When I first arrived in Valledupar, I immediately fell in love! This hidden gem by the river is a unique off-the-beaten path destination in Colombia’s far North. The capital of the Cesar department surprises with its super cute old town full of legends and stories, vibrant music and street art scene, unique local cuisine, extraordinary hospitality, and numerous hidden treasures waiting to be discovered in its surroundings.
Valledupar is nestled amidst a diverse natural landscape, encompassing the majestic Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, the Serranía del Perijá, and the immense Ciénaga de Zapatosa wetland. This biodiverse region offers abundant opportunities for outdoor and nature activities such as birdwatching, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and more. The region also boasts a rich cultural heritage and is home to several indigenous communities.
Consider staying in Valledupar for around 3 days to explore both the city and the surroundings. Here is a curated list of 20 serendipitous things to do in and around Valledupar.
Photo by Travelhapp, Plaza Alfonso Lopez, Valledupar
The colorful historic center of Valledupar is well preserved and great to explore by foot. Discover colonial buildings, visit the beautiful churches La Inmaculada Concepción (featuring a 16th century El Santo Ecce Homo wood carving) and Nuestra Señora del Rosario, enjoy the lively atmosphere at Plaza Alfonso López, savor a cool Frappuccino in Mi Nona Cafe (Google Maps), and relax in Parque de las Madres. The colorful Centro Artesanal Calle Grande is a great place to discover local handicraft and art.
Photo by Travelhapp, La Candelaria Bogota
The picturesque “Alley of Purrututú” is located in the historical Cañahuate neighborhood and takes you on a magical journey into the past. The alley is named after an old lady who was called “La Purrututú” by the children of the neighborhood, imitating the sound she was making to allure the birds. Her adobe house is still there and you can ask the current inhabitants, if you may have a look inside.
Photo by Travelhapp, adobe house (left) and kitchen (right) of “La Purrututú”
The historic center of Valledupar features a large variety of pretty impressive murals which totally deserve to be called “street ART”. Go treasure hunting and rest in awe.
Photo by Travelhapp, Valledupar Street Art
Here are a few interesting museums and other places to learn more about Valledupar’s history and cultural heritage.
Accordion Museum (Casa Beto Murgas): Colombian musician Beto Murgas created a unique museum in his house where you can learn about the history of the accordion and its role in Vallenato music and Colombian culture in general.
Casa de la Cultura: This cultural center hosts art exhibitions, workshops and cultural events.
Centro De Memoria El Cuartico: This little house, built with traditional bahareque technique (bamboo and soil), teaches you about day to day life in Valledupar in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Valledupar is considered the birthplace of the folkloric Vallenato music style which is popular all over Colombia. Check out the event calendar of Centro Cultural de la Música Vallenata, or ask locals about bars and restaurants that host Vallenato concerts. The famous Vallenato Festival typically takes place in April.
Photo by Monsalve Elder, Accordion Sculpture, Valledupar
Parque de la Leyenda with its beautiful open spaces hosts events and exhibitions throughout the year, including, most famously, concerts during the Vallenato festival. While Parque de la Leyenda is only accessible during events, nearby Parque de la Provincia with its many food stalls and lively atmosphere is open all year round. At the roundabout between the two parks you can admire the Pilonera Mayor, a statue dedicated to the female co-founder of the Vallenato Festival, Consuelo Araujo Noguera.
Photo by Travelhapp, Parque de la Provincia Valledupar
Balneario Hurtado is a popular natural swimming pool in the Guatapurí river close to Parque de la Provincia. There is a beautiful park next to the river with shady trees and various food stalls. If you want to avoid the crowds, go during the week. For an authentic local experience visit on a Sunday afternoon and mingle with the local families to the beats of Vallenato music and the smells of grilled meat.
Photo by Travelhapp, Balneario Hurtado, River Guatapurí, Valledupar
When in Valledupar, try the famous traditional “pangá” meat which is prepared with ancestral ingredients and spices. Hen stew (“Sancocho de gallina”) or stewed goat (“chivo guisado”) are also typical dishes of the César region. If you have a sweet tongue don’t miss the local delicacies like “panochas” (made with cheese and anis), “queques” “merengues” “chiricanas” (based on corn) and “enyucados.”
You can find many traditional restaurants offering delicious regional specialties in Valledupar. Try Compai Chipuco (Google Maps) next to Plaza Alfonso López, or Totumazo de la Ceiba (Google Maps). If you want to give yourself a treat, enjoy fantastic fusion food in a beautiful colonial house in Casa Belén (Google Maps).
Photo by Travelhapp, restaurant Compai Chipuco, Valledupar
The 35 m high Santo Ecce Homo viewpoint (Google Maps) is located at on top of Cerro Las Antenas and offers stunning views of Valledupar and its surroundings. We recommend to go in a bigger group and at sunrise during the weekends, when there are more people around for safety reasons.
Here are 10 additional things to do within a 3-hour radius from Valledupar.
The “Ruta de los Ríos y la Tradición” starts at Balneario Hurtado, by the Guatapurí river, in the North of Valledupar and leads up to the mountain village Atanquez. Along the route there are several natural “river swimming pools”, including Balneario La Vega (Patillal), Balneario La Mina with its impressive rock formations (about 1 hour by car from Valledupar), and Balneario El Mojao.
