Parque Nacional Chicamocha

Binevenidos a Parque Nacional de Chicamocha

As I mentioned before in my previous article I lived in Bucaramanga and which is located in Santander province in the Eastern highland region. It is one of the most mountainous of Colombian regions, it is also known for its rugged medley of soaring mountains and deep river gorges, most famously the Canon del Chicamocha.

Parque Nacional del Chicamocha is located on a ridgetop overlooking the Rio Chicamocha canyon. It is one of the newest attractions and it was opened recently in the year 2012. I went there with my Indonesian friends and our Colombian family. There are two ways to get there, first, by taking teleferico a hanging train, or up to the mountains by vehicle. The ticket price for teleferico is pricey about 45000 COP (Colombian Peso) per person. Each teleferico could take a maximum of 8 persons in it. While riding it I could see the beautiful view of the hill, mountain, canyon, and river from the top. I ride it with my two Indonesian friends and a new friend from the US that we’ve met before on campus. They are an American family who just moved to Colombia and previously visited and worked in Indonesia. 

With My Colombian Family and The American Family

Riding Teleferico

Parque Nacional del Chicamocha includes a small re-creation of old Santander village, a toboggan ride, a skating rink, and an unusual zip line. As much as I am tempted to try this zip line somehow I don’t have the guts to do it or simply I don’t have enough amount of money when I went there. So I prefer to just enjoy the view. But when I saw a video on my Thai friend’s Instagram account I felt so jealous, it seems like they really enjoyed their time riding it. 

Enjoying The View of Canyon del Chicamocha

El Monumento de la Santandereanidad

Freedom!

One of the unique places in the park is El Monumento a La Santandereanidad, a metaphoric explosion that represents Revolucion Comunera in 1781, which led to independence from Spain. 35 figures show a dramatic persona. This monument was located on the top of the hill and is spread all over the land, so I couldn't get a picture with all statues in it. I and my friend decided to take turns taking pictures. After busy taking tons of photos we decided to enjoy our time there by sitting in a café below it. It was really quiet and all I can see through my eyes is just the beautiful view of the canyon.