Chicamocha Canyon & Mesa Los Santos Motorbike Day Trip from Bucaramanga

Chicamocha Canyon and Mesa Los Santos lie just outside Bucaramanga, in Colombia’s Santander department, a region defined by deep river gorges, dry highland plateaus, and dramatic elevation changes over short distances. Chicamocha Canyon is one of the largest canyons in South America and a major natural landmark, known both for its vast scale and for the hiking routes that descend into the canyon itself. Mesa Los Santos, the elevated plateau above it, offers a completely different landscape—cooler temperatures, rural roads, and scattered viewpoints—and is also popular for independent hikes, paragliding, and long walks across farmland and forest edges.

After completing a full-day hike on the Camino Real from Barichara, we initially planned to explore Chicamocha by motorbike directly from there. However, rental prices in Barichara—mostly ATVs—were absurdly high, so we changed plans and headed first to Bucaramanga instead. We stayed there for a couple of nights and rented a motorbike at a far more reasonable rate, then set off on a road trip that took us down into Chicamocha Canyon and back up onto Mesa Los Santos in one long day, combining both landscapes into a single loop.

Sweeping view over Chicamocha Canyon with steep mountains, a winding river, and dry scrub in the foreground — A vast overlook over Chicamocha Canyon

Contents

Renting a Motorbike in Bucaramanga
The Ride from Bucaramanga to Chicamocha Canyon
A Walk in the (Not So) Ghost Town of Jordán
Chicamocha National Park (Panachi) Station
Mesa Los Santos
Accommodation & Activities in Chicamocha Canyon
Videos
Photos

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Renting a Motorbike in Bucaramanga

We found plenty of motorbike rental options in Bucaramanga, with prices far more reasonable than in Barichara. After checking a few places, we settled on this guy, who offered the best rates and a solid range of different bikes to choose from. We went with a 200cc dual-sport: a good compromise between comfort for several hours on the road and decent off-road capabilities for the ride down into the gorge.

The rental shop itself was essentially a small bike mechanic’s workshop that also rents bikes. The owner was friendly, straightforward, and honest. Overall, an easy recommendation if you’re planning a similar ride from Bucaramanga.

Motorbike rider standing beside a dual-sport bike on a mountain road bridge in Chicamocha Canyon, Colombia — Our bike for the day

The Ride from Bucaramanga to Chicamocha Canyon

We left our accommodation just after seven, the city still wrapped in fog from the night’s rain. Bucaramanga was already awake. We spent the first stretch threading through dense traffic, then pushed steadily south along a wide, noisy road cutting through an endless sprawl of suburbs, exhaust hanging heavy in the damp air.

Helmeted rider sitting on a rented dual-sport motorbike in Bucaramanga, ready for a day trip to Chicamocha Canyon — Just before starting our trip from Bucaramanga

Gradually, the city loosened its grip. The road narrowed and began to drop, bending sharply as it plunged into thick rainforest. Everything turned green and enclosed—wet leaves, hanging vines, the constant sense of descending somewhere deeper and more remote. The change was fast, almost abrupt.

Near the bottom of the canyon, the vegetation shifted again, and just as suddenly. Green gave way to browns and pale yellows—cacti, prickly pear, scrubby bushes clinging to dry soil. We stopped on the bridge to take in the view, the river far below carving its way through the rock, then crossed and climbed briefly on the other side.

River winding through Chicamocha Canyon between steep green slopes and cloudy mountains — View of the canyon from the bridge

A short distance later, we turned off onto a dirt road and dropped back down into the canyon toward Jordán. The landscape felt harsher and quieter now. Small houses sat scattered among sparse farms, iguanas darted across the road in front of the bike, and vultures stood patiently by the roadside or circled overhead, watching everything move slowly through their territory. In just about 2 hours since our start, we made it to Jordán.

Motorbike rider standing beside a dual-sport bike at a roadside welcome sign for Jordan Sube in Chicamocha Canyon — At the beginning of the road to Jordán

A Walk in the (not so) Ghost Town of Jordán

Jordán is often labeled a ghost town, largely because of its isolation deep inside Chicamocha Canyon and its long population decline. Like many small settlements in the region, it developed around agriculture and river access, then slowly lost relevance as roads improved elsewhere and younger residents moved toward larger cities. What remains today is a place that feels marginal and forgotten on maps, but not abandoned in any absolute sense.

Aerial view of Jordán in Chicamocha Canyon with the river, scattered houses, and steep dry hillsides — Jordán sits quietly beside the river, framed by the canyon walls

In reality, it was far more animated than the nickname prepares you for. The village sits right by the river, with a handful of houses clustered around a small square with a fountain and a modest church. The local school was clearly active—kids running, shouting, and playing—hardly the soundtrack of a dying town. By the church, a man was selling mango and ice cream out of a cool box, doing steady business.

