How to book: We help you bookSan Gil's home river
Rafting the Río Fonce
The river running through San Gil, where Colombian rafting began. Rapids, laughs and milky-brown water; the desk can book it.
Boutique stay, traveller's soul
This Is Colombia — Hostel · Boutique Stay · San Gil
Outside, pure adventure.Inside, feels like home.
- One block from San Gil's main square
- 9.7/10 on Hostelworld · 158 reviews (checked 22 Oct 2026) (opens in a new tab)
01The essence
Not a party hostel.A place to find your people.
A young Colombian team that has been welcoming travellers in San Gil for five years (as its Booking.com profile tells it). A house of dark beams, wicker lamps and murals; a social plan in the evening and quiet from ten.
- Free coffee and tea, 24/7
- 24-hour front desk
- Hot water in every shower
- Chill zone with beanbags and a book exchange
- Table football and board games
- Shared kitchen 10:00–21:00
- Quiet from 22:00 to 07:00
↳ plus filtered water to refill your bottle
Facts: the hostel's Hostelworld description and Booking.com house rules, checked 22 Oct 2026.
02Two faces, one trip
San Gil happens outside. You enjoy it in here.
Outside, the days are long.
Rafting on the Fonce, paragliding when the sky says yes, the Juan Curí waterfall on Saturday, Barichara at a slow pace. The front desk helps you set it up with local operators.
Explore adventuresInside, you slow down.
A hot shower, beds guests rave about, free coffee at any hour and a terrace painted with a jaguar. Come back muddy, feel at home.
See the roomsThe Río Fonce runs through San Gil; the turquoise line is our poetic licence.
05Adventure atlas
Your starting point for all the good stuff.
River, canyon, waterfall and stone villages. Fifteen plans with what we know and what we don't: the front desk helps you book with local operators and tells you what to ask.
- How to book: We help you book
How to book: We help you bookFly the canyon
Paragliding over the Chicamocha
Run off a hillside and the Chicamocha Canyon opens up beneath your boots. The front desk can set it up with local operators.
How to book: House planAdventure Saturdays
Juan Curí waterfalls
A forest trail to a tall waterfall, with the option to rappel down it. It's the hostel's Saturday 10:00 group plan.
How to book: On your ownTown of stone
Barichara
Stone streets, whitewashed adobe and green doors: a slow day in a National Monument town. Buses leave from the Terminalito.
06Social week
New people, peaceful nights.
Every evening there's a house plan for meeting people without having to go out partying. Nobody makes you join: you can also stay in the chill zone with a book from the exchange shelf.
Indicative schedule; check with the team.
Source: the hostel's Instagram “Schedule” highlight, checked 21 Oct 2026.
See the full social weekMonday
21:00
Football
The week kicks off with a ball. A friendly game with whoever is staying: nobody needs to be a pro, it's the fastest way to learn names.
- Ask the desk where tonight's game is and what to bring.
- Bring water: San Gil nights are warm too.
Tuesday
20:00
Tejo
The most Colombian plan of the week: pitch a metal disc into a clay pit and, with luck, hit a little paper packet of gunpowder. It bangs, everyone cheers, you throw again.
- Nobody's born knowing how: the first round is for learning.
- Check with the desk which tejo court you're heading to and whether there's a cost.
Wednesday
19:00–20:00
Dance
An hour to loosen up before the movie. Arrive with two left feet, leave with a couple of steps and people to practise them with.
- The rhythm and who leads it can change: ask at the desk.
- Comfortable shoes; flip-flops don't help.
21:00
Movie night
After dancing, a film. The week's slow plan, for anyone who has a river to catch in the morning.
- Got a film to suggest? Tell the team.
Thursday
Time varies with sunrise
Sunrise walk
For early risers: a walk while San Gil is still waking up and the valley fills with light.
- Thursday is either the sunrise walk or the sunset ride, not both: check which one is on this week.
- Ask for the meeting time the night before.
— or —
Time varies with sunset
Sunset bike ride
Thursday's other face: pedal into the evening and watch the Santander sky turn orange.
- Check whether bikes are included or rented separately.
- Bring a layer: it cools down once the sun drops.
Friday
21:00
Karaoke
Friday is mic night. From vallenato to English rock: attitude counts, pitch doesn't.
- Pick your song before someone picks it for you.
Saturday
10:00
Juan Curí: hike and rappel
Saturday means a group outing to the Juan Curí waterfall: a hike through the green and, for anyone who wants it, a rappel beside the falls.
