San Gil, Colombia

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San Gil is one of the new hot destinations in Colombia, especially because of all the activities you can do in the area around it. It's Colombia's new capital of adventure tourism. It's on the road between Bogota and the coast, and together with Villa de Leyva makes for a great stopover.

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Places to stay:

Macondo Guest House (4 comments) Has moved to a new location: Calle 12 No 7 - 26 Tel: 311 8282 905 Tel: (57 7) 724 4463 Website: http://www.macondohostel.com/ Email: info at macondohostel dot com Dorm beds available. Private rooms available.
Warning: on the old location, new owners pretend the Macondo guest house is still there. A friendly guesthouse run by an Australian in a beautiful colonial house. Has a great reputation. Rooms are cheap. The owner can provide loads of information on things to do around San Gil. Dorm beds are 12.000 pesos, private rooms 24.000.

Centro Real (1 comments) Calle 10 No 10 - 41 Tel: 724 03 87 Private rooms available.
Rooms with private bathroom. Prices range from 15.000 low season midweek to 80.000 high season for an individual and 25.000 low season to 80.000 high season for couples.

Hotel Agualuna (0 comments) calle 13 # 10-33 Tel: (7) 724 7220 Tel: 312 3779222 Website: www.riosycanoas.com Website: Email: hotelagualuna_sangil at hotmail dot com Email: hotelagualunasangil at hotmail dot com Dorm beds available. Private rooms available.
The hotel is new. with colonial enviroment. All the rooms are very wide, confortable, with tv, private bath and very nice. this is very center. In individuals rooms is $ 25.000, discounts for multiple accommodation.

Hotel San Carlos (0 comments) Cr 11 # 11 - 25 Cheapest night: 2 US$/night. Private rooms available.
Cheap and friendly hostel, singles with shared bath start at 5000 COP (US$ 2.5). They have doubles and rooms with private baths too.

Hotel Victoria (0 comments) Cr 11 # 11 - 7 Cheapest night: 5 US$/night. Private rooms available.
Private rooms with baths starting at COP 10,000 (US$ 5) and a central patio.

Things to do:

Whitewater rafting, paragliding, caving, day walks, horseriding, paintball, kayaking, you name it, and a lot of things are free too.

Along the river is Parque El Gallineral, a small park where the trees have beards. Just like in Lord of the Rings! :) There's a small admission fee.

Around San Gil there is great whitewater rafting, paragliding, caving, day walks, horseriding, paintball, kayaking and so on. And it's not all for pay: there is lots of free stuff do in San Gil. Adventure companies will try and push lots of activities but there is lots to do without a guide. For example:

Juan Curi is a 180m high waterfall only a bus ride and 15 minute walk away on the road to Charala. To get there, catch the bus from the main bridge in central San Gil to the start of the 20 minute trail that takes you on an enjoyable jungle path to the foot of Juan Curi. At the base of the waterfalls you can swim in the natural pool and relax on the rocks admiring the beautiful scenery. Then you can hike back out and returning to San Gil.

parquejuancuri at hotmail.com - Km 22 Via San Gil - Charala - 316-823-3920 or 315-7758287

• Pescadarito is a lovely creek with a number of pools to swim in and a great place to camp.
• Pozo Azul is the local swimming hole
• Barichara and a 1.5 hour beautiful walk to Guane is only a short bus ride away. Barichara is an old colonial town preserved as it was in the 1700s. There is a separate entry for the town.

Highlights of paid activities include rafting on three rivers Fonce (level 2), Chicamocha (level 3-4) and Saurez (level 4-5) including overnight trips.

There are several cave expeditions from just a walk in the park to 8 hrs hiking inside.

Colombia Rafting Expeditions (Cr. 10 # Cl. 10) comes recommended. Rios y Canoas. riosycanoas at hotmail.com Mr Jaime Boada. The oldest company there.

Planeta Azul - 310-771-7586 or 315-823-4796

Adventure sports

San Gil has over 14 adventure companies all offering similar activities.

All rivers over grade 3+ should only be rafted with qualified (IRF guides) and with safety kayakers

Rafting on Rio Fonce

Rio Fonce is the main river passing through San Gil. You can take a rafting trip that begins 11km upriver from town and takes around one and half hours on the river.

River Fonce is class 2-3 depending on the height of the river. Traveling down the river you will have the opportunity to see typical flora and fauna of the Santander region while enjoying a swim and playing games with your expert guide. The journey comes to an end back in the centre of San Gil. It’s an enjoyable journey for first time rafters and families.

Rafting on Rio Chicamocha - Cepita

The Chicamocha Canyon has amazing scenery along the 1.5 hour ride. Rio Chicamocha is level 1,2,3 and 4 rapids and is for those looking for a more extreme journey. Groups required minum 4 people

Rafting on Rio Suarez

With class 4+ rapids this is the trip for those looking for a real adrenaline rush. You start your journey 1 hour from San Gil and finish your journey where the Rios Fonce and Saurez meet 30 minutes from San Gil. You won’t get a chance to relax as you get tossed about passing through rapids including the devils throat and Marthas tongue. The 20km trip takes around 3 hours of none stop rapids.

