When we were planning our 2019 trip to Colombia, we were looking for the places we wanted to discover most in Santander. Barichara obviously stood out as a must-see, but the village of Guadalupe and the natural site of Las Gachas weren’t far behind!
So we decided to include Guadalupe in this famous road trip by car between Bogota and Santa Marta. We even started there, as it was the logical first stop on our way from Bogotá.
Gadalupe is a pretty little village lost at the bottom of a valley, on a plateau where rivers flow like no other! A unique Colombian landscape to discover at all costs!
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
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On the road to Guadalupe
Puente Boyaca and arepas boyacenses
What’s Puente de Boyaca got to do with Guadalupe, you might ask? And you’re right… nothing, except that the Puente de Boyaca was on our route, and it’s an obligatory stop for all self-respecting Colombians! So Angélica was determined to show me.
The Puente Boyaca is Colombia ‘s national independence monument : the story goes that it was here, during the Battle of the Boyaca on August 7, 1819, that Simon Bolivar and his troops definitively won the war against the Spanish and enabled Colombia to declare its independence from the Spanish crown. On site are various monuments to the battle, to Simon Bolivar and other heroes of the War of Independence, the Flame of Liberty and the 123 flags of the municipalities of the Boyaca department.
Continuing on our way, we also stopped to eat Ventaquemada’s famous “Arepas boyacenses” : another obligatory stop! These sweet corn arepas are a local specialty, and Ventaquemada’s are famous throughout the country.
All these typical stops can be made directly from the road, but it’s true that it won’t be as easy if you’re on a bus..
With all these stops, it’s already lunchtime by the time we reach Oiba, the town where we’ll be heading down into the valley towards Guadalupe. We stop in the main square to find a restaurant. There can’t be many people doing this, as there seems to be only one in the historic center. The custom here is to stop and eat in the restaurants along the main road.
After leaving Chia (Bogota) at 7.30 a.m., we finally arrived in Guadalupe at 4 p.m… the various stops meant we spent the whole day on the road! But we can tell you that the different landscapes we passed through during the day were a sight to behold!
Guadalupe
Small Santander village
A simple, inexpensive meal later, we’re back on the road to Guadalupe. We enter a valley of enchanting scenery. The road is sometimes made difficult by the fact that the asphalt suddenly stops and turns into a track, but it’s no big deal, you just have to keep your wits about you.
By the time we reach Guadalupe, it’s late afternoon. The light is slowly beginning to fade. We head for the Portal de Don Luis, where we’ll be staying for the next two nights. We are greeted by Rafael, who kindly gives us a tour of the property.
Portal de Don Luis is a finca de campo converted to accommodate visitors. There are two private rooms and a courtyard where you can sleep in a tent with mattresses. Situated on the edge of the village, we have a beautiful view of the roofs of the Guadalupe church on one side, and on the other a very fine view of the valley and surrounding countryside.
Rafael is really nice, he did everything to make us feel at home, he took care of us and spoiled us during our stay.
Once we’d settled in, we took a stroll through the village to catch the last light of day. Guadalupe is a very small village, just a few streets around a pretty central square planted with tall palm trees, where a beautiful church with a red roof stands out. Inside, the wooden frame is impressive and
In the square, a music teacher teaches a flock of apprentice guitarists. The atmosphere is calm and cheerful. The village is quiet. The air is fresh. Time passes. It’s time for a meal in one of Guadalupe’s few restaurants. Then the day’s fatigue catches up with us and we drift off to sleep, barely disturbed by a heavy thunderstorm that knocks out the electricity.
Las Gachas
Best things to do in Guadalupe
The next day we meet Rafael, who is delighted to accompany us to discover Las Gachas and show us two other natural sites (El Salitre and Pozo Gloria) among the many possibilities offered by Guadalupe.
As the path leading to Las Gachas from the village was under construction at the time we were there, we drove to another access point which takes us upstream to the river. The path is now being restored, making it a pleasant 45-minute walk downstream.
We discover the Gachas site, a rural setting, an idyllic little valley with a bed of rock in its hollow, where a trickle of water feeds dozens of larger and smaller, shallower and deeper waterholes. Once again, even though we’d seen the pictures, when the site opened up before our very eyes, we couldn’t help but smile! With the heat in full swing, all we wanted to do was dive into the water holes to cool off!
The rock of the riverbed takes on orange hues that contrast with the green of the pastures around us. It’s really aesthetic. We first stop upstream from the main visitor site. Here, the riverbed is narrower and the holes are different, but we’re alone, there’s no one around, and we take the opportunity to take a few photos and fly the drone at our leisure. Then we finish the trail to arrive at the best-known site, with its large water holes and much wider riverbed. A few Colombians are here, so we don our bathing suits and head straight for a swim!
The water is cool and pleasant, and some of the pools are deep enough to dive into. That said, a word of advice: it’s better to probe each hole before imagining any possible jump… as you can’t see the bottom of the holes, you can’t know in advance the depth and physiognomy of the water hole.
We have a great time moving from one pool to another. The stone is relatively slippery, so everyone locally advises you to wearsocks to avoid falling. Good advice! It’s slippery enough to make for a great slide and Plouf! end up in a water hole.
In short, it’s a really great place, and we’re very happy to have included it in our road trip itinerary!
Guided tours of Las Gachas from Barichara/San Gil
If you’re in the Barichara/San Gil area and would like to spend a day discovering Las Gachas, here are the contacts of our partner who specializes in the region.
