Camping El Carajo

The beauty of this site is its tucked-away location, so the main things to do here revolve around hiking in the forest and through the hills, or curling up with a book. But if you’re up for adventuring while in Santander? The area around Bucaramanga has more than enough to keep you entertained. Learn about Colombia’s Catholic culture close to the city at Ecoparque El Santisimo (40 minutes' drive), which houses a huge monument of Jesus accessible by either cable car or a hike up the 2.8-kilometre Helechales path. Locals sell fruits, veg and crafts at spots along the way – pick up something to snack on while gazing at the vistas from the viewpoint on top of the statue’s head. Other landmarks with a religious theme are in Bucaramanga (50 minutes), like the bright-white Sagrada Familia Cathedral, which is worth visiting before sipping on a cocktail and attempting to seek out the holy building's spires from the city's rooftop Skybar with its 360-degree downtown views. Another scenic spot in this place of parks includes the vast Eloy Valenzuela Botanical Gardens with its lake, woodland trails and iguana-filled gardens dotted with 3,500 species of plants, from palms to orchids.