Barichara

Whitewashed streets and quiet valley walks

Barichara is a colonial village in the Colombian Andes, about 4,300 ft above sea level. It's one of 17 heritage towns in Colombia, with whitewashed houses, red tile roofs and stone-paved streets. The main sights are the stone cathedral, the hilltop chapel of Santa Bárbara and the viewpoints over the valley. The walk to Guane along an old stone path is the most popular outing. Days are warm and evenings are cool. San Gil, the adventure sports town, is a short ride away. Most visitors stay one or two nights. Weekends and holidays are crowded.

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Village in Colombia

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$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

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Safety: 5.3

General Safety:	7
Health & medical:	3
Accessibility:	2
Tap water:	4

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2/5

English proficiency is limited in Barichara. While staff at some hotels and tourist-oriented businesses may speak basic English, most locals communicate primarily in Spanish. Having a translation app or basic Spanish phrases will greatly enhance your expe

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Last update: Oct 23, 2026

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Barichara Summary

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Known for colonial charm and scenic walks. Stroll stone streets, visit churches and viewpoints and hike countryside trails.

Place score

7.4

Best at:

Cozy towns

Walkable

Spotless

Romantic

Architecture

Personal score

Suited for

👶 4

Families

🧓 3

Seniors

❤️ 8

Couples

🛡️ 5

Travel Beginners

Colombia – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	110 V, 60 Hz Plug: Type A , Type B Type A: Type B: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Colombian Peso (COP) $1 ≈ COP 3,158.18
Cashless info:	Rating 3/5 Cashless payments are becoming more common, especially in cities. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, but cash is still preferred in many rural areas. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is not obligatory, but a tip of 5-10% is appreciated in restaurants. Taxis generally do not expect a tip, but rounding up the fare is common.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is not allowed in some areas, especially in cities. It is best to consume alcohol in licensed venues like bars or restaurants.
Public smoking:	Smoking is prohibited in indoor public spaces, including restaurants, bars, and public transport.

Independence Day (July 20)	National holiday celebrating Colombia's independence with parades and festivities
Christmas (December 25)	Celebrated with family gatherings and festive meals

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 123
Taxi apps:	Uber, Cabify
Other:	Colombia is known for its coffee, vibrant culture, and beautiful landscapes, including the Andes mountains and Caribbean beaches.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colors of the months:
The color shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the color is shows the travel season: full color means high season, soft color means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The gray info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Barichara, Colombia

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Jan

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Feb

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Mar

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Apr

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May

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Jun

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Jul

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Aug

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Sep

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Oct

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Nov

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Dec

High season:	Jan. - Feb., July - Aug., Dec.
Shoulder season:	March - April, June, Sep.
Crowdedness:	5 (Moderate tourist numbers)

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Climate details

Colombian holidays are very busy: Semana Santa (late March to mid April), mid-December to early January, and long weekends

Two rainy seasons, March to May and September to November: the Camino Real hike to Guane is best in the dry months

Don't miss

🏘️ Walk the cobblestone streets and admire colonial architecture
🥾 Hike the historic Camino Real trail to Guane
⛪ Visit the sandstone cathedral at the village center
🌽 Try traditional Colombian arepas at a local eatery
🌄 Watch sunset views over the Chicamocha Canyon

You've been here?

Why travel to Barichara?

Barichara suits people who want a quiet colonial village and easy walks rather than nightlife. The streets are cobbled or paved with flagstone and lined with whitewashed houses, wooden doors and flower pots. Almost everything is within a ten-minute walk of the main plaza. The Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, built of rust-colored stone, stands on the plaza. The chapel of Santa Bárbara on the hill and the sculpture park behind it give views over the rooftops. A lookout at the edge of town shows the valley and the mountains. Small shops and workshops sell local crafts. The best outing is the Camino Real to Guane. This old stone path runs about 5.5 mi across the valley and takes two to three hours, mostly downhill. Guane is a small village with a quiet plaza, a church and a small museum of archaeology and paleontology. Start early because the middle section has little shade. Bring plenty of water. Take a taxi or bus back. Barichara is also a base for the region. San Gil is 20 to 30 minutes away and sells paragliding, rafting and other adventure sports. Chicamocha Canyon, with its cable car, is a day trip from here. The drier months are December to February while April and May are the wettest. Two nights is enough for the village and the Guane walk. A day trip works if you're short on time, but you miss the quiet evenings after the day visitors leave.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Capilla de Santa Bárbara
2 Mirador

🎡Places for activities

1 Camino Real

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Mirador
2 Salto del mico

🛍️Shopping

1 Taller de papel de Barichara

🎈Events

Stone Carving Festival (late April)
Folk Music Festival (end of July)
Holy Week Celebrations
Independence Day Celebrations
Christmas and New Year Festivities
Local Patron Saint Celebrations
Cultural Heritage Days
Artisan Craft Fairs
Traditional Music Performances
Religious Processions

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Knowledge before you go

Start the Guane walk early because the middle has no shade.
Withdraw cash in San Gil before you arrive since the ATM in town sometimes runs out.
Book ahead for Christmas, New Year, Easter week and holiday weekends when the village fills up completely.
Stay overnight to see the quiet evenings once day visitors leave around four in the afternoon.

