For us, Barichara is one of, if not the, most beautiful villages in Colombia. We advise you to get in touch with our friend Laura, who offers guided tours of Barichara and many activities in contact with the local people in Santander.
Nestled in the Andes mountains, Barichara is a true oasis of tranquillity, with its cobbled streets, white houses with red-tiled roofs and peaceful atmosphere.
Laura offers a range of experiences to help you make the most of the sublime village of Barichara, one of our favorite Colombian villages!
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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Private tour of Barichara
Barichara guided Tour with a local guide
Our friend Laura offers a guided tour of Barichara with a english-speaking guide. This tour will take you through the cobbled streets of the village to discover the local heritage, from the House of Culture to the Chapel of San Antonio, from the Arts Park to the sublime Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception…
During this walk, your guide will share local stories and legends, bringing Barichara’s history to life.
You can also take advantage of Barichara’s miradors, panoramic viewpoints that offer breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and the Río Suárez valley. It’s the perfect place to take a break, admire the scenery and snap a few spectacular shots.
A few steps from the viewpoint, you can also visit the Parque Para Las Artes, a space dedicated to local art and culture. This park is home to contemporary sculptures and works by local artists, providing a glimpse of the creativity that reigns in this region.
We recommend combining this guided tour of Barichara with meetings with local artisans. Laura offers great experiences to meet the locals, where you yourself can participate and learn more about local know-how.
Camino Real to Guane
English-speaking local guide in Barichara
The adventure begins in Barichara for this half-day excursion on the Camino Real with a local english-speaking guide. An easy trek of just a few hours on a historic trail that links the villages of Barichara and Guan
The Camino Real, paved with stones and surrounded by arid landscapes, is a living testimony to pre-Columbian times. Your guide will tell you the story of this path, once used by the Guane people for trade and transport. Along the way, you’ll enjoy the scenery and breathtaking views of the mountains and valley.
Finally, after a 5 km walk, you’ll arrive at the picturesque village of Guane. This small village seems frozen in time, with its cobbled streets and white houses with red-tiled roofs. Your guide will show you the village’s points of interest, such as the church of Santa Lucia and the paleontological museum, which houses fossils discovered in the region.
To round off this unforgettable day, you’ll take a bus back to Barichara. Tired but delighted by this enriching experience.
Meet the artisans
Private tours in Barichara
Before finishing our tour, we stop off at some of the local craft workshops. Barichara is renowned for its talented craftsmen working in stone, ceramics, leather and weaving. We meet some of these artists and learn about their traditional techniques. It’s the perfect opportunity to buy unique souvenirs and support the local economy.
Meeting on the manufacture of “Hormigas Culonas” in Barichara (2h)
It’s time to discover one of Santander’s most emblematic products: “Hormigas Culonas” or “Big Ass Ants”. En route for a unique encounter with the makers of this amazing local specialty. Prepare to be surprised and awaken your taste buds!
Accompanied by an English-speaking guide in Barichara, this is the kind of encounter you won’t forget! You’ll enter the homes of locals who will invite you to discover the secrets of their know-how.
You’ll learn that the research and preparation of Hormigas Culonas is an art handed down from generation to generation
Meeting with artisan painters in Barichara (2h)
Barichara is the land of “tierramarilla”, the yellow earth. A soil that has been the village’s main activity. But did you know that every village in Santander has a different color of clay? White, red, yellow, black, violet and yellow – so many colors, so many possibilities for creativity!
You’ll meet an artist who works this very special clay and take part in a painting workshop that will leave you with beautiful memories of Barichara! A fun activity for the whole family.
Meet the farmers at a finca near Barichara (Day)
Meeting a Colombian peasant family is always an enriching experience, bringing you closer to local life. During this day out in the vicinity of Barichara, you’ll be able to discuss the region’s agricultural cultures, and discover the practices and know-how that make a trip to Colombia so special.
After a delicious home-cooked lunch, you’ll take part in the family’s daily chores: picking oranges, bananas, sorting corn, picking coffee, among others… A very interesting cultural exchange! In the late afternoon, you’ll return to Barichara.
Meeting with ceramic craftsmen in Guane (5h)
Enjoy the unique experience of a private pottery class with Bernardita. This resident of the small village of Guane, at the end of the Camino Real from Baricahra, has been making pottery since the age of 13, a traditional craft that has been passed down for four generations.
Bernardita learned from her mother and then taught her daughter and granddaughter. Make your own pottery using traditional techniques and take it home with you! At the end, enjoy a traditional Santandereano lunch.
Day Tour around Barichara
Private tours with a local guide in Santander
Day trip to the magnificent Cascade Juan Curi and Cueva del Indio
If you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure, Santander is the ideal place to discover spectacular natural sites. Don’t miss this fun tour of the Cueva del Indio, a cave where you can observe stalactite formations, stalagmites, a large number of chambers, and a 5-meter drop down a shaft in the middle of the darkness!
After lunch, enjoy the sublime cascade Juan Curí, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Colombia, where you can abseil and enjoy a refreshing swim in the natural pools.
Day trip to the Las Gachas nature reserve near the village of Guadalupe
The Las Gachas river contains numerous natural pools of varying sizes and depths, making this place a real visual spectacle! We tell you all about it in our post dedicated to Guadalupe and the natural site of Las Gachas.
We promise you a moment of relaxation and pleasure. You can slide down the riverbed and immerse yourself in its natural jacuzzis, set against a backdrop of verdant mountains.
Trek through Chicamocha Canyon
Here’s one of the Santander region’s finest treks, exploring on foot the Chicamocha Canyon, one of Colombia’s 7 natural wonders! This expedition starts in Barichara and you’ll be transferred by vehicle to the starting point in Villanueva.
Hike through the Chicamocha canyon for four and a half hours until you reach the village of Jordan and enjoy a refreshing dip in the natural pools. After a delicious meal, drive back to Barichara.
Get in touch with a local guide
Best local agency to visit Barichara with english-speaking professional guide
Responsible tourism
In addition to offering beautiful nature activities and off-the-beaten-track treks to get away from the most touristy sites, Laura’s agency honors the people of Barichara by offering cultural experiences that show a different face of rural life and help maintain ancestral know-how.
