Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [96]
Shopping
Barichara is well known for its fine stonework. There are several stone-carving shops along Calle 5 where you can buy sculptures and other stone goods. Barichara is also famous for tobacco. At Gordelia Tabacos ( 726 7684; www.gordelia.com; Calle 5 No 0-84) you can buy hand-rolled cigars and watch them being made on-site.
Barichara has many boutique shops. Añil – Tienda de Artes Plásticas ( 311 470 1175; www.anilartesplasticas.com; Calle 6 No 10-46; 9am-noon & 2-6pm Tue-Sun) is a delightful gallery that sells paintings, sculptures and hand-painted T-shirts by local artists. For sweet tooths, there are a number of shops that sell Colombia’s famous caramel-like dessert, arequipe, including Arequipes Gloria (Calle 6 No 9-29).
Return to beginning of chapter
Getting There & Away
Buses shuttle between Barichara and San Gil every 45 minutes from 5am to 6:30pm (COP$3300, 45 minutes). They depart from the Cotrasangil bus office ( 726 7132; Carrera 6 No 5-74) on the main plaza. Buses to Guane (COP$2000, 15 minutes) depart at 6am, 9:30am, 11:30am, 2:30pm and 5:30pm.
Return to beginning of chapter
GUANE
7 / pop 1500 / elev 831m
So little happens in the sleepy town of Guane, 10km northwest of Barichara, that everyone stops and stares when a horse cart, or a tourist, trundles past. But the views around the cobblestone town are nice. The handsome main square features a fine rural church, the Santa Lucía Iglesia, built in 1720.
Across the square is the unique Museum of Paleontology & Archaeology (admission COP$2500; 8am-noon & 1-5pm), with a collection of more than 10,000 fossils, a 700-year-old mummy, a few conehead skulls, Guane artifacts and religious art. The curator locks the front door and gives a personal tour (in Spanish) whenever someone shows up, so just hang tight.
There are a few basic restaurants but only one hotel in town, the Hostal Santa Lucia de Mucuruva ( 732 0163, 311 516 6075; r per person incl breakfast COP$35,000). This eclectic colonial estate is one block behind the museum. The funky, simple rooms and courtyard were painted and decorated by the hotel’s young manager/artist, Orlando. Guests have free use of the community swimming pool.
Buses to Barichara depart from Guane’s plaza at 6:30am, 10am, noon, 3pm and 6pm. Don’t make our mistake and miss the last bus; a taxi back to Barichara will set you back at least COP$15,000. During daylight, you can walk back to Barichara along El Camino Real; the uphill, 6km hike will take at least two hours.
Return to beginning of chapter
PARQUE NACIONAL DEL CHICAMOCHA
Halfway between San Gil and Bucaramanga is the spectacular canyon of Río Chicamocha and Colombia’s newest national park, Parque Nacional del Chicamocha (www.parquenacionaldelchicamocha.com; Km54 Via Bucaramanga-San Gil; adult/child COP$8000/4000; 9am-6pm Tue-Thu, 9am-7pm Fri-Sun & holidays). The windy, cliff-hugging road between the two cities is one of the most scenic drives in Santander.
Opened in 2006, the park houses a Museum of Guane Culture, several restaurants, a forgettable ostrich farm (admission COP$1000) and the Monumento a la Santandereanidad commemorating the revolutionary spirit of Santanderians. But the real attraction here is the majestic canyon itself. The best views are from the mirador, providing a 360-degree vantage of the area. Or for a real bird’s-eye view, adrenalin junkies can zipline (COP$17,000) or paraglide (COP$130,000). By the time you read this, a new cable car will descend to the base of the canyon then ascend to the top of opposite rim.
Any bus between San Gil and Bucaramanga will drop you off at the park. To get back to either city, walk down to the highway and flag a passing bus. For those heading north, a better option is to just go to the parking lot near the park entrance and look for the frequent Copetran minibuses to Bucaramanga (COP$8000, one hour).
Return to beginning of chapter
BUCARAMANGA
7 / pop 560,000 / elev 960m
With a greater metropolitan population of about one million people, Bucaramanga, the capital of Santander, is one of