Bucaramanga is a city in Colombia in the Santander region. Bucaramanga is a medium sized city, home of nearly 1 million people (all of the metropolitan area). It's a major commercial hub in the northeastern Colombia, playing a significant role in trade between Colombia and Venezuela. It's not a huge destination spot just like Cartagena or Santa Marta, nonetheless It is surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and ancient towns with a lot of history, which overall makes the visit to Bucaramanga worthwhile.
Girón was the first and most significant town founded by Spanish colonizers in the region, and Bucaramanga (founded in 1622) did not overtake Girón in population or economic significance until the early 1800s. In the 1860s and 1870s the city attracted a core of German merchants and adventurers (the most famous of whom was Georg von Lengerke), and tensions between the newcomers and local merchants flared in 1879. With the political reorganization of 1886, Bucaramanga replaced Socorro as departmental capital. The region (although not the city itself) was devastated by the civil war of 1899-1902, commonly known as the Thousand Days War and Bucaramanga grew only modestly in the first half of the twentieth century.
Bucaramanga is located on a plateau in the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes, and many residents occupy unstable lands descending steeply from the meseta. The city is located at 7°08′N 73°08′W / 7.133, -73.133. The official metropolitan area includes the municipalities of: Girón, Piedecuesta and Floridablanca, but Lebrija is home to Bucaramanga's airport and is commonly considered part of greater Bucaramanga. All four neighboring municipalities contain extensive rural areas despite recent urbanization.
PLACE TO VISIT
There are plenty of things to sight seeing in Bucaramanga, starting from the east side via Cúcuta you can find nice and large balconies and enjoy a panoramic view of the city. The center of Bucaramanga, like any downtown in the world, gets really crowded on weekends and peak hours, however you can enjoy lots of bargains and sales in the shops, nice quality of clothes and shoes of course.
In the south of Bucaramanga you can find different resorts or clubs where you can play golf, futbol, swim, or just chill out with your friends.
Generally the most popular zone in Bucaramanga is Cabecera, this is the most modern area in the city with lots of malls and entertainment like cinemas, restaurants and shops.
WHAT TO DO
Colombia Paragliding, Ruitoque is the best place in Colombia for both tandem and paragliding courses. Colombia paragliding is an Internationally qualified company offering the best and most qualified guides.
Visit the many shopping centers
Practice extreme sports (rappel, kayac, paragliding, etc...)
Go to the [Mesa de Los Santos]
HOW TO REACH
As always in Colombia, foreigners are NOT advised to travel by car alone. You can go out with your family, your friends or with a guide with no problem. They will take you to their farms, nearby towns and resorts without problems.
By air - Palonegro Airport (BGA) is located about 45 minutes from town near Lebrija. Domestic flights include Bogotá, Medellin, Cúcuta and Yopal, and it recently started its first international flights to Panama City, with renovations underway to further expand its flights.
By bus - The city offers a clean, modern and nice bus station (La Terminal de Transportes de Bucaramanga) from where you can take busses to almost any destination around Colombia; you can even take buses from here that will take you to Venezuela, Perú and Ecuador.
