Walking the Camino Real from Barichara to Guane, Colombia.
That’s not to say that I did absolutely nothing in San Gil, Colombia. Though, yes, most of my time in the town was spent in my pajamas, in my hostel bed, binge watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix. But I did force myself away one morning, and took a 40 minute bus ride to the nearby village of Barichara so I could explore new place and walk the Camino Real from Barichara to Guane.
Barichara was a lovely town. Stone streets, whitewashed thatched homes, a brick cathedral. I spent a little time wandering and taking photos. But I really went to get a little taste of nature and a small hike in.
I spent the afternoon walking the Camino Real, a 10 kilometer stretch that follows part of the old Royal Road (once used as a trade route). The walk took me through the lush Santander countryside and along a canyon. I plodded along the cobblestone path, seeing only a few locals here and there, enjoying the immense scenery that unfolded below me.
I walked steadily for nearly two hours, down hills, past farms, until I made it to Guane, Colombia, a town that is even tinier than Barichara. An even whiter-painted town. With stone streets, thatched homes, a brick cathedral.
I only stayed long enough to eat a hearty lunch (I opted out of trying the local Santander delicacy hormigas culonas fat-bottomed ants) before a bus came to shuttle me back to Barichara, and then back to San Gil, where I rested my legs, in bed, with more Netflix…
Photos from walking the Camino Real from Barichara to Guane, Colombia:
