San Gil calls itself the adventure capital of Colombia, and it earns the title with rivers, caves and cliffs in every direction. The town sits in the Santander hills above the Fonce river, near its meeting with the Suárez, and the rapids on both are among the best in the country for rafting. Paragliders launch from the ridges above the canyon, and cavers explore the limestone passages nearby. After a morning on the road, the shops offering tours look more tempting than the usual souvenir stalls.
The town itself is easy and pleasant, with a leafy central plaza, a handsome stone cathedral, and a park called El Gallineral on an island in the Fonce, where the trees are draped in long, silvery strands of a plant locally called barba de viejo, old man's beard, which gives the garden a ghostly beauty. Walking beneath them with the river sliding past is one of the town's pleasures, and a small entrance fee keeps the park well tended.
Nearby is the village of Barichara, about twenty kilometres away, which many consider the prettiest in Colombia, with white-washed houses, stone-paved streets and a calm that has scarcely changed in a century. It is easily reached on a short, well-paved road, and the route that connects the two is a lovely half-hour ride through dry hills and rock outcrops, with views over the canyon. A stone path, the Camino Real, leads on to the village of Guane, an old walk used by traders.
With more than thirty thousand people San Gil is the major service town of the region, and there is fuel, food and every kind of shop. The food is hearty, with the local speciality being roast goat, arepas and fried ants, a Santander curiosity, though it is hardly obligatory. The climate is warm, around twenty-five degrees in the day, and showers are frequent in the rainy seasons, so keep a jacket handy.
As a rest stop on the Chicamocha route, the town is a convenient and cheerful place. Traffic in the centre can be busy, especially on weekends, but the pace is easy, and a few quiet hours by the river make a fine pause.