How to travel to Barichara

Barichara has no airport and no direct long-distance buses from most cities. The closest airport is Palonegro (BGA) near Bucaramanga, with daily flights from Bogotá and Medellín. From there it's about 70 mi to Barichara, which takes two to two and a half hours by road. A private taxi is the quickest option but costs much more than the bus. The cheaper route is by bus to San Gil, then a local bus or shared taxi to Barichara. Buses from Bucaramanga to San Gil take about two hours. Buses from Bogotá take about five hours. From San Gil, local buses and shared taxis leave every 30 to 60 minutes and take 20 to 30 minutes. From Cartagena or the Caribbean coast it's easier to fly to Bucaramanga than to take the long bus. Many nationalities, including UK citizens, can stay up to 90 days without a visa in Colombia. You need to show an onward or return ticket and your passport must be valid on arrival.

Access summary

From Bucaramanga Airport (BGA): Bus or car via San Gil, about 3–4 hours.
From San Gil: Frequent local buses or taxis to Barichara, around 45 minutes.
From Bogotá: Long-distance bus or private transfer via San Gil, roughly 7–9 hours.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Barichara

Barichara has small hotels and guesthouses in restored colonial houses, a few hostels and farm hotels outside town. Most places are family-run and small, so large hotels are few. Staying in the center puts you within a short walk of the plaza, the cathedral and the restaurants. Many boutique stays have courtyards and terraces with views of the cathedral. Hostels and simple guesthouses are the budget option. Farm hotels, called fincas, sit about 10 minutes outside the center by taxi. They have pools, which are welcome in the heat, but you need transport to reach the village. Holiday weekends, Christmas and New Year, Easter week and June and July fill the village, so book at least a week ahead for those dates. Midweek stays are quieter and often cheaper. San Gil has more hotels at lower prices and suits you if adventure sports are the main goal.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Hotel Posada Campestre

10.0

Hotel Victoria Barichara

10.0

Casa Oniri Hotel Boutique

8.9

Hotel Hicasua y Centro de Convenciones

10.0

Hotel Cariguá

10.0

CHICAMOCHA HOSTEL SANGIL

2.0

Hermoso apartamento nuevo y totalmente amoblado

Green Door Boutique

Casa Yahri

Hermoso apartaestudio.

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How to get around Barichara

Barichara is small and hilly, so you walk almost everywhere. The streets are stone, so wear sturdy shoes. Transport is only needed for Guane, farm hotels and the trip to San Gil.

Walking:
Almost everything is within ten minutes of the main plaza. Streets climb and drop steeply and the stones can be slippery after rain. Midday is hot, so save longer walks for the morning and late afternoon.

Mototaxis and taxis:
Cheap tuk-tuk mototaxis wait near the plaza and cover short hops to viewpoints and hotels outside the center. Regular taxis are limited, so ask your hotel to call one for longer trips.

To Guane:
Taxis and local buses run between Barichara and Guane, about 3 mi apart. Service becomes sparse in the late afternoon, so plan to be in Guane by mid afternoon if you walk there.

Car:
A car helps for farm hotels and day trips, but parking in the center is limited. Roads between towns are paved and winding. Avoid driving at night.

Food in Barichara

Food in Barichara is the hearty cooking of Santander, built around goat, beef, corn and local ants. Restaurants sit in restored colonial houses around the plaza and serve fixed lunches at midday. Few places stay open late, so plan dinner early. Bring cash, because card use is limited.

Cabrito:
Goat is grilled, fried or stewed and is the region's most famous dish. It's usually served with potatoes or yuca and a simple salad.

Hormigas culonas:
Large ants that are roasted and salted and sold in small bags or served as a starter. They taste a little like nutty crisps and are harvested in spring.

Carne oreada:
Salted beef dried in the sun and usually grilled or eaten cold with corn arepas. It's mainly a lunch dish.

Mute:
A thick soup with beef ribs, vegetables and chickpeas, often served as a big lunch or a weekend breakfast on cool mornings.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when traveling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customize this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

-64 %

Daily expenses in the region are around 64% lower than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot less on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

+29 %

Your exchange rate (USD to COP) is 29% worse than in recent years. That means traveling now is considerably more expensive compared to the past.

Travel costs (Data for Floridablanca, Colombia - 32 miles away)

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when traveling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	$32	$66	$192
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	$10	$30	$80
🍝 Food per day	$18	$30	$81
🚕 Transportation per day	$4	$7	$31

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	$12.50
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	$4
🍟 Fast food combo	$8
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	$6
☕ Cappuccino	$1.70
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l / 16 oz	$1.30

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	$0.80
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	$19
⛽ Gas, 1 l / ¼ gal	$1.10

Other

🎞️ Movie ticket	$4.80
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	$26
🤧 Cold medication	$5
💇 Basic haircut	$7

Safety information overview

General safety

Barichara is a small, calm village and generally safe. The main risks are petty theft in crowds on holiday weekends and sunstroke on the hikes. Drive carefully on the winding roads and avoid night driving. Never leave a drink unattended.

Health & Medical

Barichara has limited medical facilities, so serious problems mean going to San Gil or Bucaramanga. Private clinics in the larger cities are good but public hospitals can be poorly equipped. Take insurance with evacuation cover. Dengue is a mosquito risk.

Accessibility

The village is hilly with steep, uneven stone and cobbled streets, which makes it hard with a wheelchair or reduced mobility. Pavements are narrow. Mototaxis help for short hops. The Camino Real is rough and long, so it's best skipped with limited mobility.

Tap water

Official advice is to drink bottled water everywhere in Colombia except Bogotá. That includes Barichara. Bottled water is sold in shops around the plaza. Carry two liters on the Camino Real because the path has no water sources.