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Curití is a small town in the Santander department of Colombia. It’s a pleasant town with a swimming hole on the outskirts.
Introduction to Curití
Curití was founded on March 10, 1670. It’s an agricultural town with an ecological tourism industry. Nearby, you’ll find natural swimming holes, beautiful caves, and hiking trails.
Our stop in town wasn’t planned. We were actually headed to Pescaderito for a nice relaxing swim, but Curití was on the way so we decided to have a look around.
Getting to Curití
To get to Curití, you can take a bus from San Gil. It’s only about 25 minutes away. From there, you can either take a long 45 minute walk to Pescaderito, take a minibus, or hire a tuk-tuk.
Where to Eat in Curití
We didn’t have a meal but did stop for some coffee.
Café Tertulia
We found a small café, Café Tertulia, on the plaza next to the church. We sat down and had a very good cup of coffee and an alfajor to munch on.
Plaza
I parked the car and we took a walk through the beautiful main plaza. It’s much greener than many plazas in Colombian towns.
The plaza is surrounded by colonial buildings. Some are restaurants, others are hotels, and others sell locally made handicrafts. Curití is known for its weaving.
Church of San Joaquín
The beautiful brick Church of San Joaquín (Iglesia de San Joaquín), sits on one corner of the plaza. It was built in 1806. When I entered I was surprised at its size because it seemed way too big for this small town.
There are two long rows full of pews. I had a look at the main altar and admired some of the simple stained glass windows.
Pescaderito
Pescaderito is a natural swimming area near Curití. It’s actually a river that forms several swimming holes. We decided to stop there and cool off after a long day of driving and visiting Chicamocha National Park. It’s a great place both adults and children will enjoy. The best part – Pescaderito is a public place and completely free (as of October 2024).
You can get to Pescaderito by following the road next to the church for a few kilometers. It’s possible to walk, take a local minibus, or hire a tuk-tuk in town. Once there, you can either swim in the area next to the bridge or follow the path to the right of the bridge. The path leads to the rest of the swimming holes.
Each swimming hole is connected by small waterfalls and natural slides, and they keep getting better as you go along. Just be careful and watch your step because it can get very slippery in some places. It’s probably a good idea to wear water shoes.
The water is ice cold and refreshing on a hot day. It’s even possible to camp there, which we saw a few families doing.
