Americas

[Visited: April 2023]

It had been a long drive from Zipaquirá, through country roads over hilly landscapes, with lots of traffic (oh, the patience it requires to drive behind a truck that you cannot overtake because of all the curves!). When we finally reach San Gil, we leave most of the traffic behind. The road narrows, and it is mostly uphill towards Barichara. We manage to reach before sunset. We immediately realize that this is a very pretty town when we drive the cobblestone streets to the top of the village, in the north. We park near the Capilla Santa Bárbara, a church constructed of brown stones, and start our first exploration by walking down. We stop every few metres for yet another picture. It turns out that all streets are covered in cobblestones, and the houses that line them are mostly one story, white buildings with colourful accents and flowers.
The sun has now disappeared behind distant hills. Soon, the lanterns of Barichara are lit. They give it an even more atmospheric look. The light is reflected on the stone pavement, and lends a warm light on the white walls. We find several small shops selling handicraft. Our hotel turns out to be very beautiful, and turns out to be a good base for discovering more of Barichara. This town is compact, and everything is in walking distance. After a long day, we walk down a few blocks to the main square, where we see the Cathedral de la Inmaculada Concepción. This church is also constructed with brown stones, and stands proudly on top of a flight of stairs. According to legend, a farmer found an image of the Virgin engraved in a stone here. An increasing number of people flocked around the image, and eventually, Barichara was established. In the local, indigenous language, Barichara means resting place. After a tasty dinner on the square, we take another street back to our accommodation.
The night is very quiet, and when we open our balcony doors the next morning, we are greeted with great views over Barichara: our hotel is in the higher parts of town. We cannot wait to get out, enjoy a good breakfast, and resume our exploration of Barichara. Now, we have daylight. There is almost no traffic, and we can easily walk in the middle of the streets. Like the evening before, we make frequent stops: Barichara just happens to be a very photogenic place. Lanterns, window shutters, cobblestone streets, whitewashed houses, with a handful of stone churches thrown in for good measure. The main square turns out to be quite busy, as it also doubles as the transportation hub of town with buses and tuktuks. We rely on our leg power, and criss-cross the colonial grid of this town that is often considered to be the most attractive of Colombia. Actually, it even stars in several movies. One street seems even more beautiful than the previous one. We visit a paper making factory, which turns out to be more fascinating than it might sound. Then, we walk to the cemetery of Barichara, which unfortunately is closed. We then go to the edge of town - literally. In the west of Barichara, there are steep cliffs giving spectacular views over the valley below and the mountains ahead. Further down, after walking through wet, high grass and over rocks, I reach the top of a small waterfall. Apart from being a beautiful village, Barichara also has natural sights making it worth the trip. Our time here is up, unfortunately. I would have liked to hike the Camino Real to nearby Gauné. It will be a very good reason to come back for and enjoy more of this gem in the Colombian crown.

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Barichara (Colombia)

Barichara > Colombia > Americas

[Visited: April 2023]

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