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If visiting Barichara, a great activity that will get your blood pumping is to hike the Camino Real to Guane. It’s a relatively easy 9km stone path that takes about two hours one way from Barichara, one of Colombia’s Heritage Towns (Pueblos Patrimonio), to the small village.
History
Camino Real is an ancient path built by the indigenous Guane people. It was rebuilt in 1864 by German engineer Geo von Lengerke and is considered a national monument. The path was rebuilt again in 1996.
The Hike
The beginning of the path in Barichara is at the edge of the western side of town. It starts with a steep descent down the ridge, and some stunning views before crossing the main road for the first time.
The path starts to level off a bit but the scenery stays beautiful. It crosses the road again for the second and final time after about 10 minutes of walking.
From there, it’s about an hour or 90 minutes before reaching Guane, depending on how fast you walk. There are a couple of fincas along the way selling drinks and ice cream to help cool you down.
Finally, on the last stretch of the path you’ll see Guane appearing in the distance. It’s only a few minutes until you enter the village.
Guane
Guane is a tiny village. It’s only a few blocks long. The focal point is the plaza, which is surrounded by colonial buildings. There’s also a clock tower and small archaeological museum that wasn’t open. Local craft shops and restaurants can be found both on the plaza and on the connecting streets.
There’s also a beautiful brick church on the plaza that’s worth popping into. It’s called Church of Santa Lucía (Iglesia de Santa Lucía) and was built in 1720.
Other than the plaza and checking out a few shops, we found Guane to have very friendly locals. We also enjoyed the local goods, and bought some candy and sabajón, an alcoholic drink made with goat milk and aguardiente.
Getting Back
To get back to Barichara, most people take the hourly bus that leaves from the plaza in Guane. The ride takes about 20 minutes.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to do the hike, Guane is still well worth visiting. You can take a bus from Barichara’s main plaza.
