Girón

A cobblestone lane in Girón

By Lorraine Caputo

On the banks of the Río de Oro, amidst tobacco country is San Juan de Girón, nine kilometers (5.4 miles) southwest of Bucaramanga. This 17th-century village of white-washed buildings and narrow cobblestone streets is another well-liked get-away for Búcaros. The palm-shaded main plaza has artisan booths and a stele noting how many times Bolívar passed through. Visit the over-400-year-old Mansión del Fraile, a museum of various knickknacks and a room where the Libertador had stayed, and the Museo de Arte Religioso Benedicto XVI. Down by the river you can try your hand at tejo and munch down on fritanga.