Chicamocha Canyon

The Chicamocha river has cut a vast canyon through the dry mountains of Santander, kilometres wide and, at its deepest, some two thousand metres from rim to river, an arid landscape of ochre and grey ridges quite unlike the green Colombia most visitors picture. A park on the rim has made it accessible, and its centrepiece is a cable car that crosses the canyon and climbs the far side over a span of more than six kilometres, one of the longest of its kind in the world, hanging above the drop for the best part of half an hour. The updrafts along the rim also make this one of the country's premier paragliding sites, with tandem flights available. The park side is frankly touristy, with an ostrich pen and monuments, but the canyon itself is genuinely awesome, and the road that winds down and across it is a spectacular drive in its own right.

What you actually see

• The cable car crossing - the long ride out over the canyon and up the far wall.
• The canyon rim viewpoints - the drop of up to two thousand metres to the river.
• Paragliding - tandem flights from the rim on the canyon's updrafts.
• The canyon road - the switchback drive down and across the gorge.

When to go

December to March and July to August are the drier windows with the clearest views; the canyon is hot and dry through much of the year. The cable car does not run every day, typically closing early in the week, so check the schedule before travelling. Mornings are calmest for paragliding.

Honest expectations

The park on the rim is a commercial family attraction with entry fees stacked on top of each other, and it will feel kitsch to anyone who came only for the landscape; you can also simply drive the canyon road and use the viewpoints for free. The cable car has limited operating days and long queues at weekends. It is hot, exposed and dusty on the rim.

Nearby

San Gil, the adventure-sports town, is an hour south; the colonial village of Barichara is close by.