Barichara is known as the most beautiful village in Colombia. And when you go there you will understand why. Although the village is now well-known among travelers, there is much more to do and see in the surroundings. Most visitors stay only a few nights or come on a day trip, but if you take longer you can explore Barichara off the beaten path. And enjoy beautiful nature, extraordinary historical murals, unforgettable walks and the most beautiful views. In this article I will take you on 5 (hiking) trails and interesting places in the surroundings of Barichara, off the beaten path. Join me!
5 Car and hiking routes from Barichara
Although the village of Barichara is amazing, the surrounding area is also incredibly beautiful. I always stay in Finca San Vicente, a magical place in Colombia. Take beautiful walks, marvel at the most amazing views and discover Tintin and Captain Haddock in the mountains of Santander….
1. Hike to the best view over Barichara
This hike is a beautiful trail from Finca San Vicente to Barichara, via the viewpoint. If you are staying in Barichara itself you can walk here in just fifteen minutes.
Camino Tobares
Through the hiking trail Camino Tobares you walk past the most beautiful farms, you can say hello to the many white cows, enjoy impressive views and eventually arrive at a viewpoint where you can feast your eyes. In Barichara there are many viewpoints over the area, but at those viewpoints you won’t see the location of Barichara, that is rather special. Only at this point do you find out that the village is locates on the tip of quite a steep cliff. And you suddenly see the special location of Barichara. The hike takes about 45 minutes and is best done early in the morning, before it gets too hot. When you arrive in Barichara, you can walk back the same way, or take a motorcycle cab back to the finca or wherever you are staying. I did this hike with Johan from Finca San Vicente. It is kind of a marked path, but from the finca you have to walk there first. Then it’s handy to have a guide with you who knows the way. You can also do the hike from Guane. So if after the Camino Real you still have energy, you can walk back to Barichara via the Camino Tobares.
2. The school of Tintin and Captain Haddock
About a 10-minute walk from Finca San Vicente, on the route of the walk to the viewpoint, you pass a very special little school. Once this was a dilapidated building, but in recent years Johan and Karin (the founders of Finca San Vicente) have refurbished it. Completely in Belgian style, because you end up in the world of Tintin. The school is called Escuela Rural Lubigara and is located in the countryside just outside Barichara. When Johan and Karin saw the school for the first time, they noticed that it needed a lot of urgent repairs. Like renewing the broken floor, buying necessary school supplies and repairing the roof. It was great to see what they, in cooperation with volunteers, have done for the local community.
Also want to visit Tintin in Colombia? Stay at Finca San Vicente and take a look with Johan.
3. Hike to hidden historic murals
In the beautiful mountains surrounding Barichara, you can make fantastic hikes. The most famous is of course the Camino Real from Barichara to Guane, but in reality this is only a very small part of the enormous Camino Real through Santander. In addition, there is much more to hike in Santander. If you like hiking this area is really the place to be in Colombia.
Century-old murals
One of the special walks from Barichara goes to hidden murals. In this region you will find several ancient murals created by the indigenous people of Guane. About 60 years ago, some of these murals were discovered by a gentleman who still lives here, and this discovery put him in several history books. The region is not touristy at all and without a guide it is impossible to find the drawings. Johan knows the discoverer of the drawings, who took us on this wonderful walk. He is now 81 years old and walks faster than me….
An incredibly fun experience. In fact, this gentleman (like Johan, by the way) is a walking encyclopedia and he knows this area like the back of his hand.
65 Million years ago, Barichara was underwater
In addition to murals, you can also see many rocks with shells in them, representing that some 65 million years ago there was ocean here. Very special to see.
This hike is actually much nicer than the hike from Barichara to Guane. You will pass through 2 ecosystems, past huge cacti, and it is a walk through time. Get to know ancient Santander, and besides beautiful nature, discover a piece of its special history. I did this hike with Johan, via Finca San Vicente.
4. Las Juntas: discover an old mine at the place where the Suárez and Chicamocha rivers meet
Las Juntas is a special place located in the municipality of Villanueva, where the rivers Chicamocha and Suárez meet and where the river Sogamoso starts. A beautiful place among high mountains also called El Ventilador (The Ventilator), because of the strong winds that blow there. To get here you have to walk steeply down into the canyon. And then back again, of course. Due to lack of time and and the heat at the moment, we only did part of the route. Most of it by car, a little bit on foot.
An old gypsum mine
A beautiful stretch, from where we also had a good view of an old gypsum mine. On the route you pass several goat farms, where there are many goats walking along the road. Want to hike longer in Colombia and do this entire route on foot? Then this hike of 14 kilometers is a very nice one. It goes from Los Santos to Las Juntas. I did this part with Johan from Finca San Vicente. He knows the region well and takes you on a trip to the mines. On foot or by car.
5. Marvel at the Chicamocha canyon from a viewpoint where no one goes
The Chicamocha Canyon is one of the reasons travelers visit Santander. It is one of the largest and deepest canyons in the world and stunningly beautiful. There are many places to admire the canyon. Among them:
- Go paragliding from San Gil.
- Panachi. There is a swimming pool with an incredible view and a cable car over the canyon.
- To Jordán. One of the most sparsely populated villages in Colombia, located at the bottom of the canyon. It is very hot and not easy to get there, but definitely a special experience.
- The viewpoint in Los Santos. You know, that village on the list of most earthquakes in the world.
But there are more places where you can enjoy this natural wonder. One of these places is a hidden viewpoint somewhere where are few tourists. Johan is happy to take you there.
Santander is the hiking paradise of Colombia
Are you looking for long (multi-day) hikes in Colombia? Then Santander is the place. This area is not only amazingly beautiful, but is also the proud owner of the Lengerke hiking trail. A tough multi-day hike of about 50 kilometers and over 2000 meters altitude difference. Along Barichara, Zapatoca, Los Santos and Jordán. And much more of course. You don’t have to do the entire hike, you can also walk or visit parts of it. Alone, or together with Johan from Finca San Vicente. He knows everything about the area and will gladly take you out hiking to one of the points on the Lengerke route and the Camino Real.
Hiking in Santander, Colombia: practical information
Going hiking without a guide in Colombia is not always a good idea, but Santander is actually a good place for it. If you go out, it’s recommended to take this with you:
- Good walking shoes (sneakers do not suffice)
- Enough water
- A cap or hat (it is very hot here and the sun shines incredibly brightly)
- Sunscreen factor 50
- A power bank for your phone
- Off-line maps on your phone
Find out in advance where you can stay overnight and how long each stretch will take you. Preferably leave early in the morning to avoid the worst heat, and stay in the shade between 12 and 4 p.m. as much as possible. As you walk between houses in the countryside, you will probably find barking and sometimes dangerous dogs (many Colombians have them for safety). So keep that in mind. Also, remember to tell someone you are going out and where you will be walking. The area is incredibly beautiful and very good for hiking.
Colombia off the beaten path? Santander it is!
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