Colombia day 4: Barichara.

Submitted by maria on Wed, 12/09/2018 - 19:30

We're heading to San Gil's Freedom Park for breakfast, in el Huerto restaurant. Everything is very good, there are several options Sangilian, Socorran, the orchard. Joaquín with Torongil infusion, egg and arepa soup. María con titno a tamale that is rolled up in leaves and inside it has chicken (with bone), chickpeas... Olga more conventional with tortilla with corn, mushrooms, cheese and ham.

The day before we had been offered to eat ants culonas, a delicacy that Colombians appreciate as if it were caviar. They are collected between March and May, cooked and then toasted. The taste is similar to that of a shrimp or a shrimp, they are very crunchy, they are sold everywhere, try them.

 

Big-Ass Ant

Big-Ass Ant

 

We leave the big backpacks at the accommodation and take a bus from the terminal near the main square to Barichara. They leave every 30 minutes and take about 45 minutes. The journey is spectacular.

Barichara is a very beautiful town in Spanish colonial style. Although it also has whitewashed houses like Villa de Leyva, the streets are cobbled and a reddish colour predominates on the roofs and in buildings like the Cathedral, the Casa de Cultura, the Park for the Arts. Its courtyards are also noteworthy.

 

Barichara

Barichara

 

The fruit market is located in a building near the main square. Like San Gil the steep slopes predominate throughout the town.

 

Barichara

Barichara

 

We have a beer in a market that is an old-style grocery store. The shops are very nice inside.

 

We decide to eat soon (Restaurante el Compa, the best restaurant we tried in all of Colombia) as we want to go down the Camino Real to Guane, a little village similar to Barichara but smaller in size.

 

Way to Guane

Guane

 

It's about 9 kms easy (2 hours), almost all the way is downhill through a canyon with impressive views of the valley next to it. This ancient cobblestone road was built by the indigenous Guane people.

We arrive at the village and are offered a typical homemade liquor similar to creme de orujo but quite strong.

 

Guane

Guane

 

We visit the village and wait for the bus back to San Gil with a technical stop in Barichara.

 

We arrive at our accommodation and pick up the backpacks, buy dinner in a bakery and go to the bus station. Tonight we sleep on the bus on the way to Santa Marta, a 12 hour journey on one of the most spectacular roads in the country.

 

 

 

Breakfast: Restaurant el Huerto 28.000 COP 3 pax.

Bus from San Gil to Barichara 5.000 COP per pax.

3 beers in downtown market 7.000 COP.

Lunch at El Compa Restaurant 41.200 COP (Roast meat: cabru, sobrebarriga, chorizo, chicken, pepitoria, patacones con ogao, carne oreada).  ESSENTIAL.

2 beers in the plaza de guane 4.000 COP.

Bus from Guane to Barichara: 7.000 COP per pax.

Taxi to the main terminal: 5.000 COP (you can also arrive by bus but it is not worth it).

Bus from San Gil to Santa Marta: 70.000 COP per pax.