Chicamocha Canyon: Colombia's Grand Canyon Adventure Park
The Parque Nacional del Chicamocha (Panachi) — spanning the vast Chicamocha River canyon — has a cable car crossing the 2,000-metre-deep canyon, adventure activities, and the most dramatic canyon landscape in Colombia
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Cable car over the canyon
The Panachi cable car – which crosses the Chicamocha Canyon 2,000 meters above the river – is the park's signature experience; the 6.3km cable car, with canyon walls dropping away on either side, is one of the most dramatic rides in South America
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Canyon depth and scale
Chicamocha Canyon is one of the deepest in South America — the river has cut through 2,000 meters of rock; the scale of the canyon – comparable to the Grand Canyon – is Colombia's most dramatic geological feature
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Bucaramanga goat culture
The Chicamocha Valley below the park is the heart of Colombia's goat farming culture – cabrito (roast kid) and carne oreada (sun-dried beef) from Santander are prepared by the valley's herds; the park's restaurant serves these regional specialties
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Extreme sports
Beyond the cable car, Panachi offers zip lines across the canyon, bungee jumping from the platform above the river, and abseiling down the canyon walls; the park has become Colombia's leading extreme sports destination
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Santander Flower Culture
The Santander region around the Chicamocha Canyon is famous for its horeca — the local craft production of woven straw hats (sombrero vueltiao comes from the coast, but Santander has its own tradition) and the regional decorative arts
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Canyon Birdlife
Chicamocha Canyon's dry microclimate—very hot on the bottom, cooler on the plateaus—creates distinct bird zones; the canyon's endemic and near-endemic species include the Bucaramanga brush finch and the canyon warbler; the dry scrub birds are very different from those on the cooler mesa above