Parque El Gallineral

San Gil is Santander's base for rafting, caving and paragliding, and this park is the quiet thing to do between them. It occupies a triangular island where a stream meets the Fonce river, and its mature trees are hung with barbas de viejo, a grey epiphyte that drapes from the branches in long curtains and turns the light green underneath. Paths cross the island in loops with footbridges over the channels, there are shallow bathing pools fed from the river, and the whole circuit is flat and takes under an hour. It is the coolest place in a hot town at midday.

The landscape

• The moss-draped trees - long grey curtains of epiphyte hanging from the branches.
• The river channels - clear water and footbridges across the island.
• The bathing pools - shallow pools fed from the Fonce river.
• The shaded paths - flat loops under closed canopy.

When to go

Open year round. The middle of a hot day is exactly when the shade is worth having, so this works as a midday stop between morning and afternoon activities. The drier months keep the paths firm and the river clear; after rain the Fonce runs brown. Weekends bring local families and the pools fill up quickly.

Before you go

It is small, and a slow walk covers it in under an hour, so it does not justify a trip to San Gil on its own. There is an entry fee for what is essentially a town park, and part of the island is occupied by a hotel. The pools are shallow and can be murky after rain, and mosquitoes are noticeable at dusk.

Nearby

The Fonce river rafting put-ins, Barichara and the Juan Curi waterfall.