Santander

Photo Essay: The Beauty and Quirks of San Gil, Colombia

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“This town is much more charming than I thought it would be!” my Austrian travel buddy proclaimed as we reunited in the San Gil town square. She’d arrived in San Gil after a couple nights in Barichara and we were meeting up for dinner before she caught a night bus to Santa Marta. I nodded […]

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Riding the Wind: Paragliding Over the Countryside Near San Gil, Colombia

Colombia

One day, I knew I wanted to fly. Not for the practical sake of getting from one location to another, but to experience the sensation of soaring over the Earth with the wind blowing against my skin. While I have this in mind as I go to Colombia, I’m not sure if I’ll actually take […]

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Photo Essay: Hiking from One Little Colombian Village to Another on the Camino Real

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About 40 minutes away from San Gil is the picturesque Barichara, the epitome of a sleepy village. With its whitewashed buildings, cobblestone roads, and orangey-red tiled roofs, it has similar features to those of Villa de Leyva. The two towns are continuously up against each other for the title of Colombia’s prettiest pueblo, but their […]

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Getting to Know San Gil Through Two of Colombia’s Favorite Sports

Colombia

Sometimes before I arrive in new place, I know it’ll reach straight for my heart and pull me in. Usually there is something particular about it that makes me feel this way, something about the culture or the landscape. So I’m not sure why I had this feeling about San Gil, a town that’s described […]

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Photo Essay: Bearded Trees and Filtered Sunlight at San Gil’s Parque El Gallineral

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Parque El Gallineral in San Gil, Colombia

The deeper you go into Parque El Gallineral, the more you feel like you are in some kind of tropical enchanted forest. Long wisps of sun-infused moss hang from the branches of Ceiba trees whose roots spread away from their bases like spindly fingers, firmly gripping the ground. Electric colors accent the green and sunlight, […]

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Wanderful Words No. 30: Adventure as a Destiny

Colombia

“And how did you get around the country?” my coworker asks me after I’d filled him in on most of my basic Colombia trip details. “Entirely by bus,” I respond, waiting for him to grimace in response. He is a seasoned traveler who tends to seek out a more luxury travel experience. Although he hasn’t […]

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