Las Gachas

If a visit to or near San Gil is in your Colombian itinerary you might want to devote a day to visit the unique natural beauty that is Las Gachas.

What is it?

The scientific term is ‘a colourful stream with whopping great holes in it’.

Like its more impressive counterpart further south, Caño Cristales, coloured algae gives the stream it’s beautiful hue but it’s the mini jacuzzis (not warm unfortunately!) of varying depths that make it really unique.

Getting there:

Guadaloupe is the closest town to Las Dachas. Staying there means you’ll only have a short commute but it would be more common to stay in San Gil, the capital of adventure sports.

From the main bus terminal ask for the bus to Oiba. They run from at least 8.30am. Oiba isn’t the last stop so make sure the driver knows you need to get off. Cost is 10k pesos and it takes an hour 15.

In Oiba you might be up for a wait (mine was 45 minutes) for the bus marked Guadeloupe (7k). Get out when the driver yells “Las Gachas!” and take the signposted road leading upwards. Follow the Las Gachas signs that will take you on a 20 minute walk through farmland (sturdy shoes recommended). You will have to pay a 1k entrance fee to the family whose property you’ll be walking over.

Unfortunately the return journey may not be as straightforward. I was back at the Las Gachas stop at 2pm and was told there wouldn’t be a bus until 4pm. Timetables? Don’t be silly.

If you have a full car I think it’s fairly common to get a local to drive you back to Oiba for the same price as the bus which is what I did. At the Oiba terminal, if you’re unable to find a bus direct to San Gil you can get a shuttle to Socorro (5k) then another to San Gil (4.5k) which actually ends up being slightly cheaper and better as it will drop you off at the smaller, local bus terminal in town.

One essential tip - take socks! They make walking on the slimy algae look like a walk in the park.

Enjoy!