Things to Do in Eastern Colombia

By Lorraine Caputo

The breadth of things to do and see in Eastern Colombia spans the range from culture to high-octane sports. Tunja has many beautiful churches, most notably Iglesia de Santa Bárbara which displays embroidery done by Juana la Loca, the “mad” mother of Emperor Carlos V. Villa de Leyva and Barichara are both classic colonial towns on the national register of historic villages. The countryside of the former bears the fossilized marks of its denizens over 160 million years ago. San Gil is the adventure sports capital of the nation, with everything from whitewater rafting to caving. Between this village and bustling Bucaramanga are the Cañón de Chicamocha and Mesa de Ruitoque, the nation’s best place to paraglide. In the deep folds of the Cordillera Oriental are small villages like Málaga, Concepción (the Wool Capital of Colombia) and Capitanejo (the Goat, Tobacco and Melon Capital) with diverse climates and customs. At the apex of these mountains is Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy, with superb mountain and rock climbing, and trekking. Pamplona is another town with its place in history, as is Cúcuta and neighboring Villa del Rosario.