4 Amazing Pueblos Blancos of Colombia

In recent years, Colombia has been a very common destination on the backpackers radar. The country’s relatively cheap prices and great variety of landscapes – from wild jungle to pristine beaches – have always been the perfect match for seeing the best of Colombia even for those on a tight budget. Nevertheless, those travelers who opt to stir away a bit from the most touristy destination and pay a visit to the less-known Pueblos Blancos will be greatly rewarded.

The Pueblos Blancos is a category of small villages (usually isolated) that the Colombian government has listed as being crucial to the country’s cultural heritage. That said, these villages also happen to be the most gorgeous and unique in their own way!

Currently, there are 17 villages on the list scattered all over the country and after visiting some of them here’s the list of our 4 Top Favorites!

1. Santa Cruz de Mompox (Bolivar)

Among the ones we visited, this was undoubtedly the pueblo that took us more by surprise. At the time, we were traveling to Mompox from Rodadero (a small beach department of Santa Marta) and the journey that was supposed to last 6hrs ended up being a hellish 10hrs night ride. Thankfully, even at night the village seemed perfectly safe and – it may sound weird – kind of welcoming. Anyway, the next day we we spent it visiting town and we literally fell in love with it.

Gorgeous architecture, lots of nature, a river nearby and plenty of very friendly locals made our stay better than we could have ever expected. Whether you’re planning for a short half-day or more days stop, there’s no way you won’t enjoy spending sometime around here. And did we mention that during our stay we met just ONE tourist ?

2. Barichara (Santander)

Not so far from the adventure town of San Gil, this village is a popular stopover for all those planning to see/hike the breathtaking Chicamocha Canyon. Even though Barichara is a well-known destination along the tourist route, the presence of tourism thankfully doesn’t spoil the undeniable beauty of the place.

The colonial architecture, a beautiful cemetery and overall a friendly atmosphere are just some of the town’s highlights. But should that not be enough, the surroundings of Barichara offer plenty of outdoor activities from hiking to paragliding and even walking on a part of the ancient Inca Road.

3. Jardin (Antioquia)

If you’re looking for something truly Colombian then don’t hesitate to visit Jardin. This little village somewhere halfway-through Medellin and the coffee triangle, is the one place in Colombia where we actually managed to see some real colombian lifestyle. On top of that, the village boasts some beautiful colorful houses, plenty of hiking trails in the surroundings coffee plantations and the only national reserve for the rare bird species Gallito de Roca.

If you can make sure to be there during week-days to make the most of it as on weekends loads of people from surrounding towns come over to take a break from their jobs. TIP: If you wanna visit the national reserve for the Gallito de Roca, make sure to head there – just on the village outskirts – as early as 5am in the morning to get the best results.

4. Villa de Leyva (Boyaca)

After sometime traveling throughout Colombia, it was in Villa de Leyva that we experienced the first cold mountain weather, long forgotten from our days in Europe. During our time in the town, finally having a chance to walk and hike around with sweaters was a big relief from the overwhelming heat of Tayrona. Villa de Leyva – or as many locals refer to it VDL – is the perfect place to relax, sip over some tasty artisanal beer and take a break from the backpacking routine.

That said, the old part of the town feature some great pre-colonial architecture (similar to an ancient borgo) and a huge plaza once used as a marketplace. Nowadays, even though the town is pretty touristy, finding cheap accommodation and places to eat is pretty easy, making a great stop also for budget-travelers.

Whether you decide to visit some of these towns or any other in the list of the Pueblos, we’re 100% sure you won’t regret it. There has not been a town in the list that we visited that didn’t let us down: from the North to the deep South of Colombia every new town was a new and beautiful discovery.

PLANNING A TRIP TO COLOMBIA? CHECK MORE POSTS BELOW!