So you’re in Colombia, home to the late Pablo Escobar, but now one of the world’s newest travel destinations. If you’re in Colombia, you’ve probably already heard about Medellín, Bogota, Guatapé, Cartagena and Valle de Corcora. While each of these places are great destinations, there are hidden gems in Colombia that are still virtually undiscovered. Thanks to the violence during Pablo Escobar’s era, traveling was difficult and extraordinary places were left unknown to travelers, even to Colombians. Now Colombia is safe and welcomes travelers with open arms. Colombians are proud of their resilient and beautiful country and are happy to share it. Because of this, those hidden gems are becoming available to visit.

Guadalupe was my little gem of a place.

I happened to hear about Guadalupe from some travelers from Switzerland while visiting San Gil in the Santander region. I wasn’t sure where it was located or how to get there, so I began looking online for some information. I quickly realized that there wasn’t much about Guadalupe online, besides information given by other bloggers (only two other bloggers!) Therefore, so you don’t have to do it, I’m going to give you the inside on how to get to Guadalupe and why you have to go there.

Before going to Guadalupe, I saw a quick video on Facebook featuring people jumping and sliding into what looked like puddles, their whole bodies disappearing into these unexpectedly deep watering holes. I’d never seen anything like it! When the name popped up again when meeting those Swiss travelers, I knew I had to see this place. What I discovered was that there was much more than just misleading puddles that you could swim in.

The best way to get to Guadalupe is starting in Bogota (unless you’re already in the Santander region – in that case, you can get a bus from your destination). I flew into Bogota and then went directly to the bus terminal. I planned to take a night bus but you can definitely ride during the day. There are a number of bus companies that you can take: Expreso Brasilia, Copetran, Trassender or Transportes Reina. You can always ask the different bus windows as well to see if they leave for your destination. What you want to buy a ticket for is Oiba, Socorro or San Gil. You just have to tell your bus driver that you’re stopping in Oiba (Socorro and San Gil pass through). This bus will be about 5 hours. In Oiba you will catch another bus to Guadalupe. If you’re like me and took the night bus, there’s a chance you may arrive very early in the morning (I arrived at about 4am, oops). Luckily there’s a 24-hour Panadería (bakery) next to the bus stop for you to hang out at until the 6am bus comes by. I happened to catch an earlier one that was passing through with the help of a new Colombian friend I made at the bakery.

Upon arriving in Guadalupe, I discovered that it was a tiny little town. The buildings were white and the morning was quiet and peaceful. The town opened up to a large square with a free WiFi zone, bordered by a pretty church. Now don’t do what I did – I walked off the bus before waking hours with no reservations for a hostel or hotel. Although, I did write down the few places in town I could stay in. There is Hotel Colonial on Calle 5A No 6-03 and Hostal y Restaurante Bonanza on Calle 5 No 5-02. Unfortunately, I arrived just before 6am and nothing was open. I wandered around the square and down along the quiet buildings, wondering how I was going to find a bathroom. Eventually I found an open door at a hostal down the street but they didn’t have rooms for a solo traveler, only bigger rooms priced for the room and not for a bed. The sleepy owners informed me that the other two accommodations in town were full due to the holiday weekend. So they told me to walk to the house on the corner where a woman lived, and to ask her if she had a bed for me. I thought knocking on a stranger’s house would be weird, but I was so tired I decided to just go for it. Sure enough, an old woman opened the door in her nightgown and I asked her in Spanish if she had a place for me. She had some extra rooms and we stroke a deal on a room with a double bed. I got lucky and had Colombian grandparents to stay with for the weekend.

Now since this is a small town, don’t expect to find restaurants that are open at a normal working hour. It’s a hit or miss here. I happened to arrive on a day when no one was opening their doors. Or, rather, their doors were open, but they weren’t serving. I walked up and down the little street where cowboy-dressed locals stared at me (I stuck out like a sore thumb), until I walked into a little restaurant and asked if they were serving breakfast. She said no, but that if I wanted she could make me a little something. I thought that was sweet of her and was so thankful to have some food. It was a simple breakfast of coffee, eggs and fruit, but it was enough to sustain my empty stomach.