A shady village square in Jordán with a circular fountain, stone statue, benches, and people gathered under large trees — A quiet square, softened by shade and a little water

Stone-and-plaster church facade in Jordán, Chicamocha Canyon, with arched doorway and bell tower under a dramatic sky — The church of Jordán

Animals filled in the gaps where infrastructure didn’t. Dogs and chickens wandered freely everywhere, in and out of the church, while goats picked their way across the slopes above the village, eating whatever they could find. One café was open and loud, blasting traditional music from oversized speakers—much of it centered on drinking, judging by the lyrics.

Blue-crowned motmot perched on a branch in wooded surroundings — A Blue-crowned Motmot hanging out by the river

Inside, the scene matched the soundtrack. A group of men were already drunk at nine in the morning, a table crowded with a few dozen empty beer bottles, crates of beer stacked casually in the middle of the yard. We had a simple coffee and a pastry, sat for a few minutes taking it all in, then climbed back onto the bike and started the long ride back up out of the canyon.

Basket of fried pastries with a small cup of salsa on a yellow café table in Jordán, Chicamocha Canyon — A quick snack break in Jordán

Chicamocha National Park (Panachi) Station

From Jordán, we continued climbing up the southern face of the canyon. Not far into the ascent, we were waved down by the police. While I was still fumbling for my driver’s license on my phone—and quietly hoping they wouldn’t ask for the bike papers, which the rental guy had never bothered to give us—they seemed to clock us as tourists and simply waved us on without checking anything.

Chicamocha Canyon overlook with a scenic park complex and mountain views in Santander, Colombia — Panachi’s cliffside views make even the water park feel oversized

The road eventually brought us to the main station of Chicamocha National Park, set right on the crest of the landmass perched within a dramatic, 180-degree bend of the canyon. The park is commonly referred to as Panachi from its acronym (Parque Nacional Chicamocha). It’s a strange and striking location with sweeping views in every direction.

Chicamocha National Park station on a hillside with flower beds, red-roofed buildings, and a cable car structure against the sky — A scenic stop at Panachi

Official parking is available inside the complex (25,000 COP for cars and 15,000 for motorbikes). We simply rode 20 meters further and left the bike by the roadside.

Chicamocha Canyon landscape with a river winding through dry mountain slopes and cactus in the foreground — A broad canyon view

This is where the park’s cable car departs, dropping all the way down into the canyon and climbing back up the opposite side in a long, exposed ride. It runs regularly during the day, and a standard ticket (park entrance + cable-car ride) costs around 86,000 COP for adults and 58,000 COP for children/seniors, with prices and schedules varying by season and weekday. The station itself is more than just a transport hub: the wider complex includes an aquapark, a Guane museum, an ostrich park, plus several cafés, restaurants, and souvenir shops.

Red café and restaurant building at Chicamocha National Park, with orange umbrellas on a terrace and blue sky overhead — The restaurant at Panachi

We didn’t explore much of that. Instead, we grabbed a fresh juice at one of the cafés with a balcony hanging right over the cliff edge and sat there quietly, taking in the scale of the canyon below—an easy, almost surreal pause after the rough roads deeper down.

Balcony lamp overlooking Chicamocha Canyon and the river below — View from the restaurant balcony

Mesa Los Santos

From the park station, we retraced a good stretch of the road back toward Bucaramanga before turning off onto the steep, winding climb up to Mesa de los Santos. The ascent was sharp and constant, a tight series of bends lifting us onto the plateau above. The change was immediate: cooler air, wider horizons, and a sense of space after the enclosed depths of Chicamocha.

Mesa de los Santos feels like a different world altogether. The plateau is broad and open, dotted with farms and fincas, and noticeably busier than anything we’d seen down below. Restaurants, small hotels, and weekend places line the main roads, catering to visitors drawn by the views and the escape from the heat of the lowlands. From the edges, the land drops away abruptly, offering long views toward distant mountain ranges on the horizon.

Wide view from Mesa Los Santos over green hills, a valley town, and distant mountains under heavy clouds — A stormy panorama below the plateau

We rode south across the plateau to the town of Los Santos, perched right above the northern rim of Chicamocha Canyon. After parking, we took a short walk around town. The square was simple but striking, dominated by an enormous tree providing deep shade, with a church facing it across the open space. It felt calm and unhurried—a quiet ending to a long day of riding, high above the canyon we’d spent the morning descending into.

Large shade tree in the square of Los Santos, with buildings and a bus behind it — The town square’s giant tree steals the show

White church with clock tower in Los Santos square, framed by tree branches against a blue sky — The white church of Los Santos

Colorful café storefront in Los Santos, Santander, with painted walls, outdoor chairs, and a parked car on a sunny street — A bright café stop in Los Santos

Street in Los Santos, Santander, with people sitting outside a bakery and pastel shop on Mesa Los Santos — Locals chilling on the ledge

We rolled back into Bucaramanga just before dark. The light was fading fast, traffic thickening again, and the first drops of rain started to fall as we found our way through the city—closing the loop almost exactly the way the day had begun.

Accommodation & Activities in Chicamocha Canyon

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