Barichara, the stone village in the heart of Santander
There are places in Colombia that you don’t simply visit — you experience them. Barichara is one of them.
Perched on the edge of the El Suárez canyon, a few kilometres from the Chicamocha, this village in the department of Santander unfolds a mineral, arid landscape that, strangely enough, invites inner peace. The streets paved with ochre stone, the red-orange façades, the silence that nothing breaks: here, time has a different texture.
I won’t hide the fact that Barichara touches me in a special way. I grew up in Bucaramanga, a three-hour drive away, and I’ve been coming here since I was a child. This village is one of those places you don’t discover overnight — they’ve always been there, in the background of life. That’s precisely why I’ve included it in the trips we design at Magelia: because you can only truly share what you really love.
Barichara, a landscape that doesn’t set out to charm — yet does so all the same
The Barichara region is dry and rugged, dotted with cacti and red earth. It’s not the sort of spectacular landscape people come to photograph for social media. It’s a quiet, resilient landscape that takes a little time to reveal itself.
From the village, the views over the El Suárez canyon are breathtaking. The light changes as the hours pass; the gorges appear to deepen as the sun sets, and you realise why some travellers return here time and again, without quite being able to explain why.
Before the Spanish: the Guanes
Barichara isn’t just about its colonial houses. Long before the Spanish arrived, the region was inhabited by the Guanes, an indigenous people who managed to live and thrive in this challenging environment. Their legacy is still evident today: in the building techniques, in the crafts, and in the relationship the locals have with their land.
It’s an aspect I love to help travellers discover. Colombia has a historical depth that conventional tourism barely scratches the surface of.
The houses of Barichara: Architecture with a touch of common sense
The first thing that strikes you about Barichara is its uniformity. All the houses are built from local stone, using the traditional technique of rammed earth. The result is at once eco-friendly, harmonious and beautiful — without any deliberate effort to achieve it.
The entire village is listed as a Colombian heritage site. At the end of the day, when the sun skims the facades, the warm hues of the stone bathe the village in a special light. It is often at this very moment that travellers realise what they have come here to find.
Things to do in Barichara
Barichara is a quiet village, but by no means a sleepy one.
Hikers are spoilt for choice. The Camino Real to Guane is the best known — accessible, historic, with stunning views of the canyon. But there are other, far less frequented trails: towards Cabrera, towards Zapatoca, or the descent to the bottom of the Chicamocha Canyon. These alternatives offer a much more solitary, wilder experience — and frankly, a more interesting one for travellers who want to get off the beaten track in the literal sense of the word.
The village is also renowned for its craft workshops: stone carving, handmade paper-making and pottery. Visitors can watch, take part and meet the craftspeople who are keeping alive skills passed down through the generations.
For those looking for a bit more of a thrill, San Gil is just 30 kilometres away: canyoning, rafting, rock climbing — Santander is also one of Colombia’s outdoor sports hubs.
Where to stay in Barichara? Authentic accommodation and a taste of local life
The accommodation options in Barichara reflect the village itself: on a human scale. You’ll find small, charming hotels housed in carefully restored former colonial homes. At Magelia, we select places that fit this description: local, authentic, and in keeping with the spirit of the place.
For travellers wishing to immerse themselves even further, it is also possible to stay with a local family — an option we offer on our ‘Staying with a Local Family’ tour, and which remains one of the most memorable experiences we organise
Barichara in our tailor-made itineraries in Colombia
Barichara fits naturally into several tours designed by Magelia Colombia, notably the ‘Jewels of Colombia’ and ‘Homestay’ tours.
Every trip is entirely personalised. We don’t include Barichara simply because it’s a ‘must-see’ — we incorporate it when it makes sense within the traveller’s itinerary, as a break, a moment to catch one’s breath, or a point of reference.
Why does Barichara leave such a lasting impression on visitors?
Barichara doesn’t set out to impress. There are no crowds, no staged scenes, no exaggerated promises. What it offers is something rarer: tranquillity, a sense of harmony, and a genuine connection to the land.
It is often here that travellers realise that travelling in Colombia is not just about seeing a succession of landscapes. It is about learning to look at things differently, to slow down, to understand a country from the inside.
This is exactly what we aim to build, trip after trip, at Magelia.
Would you like to include Barichara in your itinerary in Colombia? Get in touch with us so we can work together to plan a trip that suits you.
