Santander Department travel guide

Tumbling rivers, green valleys and countless immaculately preserved colonial towns and villages – Santander has much to recommend it. Take away the tropical vegetation and you could almost imagine yourself in the mountains of southern Spain. With a burgeoning adventure-sports scene, centred around the town of San Gil, this area of Colombia is becoming an increasingly popular destination for national and foreign visitors alike. What’s more, it is also one of the cheapest parts of the country and you will get the chance to sample some of the regional culinary delicacies and stay in delightful colonial hotels without fear of breaking the bank. The village of Barichara was voted the most beautiful in Colombia and was declared a National Monument in 1975, while Girón, just a few kilometres from the industrial capital Bucaramanga, does not lag far behind. Bucaramangai s a modern city with a thriving nightlife and one of the best places for paragliding in the country.