The little Las Gachas
Best things to do in Guadalupe
The entire plateau around Guadalupe is made up of these thousand-year-old rock formations where water has carved its furrow. Not unlike Caño Cristales, which is not the only five-coloured river in Colombia – rivers with the same characteristics can be found in the Guaviare– there are other “little Las Gachas” around Guadalupe.
Often known only to the locals, these are sometimes places closer to the village where the locals are more willing to go. With Rafael, we discover the Salitre site, truly hidden away in a tiny green valley. The setting is idyllic and, with a few pine trees here and there, almost reminiscent of a landscape from another land!
The color of the rock is back, as are the water holes where you can cool off – and once again, we don’t want to miss out! This time, a few little bugs stick to our skin. Rafael doesn’t explain why, just laughs and tells us to rub them off.
Once dry, we set off across the fields, guided by Rafael, without whom we’d never have found these hidden corners, towards Pozo Gloria. Here we find ourselves on a much more developed site, “Colombian style”. You can drink beers, have a bite to eat, and a large artificial pool invites you to take a dip (but you know us by now, we’re not so keen on that).
This last site will have been more a little check to see, drink a beer, enjoy talking about the upcoming elections with the owner and leave.
Once we arrived at the hotel, Rafael had prepared a super traditional meal for us. Prepared by one of the village women, we were lucky enough to taste a very good “carne oreada”, a kind of dried meat typical of the Santander region.
Waterfalls
Best things to do in Guadalupe
There are many walks and natural sites to discover around Guadalupe. While Las Gachas is clearly a must-see, there are some magnificent waterfalls to discover too! But you’ll need to stay at least two full days to be able to do both.
Having taken a long time to arrive on the first day, we couldn’t do anything, and the only day we had was devoted to Las Gachas and the surrounding area, as going to see the waterfalls is a full-day plan. The waterfalls are not in the same area as Las Gachas, so it’s complicated to combine the two activities in the same day.
We were really disappointed not to be able to go, because when you see the pictures you think you’ve really missed out!
Los Tres Chorros, waterfall la Llanera, waterfall de los Caballero… just some of the hundreds of waterfalls to be discovered near Guadalupe in Santander.
Clearly, you can’t leave this department without having tasted at least one waterfall! Some are simply unbelievable.
We’ll soon be telling you all about the famous waterfall Juan Curi, which we were lucky enough to discover a few days later in San Gil.
Day Tour in las Gachas
Leaving from Barichara/San Gil
If you’re in the Barichara/San Gil area and would like to visit Las Gachas for a day, here are the contacts of our partner who specializes in the region.
Where to stay in Guadalupe
Guadalupe
Finca
Finca La colina de los azulejos
Double room : $150.000 to $200.000 COP
A finca located just 10 minutes’ walk from the village, but with some very nice little houses in the middle of nature.
Guadalupe
Hostal
Atrapasuenos Hostal
Double room : $0 to $100.000 COP
A clean, functional hostal, also a little outside the village but within 5 minutes’ walk of the center. The owners have a bakery where you can have breakfast. A mirador near the hostal offers a beautiful view of the surrounding area.
Guadalupe
Camping, Hostal
Portal de Don Luis Hotel
Double room : $0 to $100.000 COP
El Portal de Don Luis is a finca ideally located just a stone’s throw from Guadalupe’s central square, yet right in the middle of nature. The view over the valley is sublime and Rafael, the owner, is a darling! The facilities are simple, everything is very clean and it was perfect for us! You can pitch your own tent or rent one.
How to get to Guadalupe
From Bogota
CAR | Bogota <> Guadalupe (between 5h and 6h)
- Distance: 300 km – Be careful not to return to Tunja, as this will lengthen the journey
- Tolls: 4 x $8200 COP
To get to Guadalupe by bus from Bogota, first take a bus to Oiba, then a jeep from Oiba to Guadalupe
BUS | Bogota <> Oiba (approx. 5h)
- Fare: 40.000 COP
- Companies: Expreso Brasilia, Omega, Copetran
- Departures: All day
JEEP | Oiba <> Guadalupe (approx. 1h)
- Fare: approx. $7.000 COP
- Departures : on request
From Bucaramanga
CAR | Bucaramanga <> Guadalupe (about 5h)
- Distance: 175km
- Tolls: 2 x $8.000 COP
To take the bus from Bucaramanga <> Guadalupe, first go to San Gil.
BUS | Bucaramanga <> San Gil (3h)
- Times: every hour from 00:30am to 11:30pm
- Price: between $15.000 and $25.000 COP
- Companies: Copetran, Cotrasangil, Cotrasaravita, Trasander..
From San Gil
CAR | San Gil <> Guadalupe (approx. 2h30)
- Distance: 75km
- Tolls : $0 COP
To get to Guadalupe by bus from San Gil, you’ll have to think twice: first a bus to Oiba
BUS | San Gil <> Oiba (approx. 1h30)
- Fare: about $12.000 COP
- Company: Transsander
- Departures: frequent all day
From Oiba, Jeeps await passengers to take them to Guadalupe
JEEP | Oiba <> Guadalupe (approx. 1h)
- Price: approx. $7.000 COP
- Departures: on request
How to get to Las Gachas
Las Gachas is a natural site located a few kilometers from the village of Guadalupe, Santander. The easiest way to get there is to follow the footpath on the outskirts of town.
Footpath (45 min.)
A footpath leads from the village of Guadalupe towards the bottom of the river at Las Gachas, just follow the signs! Ask the locals for directions if necessary.
