Colombia's fantastic landscape on royal roads, through forests, past waterfalls and colonial architecture make you want to experience the trail several times. You can find out more about its historical heritage and independence in Charalá. The basin of the Suarez River, a geographic formation that has lasted thousands of years, is a great landscape play. Experience how cotton is made and a scenic play of arches and trees along river . You can also see the cultivation of sugar cane at river, coffee plantations and spectacular mountains.
You will also see a tobacco plantation and a visual spectacle that is a must-see. The Chicamocha Canyon is a geographical accident of the department of Santander.

Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer airport/hotel. Check in at the hotel and overnight stay.

Day 2: Transfer from Bogotá to Oiba
You drive through the beautiful roads of the departments of Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Santander to town Oiba (transfer time approx. 9 hours), where you will spend the night. On the way we stop in Puente de Boyacá, where the last battle for Colombia's independence took place. We also stop in Villa de Leyva for a short tour and lunch.

Day 3: Oiba to Charala
The already saddled horses are waiting for you at the hotel, and you to ride from Oiba to Charalá through beautiful forests and mountains, surrounded by lush vegetation and clear watercourses. You will enjoy a home-cooked lunch in a very modest local home. Be prepared to eat a lot, because small portions are simply not possible in the Colombian countryside!
In the afternoon we reach the noble town Charalá, the birthplace of independence, where we will admire the cathedral and the precious Arab Saman tree, which was planted in the main square in 1910 in honor of the martyrs of independence. On August 4, 1819, more than 300 men and women were uted in this square, just three days before the final battle for independence. This fact undoubtedly contributed to Bolivar's victory in the battle at the bridge of Boyacá on August 7, 1819, as it prevented the troops of Spanish General Gonzalez, who had destroyed Charalá, from joining forces with those of General Barreiro in Tunja.
At sunset, you will visit an artisanal cotton workshop run by women who use the same techniques used by the indigenous Guane tribes. Afterwards, take a short city tour and a historical talk along the beautiful cobblestone streets of Charala. You will spend the night in a local hotel.

Day 4: Charalá to Páramo
You set off at 9 am and ride along the path that lines the majestic river Fonce. On the left, you can see how the river is formed by the confluence of the Pienta and Táquiza rivers under a natural arch of trees and shrubs. On the right you can see mountains planted with sugar cane and willows. We cross the river Fonce on the bridge, which leads to Ocamonte, in the village of Palenque, and then continue to the Juan Curi waterfalls, where the water falls more than 50 meters deep into a natural basin. Here you can refresh yourself from the midday heat and enjoy a traditional lunch prepared in a local restaurant. Afterwards you climb up the mountain and walk past the Juan Curi waterfalls to village Páramo, where you can visit one of the region's most beautiful churches made of stone and wood. You will spend the night in a beautiful hotel with a pool.

Day 5: Páramo to El Palmar
On the way to village El Socorro, another hotbed of patriots and martyrs of independence at the end of the 18th century, you will see coffee plantations and spectacular mountains. After crossing the paved road to Bucaramanga in the municipality of El Socorro, you drive to Suarez-river, which is famous for its rapids and where level V rafting is practiced. You will cross it on a suspension bridge and begin your descent towards the town El Palmar. On this ride you can admire the magnificent basin of the Suarez River, a geographic formation that has been shaped over thousands of years by this river , which originates in the Fúquenelake , and which serves as a prelude to the spectacular canyon of the Chicamocha River, which you will admire further on. In the afternoon, you will reach the beautiful town of El Palmar, whose main square is home to a huge Ceiba tree with a diameter of around 10 meters. You spend the night in a beautiful Hacienda.

Day 6: El Palmar to Barichara
After crossing the Suárez River again on horseback, take the road to Cabrera, a small village, where the colonial architecture is exceptionally well preserved. From here, the route takes you along the old royal road to the Barichara plateau, where you enter this emblematic jewel of colonial architecture via the royal bridge . You walk through the beautiful cobbled streets and see the parks and churches before arriving at a spectacular country house on the outskirts of the town.

Day 7: Barichara Cañón
On the way to Chicamocha Canyon, a Colombian natural attraction that was included in the group of 261 destinations as part of the campaign to the seven greatest natural wonders of the world, you will take a three-hour ride through beautiful tobacco plantations. This paradisiacal place is a visual spectacle not to be missed. Impressive, majestic and fascinating - this is how tourists describe the Chicamocha Canyon, a geographical accident in the department of Santander. After a light lunch, you return to Barichara to enjoy a delicious dinner and a well-deserved break.

Day 8: Sightseeing in Barichara
The real treasure of Barichara is its unadulterated colonial architecture. Many come here to stroll through the cobbled streets and take photos of the whitewashed, red-tiled buildings.
Start your exploration at the Templo de la Inmaculada Concepción y San Lorenzo in the main square. It is built from local stone stone, which was worked by the village's craftsmen. The "Capilla de San Juan de Dios" is a beautiful church with a remarkable cemetery. The "Capilla de San Antonio" is a famous attractive church with a small shady plazuela.
The "Casa Aquileo Parra" was once the house of a former Colombian president (1876-78). Today it is a museum.
The "Capilla Santa Bárbara" is a place worth seeing, which is now used for cultural events.
The afternoon is free to stroll around Barichara or simply relax in the hotel or enjoy the pool, but most of our visitors like to go on a rafting tour (level 2) on the Fonce-river (optional - at extra cost).

Day 9: Transfer from Barichara to Bogotá
Return to Bogotá and accommodation in a comfortable hotel.

Day 10: Departure transfer hotel / airport.
The end of this great adventure.

Nonrider
Non-riding companions are welcome on this trip. Some activities can be arranged for you. Please ask us for more information.

Accomodation
On this ride you will spend the night in rural hotels or farms, where you will always find a clean bed and a bathroom (ensuite). There is a swimming pool in several of the accommodations. Wi-Fi is available in the accommodation in Bogotá, Oiba and Barichara.

Accommodation plan - subject to change depending on availability
1st night: Hotel in Bogotá
2nd night: Hotel in Oiba
3rd night: Hotel in Charalá
4th night: Hotel in Paramo
5th night: Hacienda in El Palmar
6th-8th night: Hotel in Barichara
9. night: Hotel in Bogotá

Meals
All meals are included in this trip, with the exception of meals in Bogotá.
You will be served Colombian home cooking. Lunch is usually taken in the form of a picnic, while dinner is eaten in a restaurant.
Breakfast consists of eggs, bread, "arepas" (a type of corn cake), coffee, tea, chocolate, milk and fruit or juices made from tropical fruits, which are available in great variety all year round in Colombia (pineapple, papaya, melon, soursop, feijoa. mango, grapefruit, passion fruit, lulo, etc.).
For lunch there are sandwiches with potato chips, various drinks (lemonade, beer, water) and brownies or cookies for dessert.
Depending on the location, there are at least two menu options for dinner, usually beef or chicken with potatoes, salad and fruit. Vegetarian or other meal requests can be accommodated.

Saddle & Tack: English, McCellan

Experience: Pace: 6-10 hours per riding day, walk 60% trot 30% canter 10%

Horses: Anglo-Arabs, mixtures of Anglo-Arabs and Crillos

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