure. Other option is to go to the nacional park Chicamocha and cross the canyon with the Teleferico. From there you can flag down a bus going back to San Gil. walking time: 1½-2 hr. Note that as of January 2024, the Teleferico is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

There are two places to bungee jump, located over a river a few kilometers from town, 500 m apart.

San Gil Bungee Jumping. 55-m platform jump. If you time it right you can jump while there are whitewater rafters watching you from below!

Eat

Some of Santander's Famous Regional Foods:

Hormigas Culonas (literally "big ass ants" roasted with salt, tastes kind of like popcorn) Arepa Santandereana (a thick corn arepa mixed with salt and pork) Carne Oreada (traditional thin steak) Carne Seca (a dry pulled steak) Cabro (goat) Mute Changua (milk soup with egg) Fritanga (fried food snacks) Chorizos del Valle de San José (specialty spicy sausage) Arroz de Peñaflor (specialty rice)

Bendito Sabor for exceptional Menu del Dia, El Especial Mani for bakery treats, Coma Rico for fast food next to the plaza, and Kikirisan del Ponce for rotisserie chicken. See them all in a visit here.

Gringo Mike's. A sandwich place opened by an awesome guy from Seattle. Serves up delicious sandwiches, burritos, salads, and burgers. Also offers big breakfast burritos in the mornings. Try the roast beef sandwich with cinnamon pear and cream cheese!

Las Esteras. Famous for their goat dishes!

Restaurante Vegetariano Saludable Delicia. There is also a shop for meat substitutes.

Drink

Any Store Near Parque Principal. Grab a cold beer at any of the stores around the central square park and sip it on a bench or stairs for great people watching and the feeling of being a local.

Bar Con Versano. One of the only cool bars in town with art deco themes and contemporary art prints in a colorful setting. Try any of their awesome cocktails or beer selection.

Sleep

Prices in most San Gil hotels double on long weekends and places are heavily booked. Book in advance for Easter, Christmas and all long weekends.

Hotel Alcantuz. Cable TV, Wi-Fi, large windows.

Hotel Capri. Very nice spotless hotel with a range of rooms and prices. Rooms with balconies are recommended. Cable TV, hot water, Wi-Fi.

Hotel San Carlos. Cheap but clean. Good Wifi.

Macondo Hostel. Now at a new location. Backpackers hostel run by an Australian. Includes kitchen use, big kitchen, hot water, BBQ, book exchange and hammocks. Laundry service, drinks & internet available. Tours can be booked through the hostel. Free high speed wi-fi. The owner/manager is particularly friendly and organizes inexpensive tours.

Hostal Casa Monkora. The hostel offers both dormitory and private room accommodation. It features all the usual amenities: hammocks, kitchen, laundry, TV & DVD, free coffee, internet & wi-fi, classes, local information, outdoor activities, etc.

Sam's VIP Hostel. Run by a local backpacker, this place has a relaxed atmosphere, a bar with good views, swimming pool, sauna, modern guest kitchen, clean bathrooms, free internet & Wi-FI and LCD TVs. Clean sheets.

El Dorado International Hostel. A great hostel in the main square. great facilities such as hot water, semi double beds, guests kitchen, free breakfast, English speaking staff, extreme sports advice and booking services, but most importantly a relaxed and fun atmosphere

Hostel Santander Aleman. A colonial house with a family atmosphere near main park La Libertad and El Gallineral park. Private rooms and bedroom, lockers, breakfast, hot showers outdoors and covered 24 hours, a common area with a cozy atmosphere, hammocks, mesade Ping Pong and other games, easy for cooking and refrigeration, laundry and TV LCD.

Hostal Le Papillon San Gil. Tours can be booked through the hostel. Free high speed wi-fi.

La Mansion de San Gil Hostel. La Mansion is a beautiful colonial house on the corner by the main square. Restaurant and pub.

Open House Hostel. Relaxed and clean hostel, good kitchen and wifi, friendly and very helpful staff