My next step was finding Jose. I’d read that Jose was the only tour guide in town who takes you to Las Ganchas, where the magical puddles lie. He owned Hostal y Restaurant Bonanza, so I found the restaurant and asked if he was there. I was given his phone number (give 57-310-219-3359 a try) and attempted to use the plaza’s free WiFi zone, but to no avail. Then, I got lucky. I found a group of what had to be tourists (they were wearing hiking clothes), and got the courage to ask them if they were going to Las Ganchas. They were! They invited me to join and said they would wait while I ran to my Colombian grandmother’s house to change. When I came back, I met the famous Jose, who apologized he wasn’t available to answer his phone.

I joined my new Colombian friends – all from Bogota – for what I didn’t know would be an entire day of magic. We began by taking a dip in a natural pool with a refreshing waterfall and some flat stone rocks that acted as stepping stones. After our cool-down, we made our way along some fluffy grass, to the colorfully lined river. The river was clear, revealing the smooth multi-colored stone that spilled into little pools. But this wasn’t our spot yet. We took off our shoes and walked through the shallow part of the river, which featured smooth rock with tiny holes. You could see the river running underneath, through the holes, as well as above the slab of rock. It was unlike anything I’d seen before. Our walk on water continued until we hopped back onto ground, taking a stroll through a vast field, where I felt like I was far away from the rest of the world. It was just green, cows, and the blue sky above me.

Then, we reached Las Ganchas. The guys in the group became boys and began sliding on the slippery rock and jumping into these deceptive puddles. I decided to give it a go and was surprised by how deep it was! We all had a blast in this secret place, and even enjoyed some sugary black coffee that a woman was selling (for those that do know about this place, it’s a popular swimming spot). We even found a natural cave water slide! The group then continued on to a pretty waterfall, hidden down below the ground, surrounded by wild jungle, where the even the plants looked other-worldly. We followed thin rope down the slippery path and then entered a dark cave, feeling bats swoosh above our heads. It was quite the adventure.

Before it got dark, we took the long road back. It had been a lengthy day, but we all felt energized by all the beauty around us, which ended with an explosive sunset over the hills. My day came out to be a pleasant surprise.

The adventure wasn’t over yet.

I was invited to join the group with Jose the next morning for a hike. I thought I had seen it all – but I was wrong. After Colombian grandma made me a typical Santander region breakfast, I found my new friends in town (which wasn’t hard due to its size), and we all prepared for another day. Most of the group piled into a jeep (since in Colombia seat belts aren’t necessary) while another woman and I rode on motorbikes with two of the guides. Then we were off on a dirt road until the bikes were parked, and us bike riders were piled on top of the jeep. Yes, on the hood of the car. Then, we reached the start of the trail. Once again, we were in the midst of lush green. We hiked along a cave-like wall, where vines hung delicately outside, and reached a muddy, steep trail where Jose took a bundle of rope and created a safety rope to guide us down. At the bottom, we reached full view of a large mystical waterfall, that looked like something you’d only see in national geographic. I thought we had reached our destination when Jose told me ven, and we continued behind the waterfall, where water sprayed us and cleansed us of sweat and dirt. Where in the world was I?

We took a break in the warm sun and snacked out of our backpacks, while some of the boys jumped in the water. It wasn’t over yet. We continued straight back up until we reached la mirador – the viewpoint. In front of us were green fields and canyons, expanding for what seemed like forever. As rain began to lightly drop, we continued on for our last stop: guarapo. I kept hearing this unfamiliar word being tossed around and then asked what it was. Apparently it was fermented sugar water.. We went to visit this little family property where they brought out a pitcher of guarapo and handed us coconut shells to drink out of. We passed the drink around, feeling a yummy buzz. I felt like I was drinking kombucha. Another pleasant surprise.

I ended my day with a sundae treat in town (now that everything was open) and decided that Guadalupe was my favorite place in Colombia. It was a little secret that I was willing to share.

If you want a taste of this magical place, take the time to bus here. You may need a little Spanish (as none of the locals speak English) but, if anything, it will be good practice. It is a safe place, which was indicated by how all the townspeople left their front doors open all day. If you want to continue your trip in Santander, there is an easy bus to Chicamocha Canyon, another Colombian treasure. Colombia has a lot of secrets to offer – enjoy them!