If you’re planning a trip to Chicamocha Park for your next destination, read our guide with the best tips for visiting Chicamocha National Park. Whether you are an expert traveler, you will always have doubts about your trip; for this reason, you should take into account these useful tips to plan your trip and enjoy a tourist spot of Santander near Bucaramanga with family, friends or as a couple. You will know what you need before and during the trip. Everything will be fine and you will not have problems.

In Panachi you will find history, culture, folklore and gastronomy. It is the best space for fun and adventure. This place has attractions that have a high level of adrenaline and speed. Find out more about our Plan Parque Nacional del Chicamocha, reserve and live a tourism experience in Santander.

We will present you the tips to travel to Chicamocha Park without taking the spotlight off the fun:

Here’s what you need to know about Chicamocha National Park:

Location

The Chicamocha National Park is located in the municipality of Aratoca in the department of Santander, Colombia, 340 km away from Bogotá and 57 km from Bucaramanga, between the imposing mountains of the Chicamocha Canyon and a road challenges the most expert pilot because of its curves.

Distance and tolls

Nearby towns: Aratoca, Piedecuesta, Bucaramanga and San Gil.

Access routes: The Chicamocha National Park is located at kilometer 54 via Bucaramanga - Bogotá.

Another option is to take the via de Bucaramanga - Mesa de los Santos, municipality located 45 minutes from Piedecuesta, and take the cable car at Estación la Plazuela.

If you are in Bogotá you can take via Oiba, go through Barbosa, San Gil and finally you will arrive at Chicamocha Park.

Area: 264 hectares

When is the perfect time to travel?

You can travel throughout the year; the dry season is from December to April (from May to November is the rainy season).

Do you know that Chicamocha means Guane language: Silver thread on full moon night on the mountain range?

Temperature:

Severe erosion, coupled with sea-level altitude, confers a high temperature between 25°C and 30°C.

General features:

The Chicamocha Canyon is the second largest canyon in the world, with more than 180,000 hectares and 2,000 meters deep. The canyon, 46 billion years ago was an immense lake that allowed the formation of caverns and housed marine animals (there are still many remains of these animals). There are also unique plants in the country such as palm, Indian cocoa, chestnut and ceiba.

Before the adventure

You must organize the trip. Keep in mind that Chicamocha Park has no place to stay; it is advisable to look for a place to stay; it can be in its nearby villages. We will show you two interesting options: the first option can be San Gil. There you can stay and do different extreme sports, visit Curití, Barichara and much more... Another option could be in Bucaramanga. In Bucaramanga you could visit the Cerro el Santísimo, enjoy the sites of interest of the city and visit the HidroSogamoso dam that is located an hour from the city.

If you are in Bucaramanga and you want to know more about the landscapes of Santander, you should take into account the access road by Mesa de los Santos, where you can buy tickets at the Plazuela Mesa de los Santos and cross the Chicamocha Canyon by cable car. If you want to do it, you must arrive early to take advantage of the time and so, you do not have to wait especially in high season, also, take into account the schedule of the cable car in low season that you will find later. Keep in mind that in Mesa de los Santos you can visit places such as: Mercado Campesino, Mi Colombia Querida and Salto del Duende.

• If you want to do paragliding in the Chicamocha Canyon you must take into account that due to weather conditions, it is only possible to fly in the morning hours, maximum 12:00 p.m.
• Pets are allowed in the Park. Pets must be next to their owner. In the Cable Car you must pay the transfer of the pet at the ticket office which has a cost of $10,500. 
• If you need transport to Bucaramanga or San Gil there are two transport companies that make these journeys. Don’t forget to ask when you arrive at your offices and book your ticket.
• Don’t worry if you don’t have any money; there are two Bancolombia and Davivienda ATMs around Parque Chicamocha. 
• Don’t forget to tell the people where you are traveling, you will allow them to share the excitement of your trip and they can also help you in case you need it.

 Essential things to do

Once you’re in Chicamocha National Park:

What to do in Chicamocha National Park? There, we will find a variety of activities, plans the whole family can do, and you can choose what to do according to your taste: adventure, unique experiences and places to enjoy nature and history. Chicamocha Cable Car allows you to travel 6,300 km in the depth of the Canyon for 30 minutes each way, passing through three different landscapes and climates.

Its cultural areas: Monument to Santanderianidad, Guane Museum, La Granja de Paco, Ostrich Park and Chapel.

