Jordan: Hiking Trails, Canyon, and History

Travel topics in Jordan include hikes through the Cañón del Chicamocha and regional history. Two route descriptions are particularly useful for planning: the Camino de Lengerke connects the town centers of Jordan and Los Santos; the historic trail from Villanueva to Jordan descends through the canyon’s Barrancas. These descriptions give different information about length, route, and condition.

The Camino de Lengerke

The Camino de Lengerke is a six-kilometer hike through the Cañón del Chicamocha that connects the town centers of Jordan and Los Santos. This gives both a specific distance for the hike and its two endpoints. Between 2018 and 2020, the Gobernación de Santander and the Alcaldía de Los Santos restored the trail. Since trail conditions can change, check the route’s condition before setting out.

The historic trail from Villanueva to Jordan

The historic trail from Villanueva to Jordan descends through the Barrancas of the Cañón del Chicamocha. One stage is 15.8 kilometers long; a six-kilometer section has little shade. Some parts of the trail have fallen into disuse. You should therefore check the route’s condition before hiking.

River and water landscape

The Río Chicamocha reaches its narrowest point near Jordan. The town also has vegetation and natural pools. These landscape features draw attention to the river and water alongside the hiking trails: while the route descriptions focus on endpoints, length, and trail conditions, this section is about the shape of the river and the natural pools. If you would like to explore Jordan beyond its hiking trails, the landscape offers another way to experience the town.

Puente de Lengerke and regional history

The Puente de Lengerke in Jordan is one of Colombia’s first bridges. The area around the bridge lay along a route used by Simón Bolívar. These are two distinct points of reference for understanding Jordan’s history: the bridge’s place in Colombian bridge history and the course of a route used by Bolívar.

Getting oriented in town

Jordan has a tourist information office that provides information about the town and the region. It can answer questions about both the town and its regional surroundings.

Comparing route information usefully

When comparing the two hiking descriptions, it is worth looking at the figures in context. For the Camino de Lengerke, six kilometers refers to the hike between the town centers of Jordan and Los Santos. On the historic trail, by contrast, the six-kilometer figure refers to a section with little shade; 15.8 kilometers is the length of the stage. The two six-kilometer figures therefore answer different planning questions. The routes described also differ: one connects two town centers, while the other descends through the Barrancas.

Discover more destinations: Guadalupe, Guane, Floridablanca, Valle San José, El Papayo, Cerrito, El Castaneto, La Granja

For the regional travel overview: Santander.