Jaun Curi Waterfalls

20km from San Gil on the road to Charalá you will find the spectacular 180m waterfall Juan Curi. A twenty minute trail takes you on an enjoyable jungle path to the foot of Juan Curi with another 15 minutes to climb to the top of one of the three waterfalls. Here you can practice Torrentismo (rappell/absieling), 60m down the face of the waterfall. At the base of the waterfalls have a swim in the natural pool and relax on the rocks admiring the beautiful scenery before hiking back out and returning to San Gil. All you need to bring is your swimming gear and don’t forget your camera. For Torrentismo you need sneakers or sandals (no flip flops) and you will get wet.

Parapente/Paragliding

You can easily organize paragliding in the hostels.

Kayaking

You can take kayak courses or just rent kayaks. Kayakers with experience can make runs on different rivers with experienced guides. Prices depend on group size and experience. 3 day courses can be broken up over a number of days to give the body a rest and involve 3 days of 5 hour classes.

You can also organize horseriding and caving in the hostels. The caves feature a number of large saloons as well as the saloon of spiders and the path of bats. Crawl through small tunnels of mud and water to underground waterfalls. Depending on how adventurous you are the trip takes between 1 and 2 hours. Company provides helmets and head torches

Cheap or free activities

This is a list of activities that wont break the budget from Colonial towns to 180m high waterfalls to great swimming holes

Historical Walks (Barichara and Guane)

Barichara This sleepy small town was given the title of "Colombia 's most beautiful" and declared a National Monument in 1975.

Founded in 1705 Barichara hasn't changed much with its stoned streets and white colonial houses. Highlights are a number of churches, including the 18 th century Capilla Santa Barbara and the Templo Inmaculada Concepcion y San Lorenzo , dominating the town's main square. Barichara lies on the edge of a Plateau overlooking the Saurez Canyon where a delightful path known as the Camino Real a Guane (Lenguake trail) winds down the canyon side towards the town of Guane . (1.5 – 2 hours)

Barichara is situated 22km from San Gil and makes a lovely day (or half day) trip from here.

Guane

The Pre-Colombian Empire of the Guane culture has it’s home overlooking the Saurez Canon. One hundred small homes based around the town square and a small church makes up the town of Guane.

Guane is a lovely 1.5 - 2 hour walk from Barichara on El Camino Real de Guane also known as the Lenguerke trail - an 1840’s path that travels across the province of Santander linking small towns. Highlights of Guane include the Guane Museum which is divided into three sections: Palaeontology and Archaeology, Pottery and Antiques. The town square is paved with fossils that have been found in the area and can still be found on the trail between Barichara and Guane. Try the local Chicha and restaurants serve Goat (Cabro) a Santander local specialty. Other longer trails continue between Cabrera – Barichara - Guane - Villanueva – Jordan – Los Santos. Making up a lovely 3 day walk.

If you are looking to do the 3 day walk we highly recommend you contact Macondo hostel for more info. It is not easy, most locals do not know the path and you need to be prepared.

Parque Gallineral

This park is San Gil’s famous botancial gardens set on the edge of the River Fonce in central San Gil. It’s a 4 hectare island filled with beautiful flowers, massive Ceiba(Kapok) trees, paths, bridges, swimming pool, restaurant and café.

Park entrance is 4,000 pesos and includes use of the swimming pool. Guides give you a tour of the park explaining about the flora and the history of the Indigenous Guane tribe that once lived in this area. Please tip guides as they are not employed by the park.

Juan Curi waterfalls

20km from San Gil on the road to Charalá you will find the spectacular 180m waterfall Juan Curi. A 30 minute trail takes you on an enjoyable jungle path to the foot of Juan Curi with another 20 minutes to climb to the top of one of the three waterfalls. Two trails lead to the base of the waterfall with the first farm (closest to San Gil) charging 3.000 and the second farm charging 5.000 (nicer walk).

Swimming holes

San Gil has a number of local places in and around town to swim from private pools to local natural swimming holes. Pozo Azul is a local favourite for a swim and sunday drinking sessions. If you like jumping off rocks Milagrosa just 300m below to Pozo Azul is the place to go. A nice 5m dive into the pool below (ask the local kids where to aim) Close to the town of Curiti 20 minutes from San Gil is Pescadarito a great place to camp and explore the many swimming holes, natural water slides and great places to dive. Park Gallineral also has a pool. But the best of these sites is Pescadarito .

Marketplace

Best place in town to buy fruit juices and fruit salads. Only open until 2pm each day the lively market place is the best spot in town to do your fruit and Veg shopping and try some of the delicious fruits in shake or salad form.

 

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