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It was founded by the Padilla de la Parra family around the veneration of the Virgen de la Piedra; in May 1975 it received the title of ´´The most beautiful town in Colombia´´ and by means of resolution 005 of June 30, 1975 it was declared ´´National Monument´´. This village of cobbled streets and wooden balconies is an oasis of peace, its attractions include:

Guane: Colonial town in which the 17th century Church stands out, with its sanctuary of Santa Lucía, and the Archaeological Museum, for its important collection of marine fossils, colonial books and antiquities. This subregion of the department is a complete sample of its geography and its customs and cultural traditions. In the province towns and landscapes were settled in which men and women, talented and courageous, make the best of their land to make it one of the most striking destinations in Colombia.

The primitive settlers of the Barichara region were part of the Guane Tribe, a member of the great Chibcha family, their territory comprised an extensive region very rich in natural resources.



The discovery of the Virgin of the Stone in 1702 concentrated the community to carry out the construction of a town around a Hermitage in 1704. In 1751 it obtained the title of independent parish from the parish of San Gil.



Barichara was founded in 1742 by the priest José Martín Pradilla y Ayerbe, the first parish priest that the town had. The layout of the Municipality of Barichara begins with the donation of half a stay of land made to the Virgin of the Stone by Don Francisco Pradilla and Ayerbe, his son the parish priest José Martín Pradilla becomes the first administrator, who awards the excess land to new families in exchange for alms for the devotion of the Virgin of the Stone in his long curate (1753-1802).



On April 7, 1821, before the Congress of Cúcuta, he obtained the Title of Villa, a condition that would be reestablished by effect of the Territorial Ordering Law issued in 1824.



In May 1975 it received the title of "MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWN IN COLOMBIA", and on June 30 of the same year by resolution 005 it was declared a NATIONAL MONUMENT and ratified with Decree 1654 of August 3, 1978, issued by the Presidency of the Republic and regulated as a Municipal standard. Through Agreement No. 002 of 1994, which was partially modified by Agreement No. 015 of August 14, 2000





A road immersed in a desert landscape of red and yellow earth winds its way to the town where the stone is home, it is a path, it is a church, it is art and a cemetery. This road leads to Barichara, a town capable of traveling in time to the colony, when the constructions were made of bahareque and the walls were white - lime.

Declared a National Monument in 1978 for being an architectural testimony of the conquest and transporting tourists and inhabitants with its beauty. Not in vain Barichara is considered the most beautiful town in Colombia, thanks to the artisan hands that carved stone by stone to build their houses and churches.



Barichara is located in the Department of Santander, in the Guanenta Province, 2.30 hours from its capital, Bucaramanga (118 km), passing through the majestic Chicamocha Canyon and San Gil 20 minutes (20 km). 5.30 hours from Bogotá (307 km), capital of Colombia, passable by excellent roads.

It is on a plateau on the right bank of the Suárez River and is 1,336 meters above sea level, and has an average temperature of 22 C.







One of the first things you feel when you arrive in Barichara is the calm with which life passes. The villagers walk through the streets without haste and greet with kindness when passing other people. Part of the journey is going through each block of the village to find accommodation. There are different options: boutique hotels, lodgings and even houses for rent.

On the tour there are several local crafts such as hammocks, espadrilles, dresses, necklaces and jewelry in tagua, figures carved in stone, bags and backpacks and fique rugs among many other things.

Walking through the nooks and crannies of Barichara you will discover a superb viewpoint that takes the breath away of those who stop to contemplate the landscape of the Río Suárez valley. Amid the aridity and the yellow earth speckled with green, the river ripples mightily that disappears on the horizon where a navy blue sky rises during the day and red, or fuchsia, orange or pink during the imposing sunset.

Near the viewpoint there is a nostalgic and beautiful stone cemetery and the Chapel of Jesus, which, like the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the central square, the Chapel of Santa Bárbara in the north of the town and the Chapel of San Antonio to the south, It is all made of yellow stone, extracted from the quarries of the region.

Above all, Santander is a destination for adventure sports and excitement, so Barichara also joins that panorama where the priority is adrenaline. Nearby, on the road to San Gil, is La Antigua cave, perfect for caving, admiring mineral formations, getting dirty in the mud and swimming in its well.

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