- Ask the desk about cost, transport and what's included.
- Shoes that can get wet and a change of clothes.
Sunday
Sunday: no fixed plan
The hostel's schedule has no Sunday plan, and we're not going to invent one. A good day for Barichara at your own pace, or for doing nothing in the chill zone with a free coffee.
Top and bottom of the same photo: we cropped out an Instagram tag rather than paint over the mural.
07The house · the terrace
From the clouds to breakfast.
The terrace has two murals that have become the house signature: a yellow jaguar among teal leaves and a paraglider flying with the word “Colombia”. That's where breakfast happens, facing the murals.
Breakfast runs 07:00–10:00 and is paid separately: Hostelworld and Booking.com list it at COP 14,000 (checked 22 Oct 2026). Arepas, eggs, fruit, crepes or juice depending on the day; it's not a fixed menu.
- Breakfast 07:00–10:00, extra cost
- Free coffee and tea, 24/7
- Shared kitchen 10:00–21:00
08San Gil
One block from the square. One step from adventure.
Santander's governorate named San Gil its Tourism Capital in 2004, but first it's a town with a square, a cathedral and a corner shop. The hostel is one block from the main square; local buses to Barichara and Curití leave from the Terminalito.
Pocket guide
- 01
Parque La Libertad (main square)
San Gil's main square and meeting point, one block from the hostel: century-old ceibas, a lit fountain and a statue of Chief Guanentá, ringed by the town hall, cathedral, cafés and restaurants.
- 02
Santa Cruz Cathedral
On the corner of Carrera 9 and Calle 13, at the north-west end of Parque La Libertad. Begun in 1769, with early-20th-century towers; consecrated in 1935.
- 03
Terminalito (local bus station)
Cootrasangil's regional terminal, with buses across Guanentá province: Barichara, Curití, Juan Curí and other nearby towns. It's close to the hostel.
- 04
Barichara
A stone-built colonial town whose historic centre was declared a National Monument in 1978. Start of the Camino Real to Guane.
- 05
Curití
A fique-weaving town with the Pescaderito river pools and caves such as Cueva de la Vaca and Cueva del Yeso.
- 06
Juan Curí waterfalls
Waterfalls on the San Gil–Charalá road at Hacienda Santa Rita, in Páramo municipality. Hiking, rappelling and canyoning with on-site operators.
09What guests say
Warmth, comfy beds and a front desk that knows San Gil.
- Hostelworld9.7/10158 reviewsChecked on 22 October 2026(opens in a new tab)
- Booking.com9.3/10431 reviewsChecked on 22 October 2026(opens in a new tab)
- Google Maps4.9/5309 reviewsChecked on 22 October 2026(opens in a new tab)
Scores as each platform showed them on the day we checked; they change over time.
Centrally located but peaceful at night.
El personal es muy cálido, amable y servicial. Te dan muchas opciones para conocer San Gil y alrededores.
The staff are very warm, kind and helpful. They give you lots of options for exploring San Gil and around. (our translation)
I booked paragliding and white water rafting through the hostel and both experiences were great
What time is check-in?
From 15:00, according to Hostelworld, Booking.com and the hostel's own booking engine. If you're arriving late, let the team know your arrival time; Hostelworld lists a 24-hour front desk.
Is it a party hostel?
No. The hostel describes itself as young, social and boutique-style, “without being a party hostel”. There's a house plan most evenings for meeting people, and then people rest.
See the social weekIs there air conditioning?
The double with A/C and one of the two dorms have it; the other private rooms have fans and the other dorm has a fan on each bed. If heat keeps you awake, say so when you book.
Is breakfast included?
No: it's served 7:00–10:00 at extra cost. Hostelworld and Booking.com list it at COP 14,000 (checked 22 October 2026); confirm the price at the desk.
Does the hostel sell the tours?
The front desk helps you book with local operators: paragliding over the Chicamocha, rafting, caving and more, according to Hostelworld. The hostel isn't the operator; price, times, minimum age and inclusions are confirmed by the operator through the team.
See adventures10End of the tour
See you in San Gil?
Book direct on the hostel's official engine, or message the team on WhatsApp with your dates and they'll tell you what's free.
Opens the hostel's official booking engine (LobbyPMS) in a new tab, where you'll see real rates and availability.
- Carrera 8 #11-90, one block from the main square(opens in a new tab)
- Check-in from 15:00 · 24-hour desk
- Breakfast 07:00–10:00 (extra cost)