How to get to Barichara and what to do in the most beautiful town in Colombia

Among the most beautiful towns in Colombia, Barichara is crown as the most beautiful one. The reasons are plain to see: on one hand, you can feel the tranquility, silence, peace, and harmony; on the other hand, the cobbled streets and houses are the magic and charm of Barichara. These particular characteristics have made it one of the most visited towns in Colombia.

If you are amazed by the magic of Colombia's Heritage Towns, you must visit Villa de Leiva, a touristic and colonial destination.

Declared as Colombia's Heritage Town, the name of this magical town means "place to rest". It is just more than resting and doing nothing, it also refers to the rest of escaping from the stress and noise from the city, and let your sense connect with the environment.

If you want to know more about heritage towns, you should visit Mompox, a town frozen in time.

In this article, we will let you know how to get to Barichara, what places to visit and what to do in this wonderful town located in the department of Santander.

You might be interested in:Barichara - Small Towns Tour

How to get to Barichara?

To get to Barichara, you have to take a bus from Bucaramanga to San Gil. The ticket costs 18.000 COP and the trip lasts two and a half hours. Once in San Gil, you have to take a bus to Barichara in the bus terminal for 4.600 COP, this time, the trip lasts 45 minutes.

You can also take a bus from Bogotá to San Gil for 90.000 COP. The trip lasts seven hours and 15 minutes. Or if you are in another city in Colombia, you can also take a bus to Bucaramanga and then go to San Gil. Another option, the easiest and fastest, is to take a plane to Bucaramanga and then do the route mentioned above.

Take into account that to get to Barichara, you must always get to San Gil first and then take the bus to Barichara.

If you want to know the world capital of magical realism, go to Cienaga and explore its colonial wonders.

What to do in Barichara?

The main activity in Barichara is to wear your comfortable footwear and go around the streets of this wonderful town, get carried away by its beauty, take a lot of photos, enjoy its gastronomy and learn about its history, culture, and tradition.

Going around Barichara is something you can do the walking, but in the Main Square, there are motorcycle taxis that will gladly take you around while they tell you anecdotes, myths, legends and many other fun facts that you can only get from a local inhabitant.

Another unforgettable plan in Barichara is to travel the old Lengerke Royal Road (Camino Real de Lengerke); located near the  Paso del Libertador Monument, this is a series of trails that date from the XIX century and lead to the colonial towns of Guane and Zapatoca. For Guane, the walking is around two hours at a good pace; this trail is worth doing since there a lot of landscapes full of history.

You can also get to Guane by taking a bus in Barichara for 2.000 COP. As a suggestion, you can go by waking and go back by bus. Seriously, the royal road is something we recommend a lot. Once you get to Guane, visit the Archaeologic and Paleontological Museum where fossils, ceramics, necklaces and indigenous objects dated from millions of years old are exhibited.

Get ready to know the best routes for trekking in Colombia.

Places of interest in Barichara

There are places in Barichara that stand out not only by their beauty and attractiveness but also by its history and relevance.

Among these places, the Capilla de Santa Bárbara and the Parque para las Artes Jorge Delgado, two places next to each other, have a special importance because they are examples of beauty and stonemasonry mastery of well-known artists.

Another admirable example of this colonial architecture of the XIX century are the Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción y San Lorenzo; which plays with the colors of the sun, painting himself yellow in the morning and turning other in the afternoon, and the Capilla de San Antonio, which stores precious images of the Virgen de Fátima, San Antonio and San Pedro Claver.

More places to discover include the Parque Cristo Resucitado, the Casa Museo  Aquileo Parra, and the Cemetery, where the artistic ability of the local stone artisans is highlighted.

Then you can go to the Mirador de Barichara to enjoy the fantastic scenery over the Cañon del Río Suaréz. This is a place to relax and highly recommended to visit. You can just get there, get comfortable and enjoy the wonderful landscapes.

Another viewpoint and a lot more impressive than the previous one is the Salto del Mico. A place with breathtaking scenery that will be the envy of your social media photos.

If you are an adventure junkie, you should visit some of the National Natural Parks in Colombia.  Also, if you also want you can keep visiting the World Heritage Sites or going around the oldest cities in Colombia. Do you want more travel guides about Colombia? Visit our blog and have all the information you need for your trip.