Bucaramanga

The capital of the department of Santander, Bucaramanga is one of the largest cities in Colombia. Founded in 1622 on a plateau in the Cordillera Oriental mountain range, it has expanded rapidly since the 1960s and spread out into the neighbouring areas of Floridablanca, Girón and Piedecuesta.

Bucaramanga is sometimes referred to as La Ciudad de Los Parques (the city of parks) thanks to the large amount of green space. The city is surrounded by mountains and on the outskirts, you’ll find plantations of tobacco, cocoa, pineapple and corn.

Conveniently located between Bogota and Cartagena and close to Barichara, Bucaramanga is a great stop off point and a pleasant place to spend a few days.