Hiking From La Pacha
Barichara
From La Pacha you can hike to the beautiful town of Barichara. The beginning of the route is uphill on walking paths which do not show up on maps. From the top you will follow mostly empty dirt roads. Here you can find the route, it takes about 2.5 hours.
From La Pacha you can hike to the beautiful town of Barichara. The beginning of the route is uphill on walking paths which do not show up on maps. From the top you will follow mostly empty dirt roads. Here you can find the route, it takes about 2.5 hours.
Cabrera
Another colonial town you can walk to from La Pacha in about 3 hours is Cabrera. The beginning of the hike is the same as to Barichara, once at the top you can follow dirt roads down into the town. From Cabrera the hike could be continued to Barichara with a steep incline at the beginning, taking around 2 hours to complete. Here is the route.
San Gil
San Gil can be reached from La Pacha on foot, avoiding the main road and following mostly dirt roads. Here you can find the route, it will take you about 3 hours going almost exclusively downhill.
Another colonial town you can walk to from La Pacha in about 3 hours is Cabrera. The beginning of the hike is the same as to Barichara, once at the top you can follow dirt roads down into the town. From Cabrera the hike could be continued to Barichara with a steep incline at the beginning, taking around 2 hours to complete. Here is the route.
San Gil
San Gil can be reached from La Pacha on foot, avoiding the main road and following mostly dirt roads. Here you can find the route, it will take you about 3 hours going almost exclusively downhill.
Caminos Ancestrales/ Camino Real
Santander has a whole network of ancestral paths connecting the towns in the region. These ancient paths were used for trade between the Guane people and some of these trails date back to 700 years before the arrival of the Spaniards. Nowadays the paths are called caminos reales (“royal paths”) or camino Lengerke, named after a german settler who paved some parts of these roads with cobblestone.
Barichara - Los Santos
The most famous one is the path between Barichara and Guane, which is well preserved and waymarked and takes about 2 hours to complete. From Guane the hike could be continued to Villanueva, Jordán and finally Los Santos. But this hike would have to be split into two days with an overnight stay in Villanueva. The first day from Barichara to Villanueva leads you through walking paths and an occasional dirt road and takes about 5 hours. The second day is mostly walking paths down the Chicamocha canyon to Jordán and up again to Los Santos. It is recommended to start early in the day as the hike takes around 7.5 hours and to bring plenty of water. From Los Santos there is no direct connection back to Barichara, there are buses that connect to via Bucaramanga and from there back to San Gil and Barichara. Here is the route.
Barichara - Los Santos
The most famous one is the path between Barichara and Guane, which is well preserved and waymarked and takes about 2 hours to complete. From Guane the hike could be continued to Villanueva, Jordán and finally Los Santos. But this hike would have to be split into two days with an overnight stay in Villanueva. The first day from Barichara to Villanueva leads you through walking paths and an occasional dirt road and takes about 5 hours. The second day is mostly walking paths down the Chicamocha canyon to Jordán and up again to Los Santos. It is recommended to start early in the day as the hike takes around 7.5 hours and to bring plenty of water. From Los Santos there is no direct connection back to Barichara, there are buses that connect to via Bucaramanga and from there back to San Gil and Barichara. Here is the route.
Barichara - Zapatoca
Another more demanding hike along those ancient paths is from Barichara to Guane and crossing the Suaréz river to the town of Zapatoca. This hike includes 1500 meters of ascend and takes about 9.5 hours, however it could be shortened to 8 hours by starting from Guane. From Zapatoca there is a bus to Bucaramanga and from there back to San Gil and Barichara. Here is the route.
Another more demanding hike along those ancient paths is from Barichara to Guane and crossing the Suaréz river to the town of Zapatoca. This hike includes 1500 meters of ascend and takes about 9.5 hours, however it could be shortened to 8 hours by starting from Guane. From Zapatoca there is a bus to Bucaramanga and from there back to San Gil and Barichara. Here is the route.
San Gil - Curití
A moderate hike from San Gil is the walk to the small town of Curití, known for the Pescaderito river. This 20 km route follows mostly unpaved and paved paths and takes around 5 hours to complete, passing the former hacienda of the Count of Cuchicute. Here is the route on komoot and wikiloc.
Artisan Walk from Barichara
If you are interested in local craftsmanship there is a route beginning and ending in Barichara that passes by workshops of wood, stone and natural fiber. This loop takes around 3 hours to complete. Here is the route on komoot and wikiloc.
A moderate hike from San Gil is the walk to the small town of Curití, known for the Pescaderito river. This 20 km route follows mostly unpaved and paved paths and takes around 5 hours to complete, passing the former hacienda of the Count of Cuchicute. Here is the route on komoot and wikiloc.
Artisan Walk from Barichara
If you are interested in local craftsmanship there is a route beginning and ending in Barichara that passes by workshops of wood, stone and natural fiber. This loop takes around 3 hours to complete. Here is the route on komoot and wikiloc.
