Santander

About the Route

Colombia is becoming a global cycling destination. As the country becomes safer for travellers and word spreads about the incredible climbing that the country has to offer, there are more and more reasons why Colombia should be on your bucketlist.

A well-known climb is Alto de Letras, famed for being one of the longest cycling climbs in the world. Unfortunately, the climb is too long to fit within the Switchback Saturday route criteria, being well over 100km long. Instead, we had to look around other areas of Colombia for a nice alternative.

In the north-east of the country is the department of Santander. This week's route, created by Santander Cycling, starts in the capital of Bucaramanga and heads out to Chicamocha Canyon. The long lead out descends steeply into the gorge before rising up the other side and returning back via a series of switchbacks on the southern side.

This is just one of the many great routes that lead from Bucaramanga. It is a great destination for those who want to experience cycling the Colombian Andes without fears of altitude sickness.

While Colombia is becoming a safer travel destination, it is still advised to get a guide. We highly recommend you speak with Gustavo from Santander cycling. He is passionate about making sure travellers have the best cycling experience possible and is well connected throughout Colombia and other regions regions of South America.