Top 5 most beautiful villages in Santander, Colombia

In the Santander region, you’re probably familiar with San Gil, the leading destination for adventure sports, and Barichara, one of Colombia’s most beautiful villages which, like Villa de Leyva, is often highlighted for its beauty and peaceful atmosphere.

But did you know that in the region there are 4 other villages off the beaten track that are just as beautiful and also offer extreme and sporting activities?

Well, we wanted to tell you about them today, to invite you to go a little further and continue discovering the beauties of our country.

You can easily integrate them into your tour of the region, since they’re not too far apart. So, let’s head for the department of Santander and its capital Bucaramanga, in the north-east of the country, to discover these beautiful off-the-beaten-track villages that are just waiting for you!

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.

Contents

1. Barichara

2. Giron

3. El socorro

4. Zapatoca

5. Playa de Belen

Related posts

• Road Trip in Santander
• Barichara
• Las Gachas and Guadalupe
• Villa de Leyva

Buy our Posters

Barichara

One of the most beautiful villages in Colombia

Even if it’s not really an off-the-beaten-track destination, we still have to say a few words about Barichara… It’s certainly one of Colombia’s most beautiful villages, which has managed to retain its charm and colonial architecture. Despite growing tourism, the village retains its tranquil atmosphere, and people love to go there to relax and unwind. In fact, its name comes from the Guane dialect, meaning “place of rest”!

Barichara is a very photogenic village in Santander, so don’t forget your camera and enjoy taking some great photos! Take a leisurely stroll along its cobbled streets, admire the handicrafts and colonial houses, and sample local specialities such as ants! Yes, “Hormigas culonas“ (big-ass ants) are the region’s specialty..
Don’t look too hard, just taste them – they taste like peanuts to me.

And don’t forget to take the “Camino Real” (Royal Road) to the nearby village of Guane, an ancient cobbled path built by the indigenous people to link the two towns, for a short stroll on foot.

Giron

White City, TRADITION AND TOBACCO

Just 20 minutes from Bucaramanga, Giron is a Santander village classified as one of Colombia’s Heritage Villages. Its colonial architecture dates back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and takes us on a journey back in time.

Giron is a village where farmers have been growing tobacco and making cigars by hand since the time of the Spaniards, and this tradition continues to this day. It’s part of Giron’s charm. I think it must be possible to go and visit one of the manufacturing workshops, I couldn’t find any info on that, but I imagine it’s done. What’s more, the craftsmen will be very proud to show you their skills. That’s for sure! Don’t hesitate to ask the locals if you’re curious.

Panela-making is also typical of the region. Panela is a block of natural sugarcane juice, widely used in Colombia to make hot or cold drinks (depending on the region). Take advantage of this opportunity to visit a “trapiche”, the place where panela is made. You can also try one of the local drinks: “mapanahua” , a mixture of fermented sugar cane and aguardiente (the national brandy)

What else can you do? Get lost in the narrow streets, visit the churches and colonial houses, taste the “raspado” in the village square, admire the view of the village from El Cerro la Fasana and the Zhogra lagoon and take some great photos. Finally, if you’re looking for adventure, head for the “El chorro” waterfall, where you can gorock-climbing and canyoning.

El socorro

historic Heritage Village of Santander

El Socorro is also part of Colombia’s network of heritage villages. Its history was very important to the country’s independence movements. It was here that the first act of independence was signed 10 days before the national declaration.

The Santander region is known for its adventure tourism offering, and although Socorro may not strike me as the prettiest of the local villages, it offers a balance between tranquil and extreme sports plans. In particular, the village is close to Guadalupe and the Las Gachas nature reserve.

For example, you can go rafting on the Suarez River, one of the top 3 rivers in South America for this sport.

It’s also a good option as a base for other activities, such as bungee jumping in San Gil, visiting the Chicamocha Canyon or canyoning in the Juan Curi waterfalls.

As you can see, it’s a dream destination for nature lovers and adrenaline junkies! Socorro is a kind of alternative Santander village to San Gil, the reference village for adventure tourism in Colombia.

Take advantage of your stay in Socorro to sample local specialities such as the “santandereana” arepa, typical of the region, fresh fruit juices and “Carne Oreada”, sun-dried meat, an ancestral technique for preserving meat!

Zapatoca

Villages Off the beaten track in Santander

Zapatoca is a small Santander village truly off the beaten track, where you can rub shoulders with the locals and discover the local culture at your leisure. If you decide to go, you’ll probably be one of the only foreigners in the village.

Like all the villages in the Santander region featured in this post, Zapatoca retains a charming colonial feel. Go to the Mirador Guane for an exceptional view! The Nitro cave is the village’s main tourist attraction, apparently surprising for the size of its chambers. There are plenty of hiking trails too. Don’t hesitate to ask around, as information is hard to come by at the moment..

As a curiosity, you’ll find the well-presented tomb of a German, Mr. Georg Ernest Heinrich Von Lengerke, who arrived here in the 19th century and, thanks to his knowledge of engineering and in order to develop his business, built trade roads to connect Zapatoca to other villages in the region. By all accounts, an emblematic figure of the village.

Playa de Belen

Santander villages and Colombian heritage

Leaving Santander to the north, you arrive in the department of Norte de Santander, where you’ll find this little heritage village that hardly anyone knows about. The village’s charm lies in its cobbled streets and white houses adorned with terracotta pots filled with flowers.

La Playa de Belen’s main attraction is undoubtedly the Los Estoraques protected area, home to huge, astonishing rock formations built by wind and water and over 4 million years old! Surreal landscapes that will surely amaze you.

For thrill-seekers, there’s the Yaguara Natural Park, where you can fly over the Estoraques on a zip-line. You can also sleep and eat here.

The village of Playa de Belen is a destination where, like us, you’ll probably be the only tourists. It’s a bit far, but those looking for authentic experiences in the region will be delighted. It’s also a good way to cut the road between Bucaramanga and Mompox. Don’t leave without climbing up to the lookout point, where you’ll also find the cemetery. From here, you have a fine view of the village, also considered one of the most beautiful in the country.

Playa de Belen is one of those destinations, somewhat hidden away from tourism due to poor roads and violence, that is gradually waking up and wanting to make itself known! Tourism offers a great opportunity.