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Base town for most activities: San Gil

Airport: Bucaramanga, not quite 3 hours from San Gil

Land Route: San Gil is 5 hours from Villa de Leyva and 3 hours from Bucaramanga. Consider connecting Bogota-Villa de Leyva-San Gil

Rainy Season: April-May, October-November
Dry Season: July-August, December-January

Average Temperature: 27-30ºC (81-86ºF) - usually cooler in the evenings
Altitude: 1,114 metres (3,655 feet) above sea level

Population: 45,000

While Santander is certainly an adventure-lover's dream, it is also an important cultural destination with beautiful landscapes for people who love to be outdoors.

Santander has become famous for being the adventure capital of Colombia. Travellers come from all over the world come to go rafting on class 5 rapids on the Rio Suarez (or class 2-3 rapids on the Rio Fonce, if you're a beginner).

There are a few options for tandem paragliding with a professional guide, such as Curití for beginners, or over the magnificent Chicamocha Canyon for adrenaline junkies.

Feel the rush abseiling 45 metres (150 ft) down the Juan Curi Waterfall as the fresh water cascades over you, or rappel 80 metres (260 ft) down a dry rock surface in Curití.

Explore underground caves like La Vaca, where you are submerged in water and can even swim under water from one cave to the next and zip down a mudslide. Or crawl through a narrower cave, El Indio, and plunge off a 3 metre (10 ft) jump to arrive at the exit.

Of course all of the adventure activities listed above are inextricably related to the wild outdoors of Santander! However, if you're looking to relax, there are plenty of other ways to do see this beautiful department.

Check out the Parque Gallineral, a 10-acre park that lines the Rio Fonce. Located at the entrance to San Gil, in the park you'll find hundreds of Ceiba trees with long strands of white moss hanging gracefully from their towering branches.

Walk to the Juan Curi Waterfall and take a dip in the swimming holes; look for butterfly colonies and enormous toads on the way.

Head off to the countryside on horseback and soak in the endless green mountain landscape; you'll probably see goats along the trail.

And of course, take the one-hour cable car ride across the Chicamocha Canyon. The Canyon, formed during millions of years by the Chicamocha River, is a candidate for the New 7 Wonders of the World, and spans from Bucaramanga to San Gil and continues on, reaching a maximum depth of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). From the cable car you can feel the climate change from the top to the bottom, and capture some incredible photos.

Santander was the department (like a state or province) that started and lead the fight for Colombian independence. During an historic tour of Barichara, you'll learn what triggered the Santandereanos' battle cry, who the indigenous Guane were and how they lived, and see how a local plant called fique is turned into paper in artisinal fashion, with no machines. Recently declared Colombia's most beautiful pueblo, you might want to spend a night in Barichara and just wander the colonial, cobbled streets.

On the horseback tour, you'll visit a mill to see how panela is made, starting with the sugar cane and finishing with a solid block of a sweet, brown sugar.

In Curití, you can see tobacco farms and learn about the drying process (chemical-free!) and see how the bushels are packaged for sale. Wandering down the streets of the village, you'll see traditional fique crafts like handbags, decorations, and accessories, hanging in shop windows. You may even see young girls knitting and crocheting the thick twine into crafts.

Santander really does have something for everybody. We recommend spending at least 4 days in the region, depending on what you're interested in doing.