RAFTING
One of the biggest rivers is in South America and the number one extreme sport in Colombia, River
Suarez is a must do for anyone looking for adventure on there trip. With class 4+ rapids this is the trip
for those looking for a real adrenaline rush. You start your journey 1 hour from San Gil and finish your
journey where the Rios Fonce and Saurez meet 30 minutes from San Gil. You won't get a chance to
relax as you get tossed about passing through rapids that include The Labrynth, Martha's tongue and
The Surprise. The 20km trip is 2 hours of non-stop rapids and you will enjoy a chance to stop and enjoy
refreshments at the halfway point. When you do get a chance to look around you will find Rio Saurez
passes through a beautiful part of Santander.
We strongly advise only using Colombia Rafting Expeditions (CRE) for this journey. Despite what other
companies may offer CRE are the only ones that have qualified safety kayakers, Grade 5 IRF qualified
guides and will actually tackle the big rapids and not walk around them. They also use high quality safety
equipment and not local made jackets and other equipment.
When it comes to saving $10 please consider the above. English guides also available.
Two day trip also available depending on group sizes and river levels.
RAFTING - RIO FONCE
Rio Fonce is the main river passing through San Gil. Your rafting trip begins 11km upriver from town and
takes around one and half hours on the river. We supply transport and have all the equipment for a safe
and comfortable journey including helmets, jackets, paddles and we advise wearing sandals.
River Fonce is class 2-3, depending on the height of the river. Traveling down the river you will have
the opportunity to see typical flora and fauna of the Santander region while enjoying a swim and playing
games with your guide. The journey comes to an end back in the centre of San Gil. It's an enjoyable
journey for first time rafters and families.
RAFTING - RIO CHICAMOCHA - CEPITA
Rafting trips on Rio Chicamocha travel through the spectacular Chicamocha Canyon. The Chicamocha
Canyon has amazing scenery along the 1.5 hour ride. We supply transport to the start of your journey
an hour and a half from San Gil and all the equipment needed for a safe and comfortable journey. Rio
Chicamocha is level 1, 2, 3 and 4 rapids and is for those looking for a more extreme journey.
We offer trips up to 4 days long on River Chicamocha camping along the way. For pricelist please email
us with dates and group size.
Kayaking
Depending on your level of ability we have the option of one day or three day courses
3 day courses can be broken up over a number of days to give the body a rest and involve 3 days of 5
hour classes.
DAY 1
Courses start in the swimming pool where you will learn about the equipment, basic safety, emergency
exit, balance, basic strokes, turning and an introduction to the eskimo roll before heading on to a calm
section of River Fonce. For a short run on moving water.
DAY 2
Back to the swimming pool for a more intense lesson on the eskimo roll. The eskimo roll is the skill of
rolling your kayak back up the right way if you have tipped over. This is the main skill in kayaking and
once perfected will make the rest of your time on the river much more enjoyable.
The second half of the day is back on the river from a higher point. Tackle a few grade 2 -2+ rapids and
practice your new skills on the river.
DAY 3
Depending on the client, we spend the first part of the day either back in the pool perfecting the roll or on
the river learning new skills.
PARAGLIDING
Curiti
The first location is near the town of Curiti, and depending on the conditions you will fly for between 15 and
20 minutes over tobacco farms with a view towards the Chicamocha Canyon.
Canyon Chicamocha
The second destination is in the Chicamocha canyon the largest in Colombia and recently
named national park. We supply transport to the top of the canyon where you will start your
flight, enjoying amazing scenery. Fflights take between 30 minutes to an hour depending on the
conditions. We then provide your transport back to San Gil.
Paragliding Courses
Paragliding courses can be arranged, Macondo does advise those wanting to learn paragliding
in Colombia to learn with pilots who are internationally accredited so that you can use your
certification when you go home and elsewhere in Colombia.
We also advise that you study with an English speaking guide or have a good level of Spanish.
It's also important that you learn to fly at more than one location so you can learn about different
conditions and become a better paraglider.
We highly recommend Ritchi Mantilla Gomez based in Ruitoque near Bucaramanga for courses.
For more information on courses please contact him directly
on richifly@colombiaparagliding.com Caving
Get down and dirty in a number of local caves. You're supplied with headtorch and taken by local guides
through the caving network.
Cow Cave (Cueva vaca)
Named after the cows that were mysteriously disappearing in the area, this is the type of place you could
easily get lost in if you weren't with a guide who knows the area well. The cave is long enough to do
multiple day trips but we recommend just the 2 hour journey. The most beautiful of the caves is also the
most extreme, meaning to see the nicest formations in the area you're going to have to crawl through
mud and swim under water to get there.
Antigua Cave (Cueva Antigua)
10 minutes from San Gil on the road to Barichara are the Antigua caves. These caves feature a number
of large saloons as well as the path of bats and spiders. Depending on how adventurous you feel, crawl
through small tunnels of mud and water to underground waterfalls. These caves have a number of tight
sections but always open up again into larger caves. Depending on how adventurous you are the trip
takes between 1 and 2.5 hours.
Indian Cave (Cueva Indio)
Based in the town of Paramo 20 minutes from San Gil, Cueva del Indio is the most famous of the caves in
the area. The Indian cave is more open than the Antigua cave and filled with clean water. Here you'll see
bats before following a path through waste deep water. Learn about the stalagmites and stalagtites before
reaching a 5m dive into a pitch black pool below. The exploration of this cave takes around 2 hours.