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San Juan de Girón is a whitewashed colonial town just minutes from the bustling city of Bucaramanga. One of Colombia’s Heritage Towns (Pueblos Patrimonio), it’s a good place to get away from the city for a day and enjoy a quiet walk through history.
Hotel Las Nieves
We stayed at Hotel Las Nieves, which is located on the main plaza. It’s a colonial building with a large open patio in the middle, sitting areas, and balconies overlooking the town.
Our room was spacious and comfortable with a decent bathroom and a nice view from the balcony. There was a flat screen TV and a fan to help beat the heat. Our only problem was that the bed was too small for two people and was a bit too soft.
The ground floor of the hotel also serves as a restaurant. We had our complimentary breakfasts there, which were ok. The eggs were good but the coffee was terrible.
Chill Out
For our first dinner, we went to Girón Chill Out Hotel Boutique, which also contains a small restaurant. I had the pasta al pesto while Marisol had a small salad. Food and service were both good.
Casa Antigua
Our second dinner was at Casa Antigua, which is right on the main plaza next to the Alcaldía. This wasn’t a great experience. Service was slow and the food wasn’t good. I had ribs and Marisol had a crepe.
El Carajo
One restaurant we really wanted to try was El Carajo. It serves traditional cuisine from the Santander department. Unfortunately, it was only open for breakfast and lunch.
Frutas de mi Pueblo
Finally, there are two local treats that you have to try. Head to Frutas de mi Pueblo at Parque Peralta and get a maracumix and chicha de corozo.
Maracumix is a delicious passionfruit filled with ice cream, condensed milk, and coconut. Chicha de corozo is a fermented drink made of corozo, a small fruit that grows on a type of pine tree. It’s definitely an acquired taste. To me, it tasted like fermented garbage.
