Barichara to Guane Hike: 600-Year-Old Stone Trail
The stone beneath your feet was laid by the Guane Indians six centuries before the Spanish arrived.
The Barichara to Guane hike is a 7 km walk along the Camino Real, a National Monument stone trail built by indigenous people more than 600 years ago, running through tropical and dry forest between two colonial towns in Colombia's Santander region. A bilingual guide leads you to the Mirador overlook above the Suarez River and Canyon, then down to Guane's Archaeological and Paleontological Museum, which holds over 10,000 fossils and a 700-year-old mummy discovered in the Chicamocha Canyon. The hike takes 4 to 5 hours and includes entrance fees, the museum, and a tuk tuk ride back to Barichara.
Step-by-step itinerary
Hike from Barichara to Guane
- Walk 7 km Camino Real trail
- Observe tropical and dry forest vegetation
- Descend towards Guane town
- Enjoy Cerrania de Los Yariquies landscape
- Learn Guane indigenous history
The experience
The Camino Real itself is the draw. Built by hand from stone, the trail was later refined in 1864 by a German engineer but retains the original path the Guane laid down. Walking it means stepping on the same surface that indigenous travelers, Spanish colonists, and centuries of visitors have crossed. The route climbs and descends through a mix of tropical and dry forest, so the vegetation shifts as you go: cacti give way to larger trees, and the landscape opens onto views of the Cerrania de Los Yariquies, part of Colombia's National Natural Parks network. The Mirador, a lookout partway through, frames the Suarez River and canyon far below.
Guane itself was one of the last indigenous reservations, established in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to protect roughly 800 people from more than ten different tribes. The Archaeological and Paleontological Museum, founded by Father Isaias Diaz Ardila in 1970, sits in the town and houses the tangible record of that history: more than 10,000 fossils millions of years old, ceramics and necklaces made by the Guane, and a 700-year-old mummy recovered from a cave in the Chicamocha Canyon. Your guide walks you through the collection and explains the people who made these objects and lived on this land. After the museum, a tuk tuk returns you to Barichara, so the walk itself is the main effort of the day.
What’s included
- Entrance fees to the museum.
- a bilingual guide for the entire tour.
- tuk tuk return transport from Guane to Barichara.
Before you book
Prices and times updated 10 days ago
Operated by BnB Colombia Tours
Is this one for you?The medium-intensity walk suits anyone comfortable with a 2-hour hike on a stone trail with elevation change. The route is suitable for all fitness levels, and children can be carried or ride in a stroller if needed.
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Top questions
What languages is the tour guided in?
Live guide in English, Spanish and German.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
How long is the walk from Barichara to Guane?
The Camino Real trail is 7 km and takes approximately 2 hours of walking, though the full tour including the Mirador stop and museum runs 4 to 5 hours total.
What is the Mirador and what will I see there?
The Mirador is a lookout point along the trail with a view of the Suarez River and Suarez Canyon far below, set within the landscape of the Cerrania de Los Yariquies.
What is in the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum in Guane?
The museum holds over 10,000 fossils millions of years old, a 700-year-old mummy discovered in a Chicamocha Canyon cave, and objects made by the Guane Indians including ceramics and necklaces.
How do I get back to Barichara after the hike?
A tuk tuk ride from Guane back to Barichara is included in the tour.
Barichara to Guane Hike: 600-Year-Old Stone Trail
4h–5h · EN · ES · DE · at your hotel
from US$ 150.80 per person
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