Paragliding over this impressive landscape is a unique experience. This activity allows you to get away from the noise of the city and connect with nature, admiring the entire landscape from another point of view.

Discover with Fabio, a gastronomist, the variety of fruit and vegetables harvested in Santander at Bucaramanga’s central market. Fabio will take you to one of the oldest cafes in the city for a typical coffee and pandebono, a sweet and savory cheese bread. Return to his apartment to prepare regional cuisine such as empanadas and arepas or a fish stew with Fabio and his mother Carmen. You will learn to make the dough and prepare a variety of fillings such as beef and rice, chicken and mushroom or santandereanas (carne oreada with hogao) accompanied by sauces like a Colombian pepper sauce, herb mayonnaise or caramel pineapple. Enjoy your home-cooked meal with fun locals that will start with a taste of fresh fruit. Soups are a staple of the Colombian diet so your meal will continue with a typical soup or stew filled with seasonal vegetables and meat followed by empanadas or fish in criolla sauce. End your meal with dessert and limonada made from panela, sour fruit juice spices and ice.

The Chicamocha National Park also known as “Panachi” is located in the heart of the Chicamocha Canyon. The Chicamocha Canyon is more than 200 km long and from its highest peak down to the river approx. 2000 m deep. That means it is deeper than the famous Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA. The main attraction is the cable car that goes 1200 m down the canyon and up on the other side (duration: 30 minutes). The theme park combines cultural and historical elements and offers adventurous activities such as an extreme swing, climbing down an artificial waterfall, virtual reality, zip lining, a waterpark, etc. Panachi is divided into three parts: The lower part at the cable car station is a little town representing Barichara with its colonial architecture. Going up more than 100 stairs you will find the monument “Monumento a la Santandereanidad” which represents the Revolution of the Comuneros, the first step of the Colombian independence. The third part is a 360-degree viewpoint of the canyon.

Barichara, known as the most beautiful town in Colombia, is famous for its colonial architecture, the quiet cobbled streets, adobe houses and artisan workshops and its craft shops among other things. You will see amazing churches, chapels, graveyards, sculptures and parks. Also, you will be entering the stores where the handcrafted goods are made and sold. These handcrafted goods include baskets, paper, clothing, bags, shoes, tiny figures, dream catchers, etc. which will become great souvenirs to take back home. You will even have the opportunity to make handmade paper yourself from different plants, making this activity an experience you won't want to miss. If you wish to do a physical activity, you will have the opportunity to walk down the Camino Real (or parts of it). It is a trail that was build 150 years ago by the famous German immigrant Geo von Lengerke and has a lot of history. The complete hiking trail is about 5 km (3.1 miles) long and takes you about 2 hours.

While the Eje Cafetero is known for its quantity production, Santander is known for its high quality especially organic coffees. The tour will take place in one of the coffee haciendas in the area that are nationally and internationally recognized as the crops in some of the haciendas are under shade and highlight the protection of the environment. Once at the hacienda you will have time to enjoy the picturesque scenery of the guest house. The tour begins with a tour through the coffee fields, where the crops and production processes are explained. After this tour you will be able to attend a preparation and tasting of a good cup of coffee, which fascinates most travelers due to the different qualities of coffee.

Zapatoca is a beautiful and calm town not known by a lot of travelers. The town has 5000 inhabitants and people from Bucaramanga go there to enjoy a weekend having relatively mild temperatures (day temperature approx. 21 °C/ 79 °F). In town you can enjoy a beautiful central park and try home-made wine from oranges and blackberries. The road to Zapatoca is one of the highlights of the trip because it goes right through the stunning landscape of the Chicamocha Canyon. There are several viewpoints to stop by during the road trip. One of the viewpoints you will visit at the end of the day is the Mirador Los Guanes which is on top of the mountains from where you can see many parts of Santander such as parts of Bucaramanga´s metropolitan area, Barichara, El Socorro, the Chicamocha Canyon, the Suarez Canyon, the crossing of the two canyons, etc.

Paragliding is a breathtaking experience which in contrast to other official extreme sports does not produce high levels of adrenaline (if you are not afraid of heights). The platform is located on a hill close to Bucaramanga so that the paragliding flight provides you with an amazing view over the metropolitan area and the countryside close to Bucaramanga. The paragliding is located on a hill 300 meters above the valley of the metropolitan area. Before you start the 10 to 15-minute tandem flight with a professional guide you will receive safety instructions and information about the paragliding flight.

The Chicamocha Canyon is the perfect place to do hiking since you will have stunning views onto the landscape during the entire hike. The hike usually starts in a sector of the canyon called “La Mojarra”. At the beginning of the hike you will be at the edge of the canyon at a height of about 1500 meters above sea level and 1000 meters above the canyon river. The hike, which is included in this day trip, ends in Los Santos, a town with a beautiful central park located at the edge of the canyon. Starting a steep hike down the canyon for about 300 meters in altitude you will gradually go up along the canyon in order to arrive at Los Santos. The advantage of this hike is that you will not have to stand the heat at the bottom of the canyon since you won´t go down all the way to the river. The total hike takes you about 2 to 5 hours depending on your speed and on the trail you take.

The Eco Park Cerro del Santísimo is a popular attraction among the people living in Bucaramanga and therefore it is a must-see for travelers. The statue itself not considering the platform is just 3 meters (10 feet) smaller than the famous statue Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) in Rio de Janeiro. The special thing about Santísimo is that it is not overcrowded with tourists and that there even is an elevator right behind the statue different to the statue in Rio de Janeiro. Furthermore, the park offers a magnificent view of the entire metropolitan area of Bucaramanga and is the best place to enjoy the sunset. In the park you can also find souvenir stores and regional products. After the sunset there is a beautiful water show with colors, lights and music. To reach the park you have to take a cable car that takes you 500 meters up the hill and during the ride you will have an incredible view on the tropical rainforest.

The experience at the Páramo de Santurbán is designed for nature lovers who like to hike at high altitudes and with a cool climate. The Black Lagoon “Laguna Negra” you will visit is located at almost 4.000 meters (=13.000 feet) above sea level. Having one of the largest fresh water reserves on earth, the Páramo de Santurbán is protected by the local people who admire its amazing ecosystem including the unique “high-altitude” plants Frailejones. After a ride of approx. 2 hours on a well-paved street and one hour on an unpaved road, you will start the hike of about 2 km to the lagoon. The hike is slightly upwards and due to the height and low level of oxygen, it will seem a lot more than 2 km. Arriving at the lagoon you will have the opportunity to take amazing pictures and if you want to keep hiking, you will be able to walk around the lagoon for another hour.