The amazing red river in Guadalupe is not something you’ll find in a travel book. In fact, it is even a bit of a secret among locals – many Santandereanos have never visited this spot either! Are you familiar with the famous Caño Cristales? Although the rainbow river is one of the most iconic sites in Colombia, it’s also notoriously difficult and expensive to visit. But now you won’t have to miss out with this cheaper and easier to reach alternative!
Guadalupe is one of the many little pueblos in the Santander district. The town itself looks quite similar to other pueblos in the region – horses and farmers share the cobbled pavement between white buildings and tiled roofs. This destination is so underrated that it’s difficult to find any tourist information about it online. To be honest most visitors aren’t here for the city; you could visit Barichara for one of the most beautiful colonial towns in Colombia. The real gem here is Quebrada Las Gachas, a small red river framed by bright blue skies and rolling green hills.
The river is a fairly easy 4km walk from Guadalupe. From the city, ask any local to point you in the right direction and follow the straight path. After the gas station, turn right and continue your walk through the green, hilly landscape. This hike takes about an hour but we rushed to do it in 30 minutes. The sun is strong in the afternoon so be sure to wear sunscreen and start heading over in the morning. Or you can be like me and show up to work with a bright red sunburns!
What makes the river iconic is not just the red color but also the scattered jacuzzi pools. These river holes vary in size, depth, and shape. Some of the pools can fit multiple people while others can only fit one. A few of the pools you can stand in but some are too deep for that! Be careful of the extremely slippery green algae when walking along the river rock.
The clear and cool water is a perfect treat after sweating through the hike there. Since the sun heats up the rocks, the shallower pools are quite warm while the larger and deeper river holes will be cooler. Bonus: the flow of the river also doubles for a massage! Although there were quite a few families hanging out on the 3-day weekend we visited, it definitely wasn’t overcrowded like a tourist attraction would be. It’s only a matter of time before other travelers start finding this place!
The red river is a great way to spend the afternoon with a bunch of friends. There are a few food stands selling food and drinks (or you can bring your own). The water reaches a perfect temperature in the afternoon heat.
While this river is the highlight of Guadalupe, there are other outdoorsy things you can do and see. We also did a 6 hour “adventure tour” which took us to a few caves and waterfalls. I felt like Indiana Jones venturing into rare territory! My next post to go in more detail.
In addition, the town has a lovely church and even a tiny bar. There’s a great chicken place but don’t expect the nightlife to be poppin’ – the streets were quiet by 9pm.
One of the local business owners, Jose, gives tours around the surrounding area and was an invaluable resource for us during our visit. He even arranged our transport back to Bucaramanga! You can contact him through his Facebook page here, email him at bonanzayaventura2015@gmail.com, or send him a WhatsApp message at +57 311 8351573. I recommend WhatsApp as the quickest way to get a response. I don’t think he speaks English, so it would serve you well to brush up on your Spanish!
Getting to Guadalupe from Bucaramanga:
At the bus terminal in Bucaramanga, ask for a bus to Oiba. *Make sure you tell the driver you’re getting off at Oiba because it’s not an official stop. The ride is about 3-4 hours. From Oiba, you’ll need to take a “collectivo” (a shared truck ride) to Guadalupe. We didn’t make it for the collectivo but were able to ask around and have a local offer to take us into Guadalupe for 60,000 pesos. The ride from Oiba to Guadalupe is about an hour. Get ready for a bumpy ride!
In Guadalupe, we stayed at Jose’s Hostal Bonanza. To be honest our stay wasn’t great – the first night we had a family in the adjoining room (separated by a thin door). This family had a screaming toddler AND crying baby. Since there’s no insulation in the building it was as if the family was in the same room with us. This is why you should always bring earbuds when traveling. The next night a storm broke the water pipes so we didn’t have any water in our shower and sink for the rest of the night. After a 6 hour hike! The water wasn’t fixed until the next morning. So… take this review with a grain of salt and check out your options.
The only blog post I found prior to my visit was this post here. I’d recommend reading before you go!
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This looks and sounds incredible! I’ve not been to Guadalupe yet, but Quebrada Las Gachas definitely is topping off the list! Thanks for sharing! Xx
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It’s a great place! And if you are in the area, San Gil and Barichara are also popular stops in the Santander region 🙂
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Another one of nature’s special gifts. I am putting this on my Colombia to do list. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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