Attractions Parque Chicamocha: Cable Flight: Mirador , Cable Flight: Main, Ice Rink, Buggies, Swing, 4D cinema, Virtual Reality, Paragliding, Torrentismo Mirador 360°

What are you going to eat?

There, you are going to find a variety of restaurants where you can taste different typical food characteristically of this region or if you prefer, you can eat something according to you. We recommend you eat something typical of this region, what about a roasted ant?

What are you going to drink?

It is very important that you keep yourself hydrated during the trip. Everyone has to taste the coffee that is an essential drink there. 

What you should do?

 If you are in the Chicamocha National Park, one thing you should do is the Cable Car tour. Its route through the Chicamocha Canyon is wonderful. Also, enjoy the music, the dances, the food, the colors that characterize what means the daily life of a region, as a significant region, full of adventure.

How to get to Chicamocha National Park?

If you are in Bogota you can do the following: To get to Chicamocha National Park from Bogota by land (by bus), you can buy a ticket at the transport terminal, COP $80,000 per person. The journey takes approximately 8 hours.

If you are in Bucaramanga, you must do the following:

You can buy a ticket at the transport terminal, COP $15,000 per person per trip. The journey takes an hour and a half on the main road Bucaramanga- Bogotá. If you choose the other way of access, that is, by Mesa de los Santos, you will find transport in the "Cachira fleet" in Bucaramanga, street 16 number 24-50, or in Piedecuesta, transport the "Culona". It is important to note that the schedules are not so frequent on this route and are maximum until 6 pm.

If you are in San Gil you must do the following

From San Gil you find transport to Panachi in the transport terminal called "Terminalito". There are direct routes to Chicamocha National Park, you can buy tickets per trip COP $8,000 per person. The trip will last 45 minutes; their routes are frequent until 6 pm. if you travel in your car, you’ll wonder, Is there parking service? Yes. Plazuela Mesa de los Santos Station and Chicamocha National Park have ample parking for all visitors. The cost of parking is COP $7,000 vehicles and COP $4,000 motorcycles day or fraction.

Opening hours and entrance fees to the Chicamocha National Park

The Chicamocha Park is open from Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Weekends and holidays from 9 to 7 p.m. The hours of operation of the cable car in low season works with slots: 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. to 01:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m to 5:20 p.m. That is, during this time it will be in operation. Weekends the cable car is continuous. So coordinate your itinerary to find your perfect schedule according to your plans.

Tickets to the Park with or without Cable Car, you can buy them at the following points: Box office of the Park or box office of the Plazuela Mesa de los Santos with the following fees.

Children under 2 years do not pay, child rate applies up to 1.40 meters and adult over 60 years

What should you carry in your bag to Chicamocha National Park?
 

If you are going to practice some extreme sport or enjoy the Acuaparque, you should carry in your bag the following:

Use sunscreen and stay hydrated all the time.

Wear comfortable clothing.

Wear closed shoes for the tour in Chicamocha National Park and flip flops to stay in the pools and avoid falling to the floor.

You should wear the bathing dress or clothing in lycra and waterproof in the pool.

Other general recommendations:

 

• Don’t forget to ask for the map of the Park to have a guide and don’t miss the places and attractions of Chicamocha Park.
• The cable car and many of the extreme sports are not allowed for people with: vertigo, panic at heights or heart disease.
• There’s a luggage locker to take care of your travel bags.
• Cable car and Acuparkerque only works until six in the afternoon.
• If you need transportation back to San Gil or Bucaramanga, you will find the office of "Cotrasangil" and "Asotranspanachi". Remember to book and rest quietly.
• Inside the park, you will find disabled access or if you need a wheelchair, you can rent one for a value of $5,000.
• There is no car service for babies; for your comfort you can take your baby’s car, and it will be a rest tour.
• You can find nursing and medical services in the Park, Acuaparque and Mesa de los Santos square.
• If you are interested, visit the website Parque Nacional del Chicamocha to know the schedules depending on whether it is low or high season, also know the rates for promotions and discounts or call the phone of Parque Nacional del Chicamocha 321 2050097.
• The best time to visit Chicamocha National Park is in the low season.
• The Chicamocha National Park is a place to take the best photos, don’t forget to bring your camera or have your cell phone charged.
• This is just a recount of one of Santander’s tourist sites, Parque Chicamocha. There are many other places to meet, discover and collect extraordinary experiences. Sunsets full of hoops, the warm breeze and a good company is all you need to get lost in a space , away from everyday problems and near Bucaramanga.

Remember to share your experiences, write a review, and make this community of travelers bigger, we are travelers who love Santander and