Bucaramanga Outdoors: Paragliding, Climbing & Canyon Adventures
Bucaramanga's dramatic Andean setting makes it one of Colombia's best adventure sports cities — paragliding over the Chicamocha, rock climbing on the canyon walls, and white-water rafting on the Suárez River are all accessible from the city
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Paragliding Capital of Colombia
Mesa de los Santos above Bucaramanga is Colombia's paragliding center — the consistent Andean thermals allow 2-3 hour flights; the international paragliding community has made mesa a world class destination
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Mountain climbing routes
The limestone cliffs of Chicamocha Canyon and the Suárez River valley have established rock climbing routes of all qualities; the climbing community in Bucaramanga is active and the routes – some first climbed by European climbers – are well maintained
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Rafting on the Suárez
The Suárez River—which flows through a canyon between Bucaramanga and the mesa—has grade III-IV rafting available as a day trip; the combination of canyon scenery, clear water and rapids makes Suárez rafting one of Colombia's best
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Mountain bike trails
The roads and trails in the mesa and canyon area have been developed for mountain biking — the descent from the mesa to Chicamocha Canyon on dirt roads is one of Colombia's most dramatic mountain bike descents
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Cave walking in Santander Karst
The limestone karst of the Santander region has extensive cave systems — Cueva de los Indios and other karst formations near Bucaramanga offer caving experiences from accessible introductory visits to challenging technical descents
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Guane Colonial Village Trek
The hike from the mesa to the colonial village of Guane – descending through the scrub and canyon vegetation – is one of Santander's classic hikes; Guane has a small paleontological museum, a colonial church and the isolation of a village that the road has only recently reached