Scenic San Gil, Columbia

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San Gil Columbia was one of the most scenic and traditional towns we´ve been to. This area is widely known for the outdoor activities including white water rafting, cave swimming tours, hiking and $10 bungee jumping!! Haha!!

After our 5+ hr bus trip from Bogota we were wonderfully welcomed by Shaun at Macondo Hostel. No wonder Lonely Planet tells travelers to see him!! The hostel was comfortable with incredibly friendly staff and with the perfect cat mascot!! The cat took care of all bugs who dared to venture into the courtyard. Also worth mentioning is the Awesome breakfast we had across the street at Santander Aleman Hostel!!

A major highlight for us was Pozo Azul, a free swimming hole with wonderful waterfalls. We were there on a Sunday where so many locals were hanging out with their families and the restaurant/bar close by had giant speakers playing tunes for visitors the entire time. Very nice. We had a nice swim with a couple (Rob & Jenn) from Australia and enjoyed watching 3 local boys play tag in the water.

Our favorite experience in San Gil was hiking the Colonial Trail, which links towns which were seemingly frozen in time. We hiked with a couple from England (Fergus & Nicola), and Rob & Jenn. All were long time travelers with great personalities.

The hike which was incredibly scenic and beautiful, went from Cabrera, to Barichara then Guane, and took over 5hrs. We took a small local bus one hour from San Gil to Cabrera where we were dropped in an ancient square shaded by large trees and surrounded by old stone buildings and a beautiful old church. We followed the cobblestone road one block where it turned into a dirt path that lead thru the outskirts of town. The hike from Cabrera to Barichara passed through the jungle on an old intermittently stoned path and provided beautiful views of the sprawling villages below. It was really hot and we were all pushing ahead with thoughts of the public pool that was available in Barichara. After 2.5 hours we finally came upon the pool along side a dusty dirt road, only to find it closed!! We contemplated as a team whether we should climb over the fence and break in anyways... but any thoughts of corruption were interrupted by little children coming home from school!! Shucks!

We had a nice lunch in Cabrera in a breezy neighborhood restraunt for only a couple dollars a head and wandered the streets for a while before continuing on our way to Guane. In Barichara (famous for being most beautiful colonial town in Columbia) there are buildings that date over 300yrs old and the beautiful 18th century sandstone Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion. We also stumbled upon a wonderful garden with an impressive water fountain display with statues from around the world AND a beautiful outdoor amphitheater. All of which were located at the very tip top of a mountain. From there we hiked down into a cool wooded valley and another 2.5 hours later found ourselves walking thru a farmers pasture land opening and closing the gates as we went. We could see the small village on the hillsides ahead of us and enjoyed a nice breezy walk into town to catch the 5 o'clock bus.

To experience Columbia from this town was exceptional. Their travel motto was: The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay. 😉 Quite true if you ask us!

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Photos

Jam packed bus to Cabrera
Bus/van drivers are famous for stopping along the way to grab a coffe or talk gossip with locals. This was one of those stops.