Santander: Canyon, Adventure and Handicrafts

In the Department of Santander, travel experiences range from views of Chicamocha Canyon to caving, rafting and regional handicrafts. These examples offer different highlights: landscapes, active adventures and handmade crafts. To plan your trip, first decide which of these experiences you want to shape your stay.

The canyon from two perspectives

At Chicamocha National Park, you can enjoy a view of Chicamocha Canyon. Visitors can cross the canyon there by cable car along a route of more than 6.3 kilometers. The view and the crossing offer two different ways to experience the same natural setting: you can take in the canyon as a landscape, or make the crossing itself part of your itinerary. If you plan to take the cable car, check current operating conditions before your trip.

Adventures in caves, in the air and on the river

Cueva de la Vaca in the municipality of Curití is an adventure destination for caving with family and friends. This makes it a different activity from the cable car or rafting. If you plan to visit, check before you travel whether it is currently possible to do so.

A paragliding flight in Vereda Palo Blanco Alto in the same municipality was presented as part of the adventure route through the Department of Santander. This adds another kind of adventure to Curití: caving is the focus at the cave, while Palo Blanco Alto offers paragliding. If you would like to include this flight in your plans, confirm in advance that it is currently operating.

Rafting on the Río Fonce, which flows through San Gil, is considered a classic adventure experience; the rapids are described as intermediate. Compared with Curití, the focus here is on the river and its rapids. Check in advance whether rafting is currently operating if it is essential to your trip.

Handicrafts and a striking monument

In Concepción, handmade wool items are a local craft, while in Vélez, the pleated skirt is a traditional handmade garment. These two examples show different forms of regional craftsmanship: woolen pieces on the one hand, and a garment with a pleated design on the other. This gives a culture-focused itinerary two specific points of interest that differ both by location and by type of craft.

El Santísimo, a 37-meter-tall sculpture and monument, is located in Parque Cerro del Santísimo in Floridablanca; the stated height includes the pedestal. This monumental work offers a different highlight from the handmade items of Concepción and the garment from Vélez.

Choose your hotel based on your itinerary

To plan your hotel stay, first choose the experiences you want to shape your visit, then include the associated places in your itinerary. Search for hotels based on these priorities rather than relying on a general regional label.

Discover more destinations: Barichara, El Carmen, Bucaramanga, San Gil, Cerrito, Los Santos, Girón, Barrancabermeja, El Papayo, Floridablanca, Valle San José, Jordan, Cimitarra, Guadalupe, Puerto Wilches, Matanza, Santa Bárbara, Barbosa, Curiti, Piedecuesta, Lebrija, Socorro Province, Confines, Gambita, La Granja, Zapatoca, Puente Nacional, Sabana de Torres, Guane, Charalá, El Castaneto, Aratoca, San José de Suaita, Páramo.

For the broader travel overview: Colombia.