Photo by Travelhapp, Balneario La Mina near Valledupar
After about 30 min drive along the “Route of Rivers and Traditions”, you get to the little village Patillal which is home to several famous Vallenato composers, singers, gleeman and poets. The beautiful Parque De Las Monedas (Park of Coins) pays homage to some of the most outstanding musicians, featuring there portraits on coin statues along with excerpts from famous songs.
Photo by Travelhapp, Parque de las Monedas
This ecological haven is characterized by dense and diverse vegetation, and is home to over 250 bird species and endangered mammals. It offers 14 kilometers of scenic trails, refreshing natural river pools, and several stunning viewpoints. To reach Los Besotes Eco Park take a taxi towards Patillal and get off at “Los Corazones” (ca. 30 minutes from Valledupar). From there you can reach the eco park by foot in about 3 hours (see trail on WikiLoc). Please check beforehand with the park, if you need to be accompanied by a guide (+57 300 8036122). It’s always recommended to explore remote nature destinations in Colombia in a group rather than alone.
The route from Valledupar to Guacoche leads you through rice fields and offers beautiful views of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The landscape is a little bit reminiscent of Bali. View the bike route on WikiLoc and watch Ben Berger’s YouTube video to get a first impression.
Ben Berger: Bike Ride Valledupar to Guacoche Colombia. View on YouTube
Atanquez is an ancestral settlement of the Kankuamo indigenous people, whose culture and traditions remain alive today. The beautifully set village is located around 1 hour by car from Valledupar, at the end of the “Route of Rivers and Tradition”.
Photo by Travelhapp, coffee beans drying in Atanquez
I warmly recommend to visit the shop of Asoarka (Google Maps) in Atanquez, an association of local female entrepreneurs. You can find beautiful accessories and jewelry made of traditional fibres, along with exquisite local coffee. If you are looking for a truly unique and meaningful souvenir for your loved ones, this is the place to go.
Photo by Travelhapp, Asoarka shop in Atanquez
La Paz, a small town 30 minutes South of Valledupar (by car), is famous for its delicious “almojábanas”, a natural sweet corn bread cooked in clay ovens. The peaceful and picturesque town is home to the indigenous Arhuaco people and to renowned Vallenato composers and musicians.
Located at an altitude of 1,200 meters in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, Pueblo Bello offers a serene escape with beautiful hiking trails and pleasant spring-like temperatures. Pueblo Bello is set in indigenous territory providing you with opportunities to learn about the culture and ancestral knowledge of the Arhuaco/Arahuaco people in the Cultural Interpretation Center and in the Buzintana Botanical Garden featuring indigenous medical plants.
You can reach Puerto Bello in about 1 hour from Valledupar by local bus, minivan (Cootransnevada), or taxi, going south-west.
From Pueblo Bello you can move on for 25 km along an unpaved road by jeep, motorbike, or donkey to reach fascinating Nabusímake at 2,200 meters above sea level. (You may also consider taking a tour from Valledupar.) Nabusímake, “the place where the sun is born”, is the spiritual capital of the indigenous Arhuaca people. Explore the white-walled mud houses and and huts built on river stones, visit the mythological pozo del diablo (devil’s well), refresh yourself in nearby waterfalls, and take an archeological ethno-tour with a local guide to learn about the region’s ancestral culture.
Photo by Marco Barboza, Nabusimake, CC BY-SA 4.0, (mod.)
Nestled amidst lush mountains, Manaure offers eco-friendly hikes through indigenous territory featuring carved stones and diverse flora and fauna. Great sites for birdwatching are the two nearby reserves Chamicero del Perijá (high mountains, view on YouTube) and Los Tananeos (low mountains, view on Google Maps). Manaure also produces organic coffee. Enjoy your coffee and other delicacies with fantastic views at Mirador Cafe Don Ramon during the weekends (view on Google Maps). Manaure is located 36 kilometers south-east of Valledupar (ca. 50 min by car).
Located about 1 hour from Valledupar, beautifully set San Juan del Cesar is worth a stop on your way to Cabo de la Vela. The village in the La Guajira department features a charming center with a beautiful church. Famous Vallenato musician Diomedez Díaz used to live in San Juan del Cesar and his house is now a museum dedicated to his works. In the surroundings of San Juan del Cesar you can find hidden waterfalls and natural river swimming pools.
Mompox offers a one-of-a-kind experience with its rich cultural heritage and extraordinarily well preserved colonial architecture, which ranks among the finest in Latin America. Some say Santa Cruz de Mompox rests frozen in time, since it was very difficult to access until recently. Nestled on an island in the Magdalena River amidst lush greenery, this tranquil, laid-back town invites you to immerse yourself in its unique charm and history.
There are tours available from Valledupar to Mompox, for example with Paseo Vallenato (view website). Ask if the tour includes river transportation to further enhance the feeling of traveling back in time.
Photo (mod.) by Jess Kraft, Mompox by the Magdalena River
If you are traveling alone, I would recommend staying in or close to the historic center where everything is close by. When selecting hotels in Valledupar, pay attention to user comments about noise levels, as it can get loud in some places, especially during the Vallenato Music Festival.
Since Valledupar is still quite off the beaten path, the hostel and hotel offer is not very vast yet. Decent hotels to stay in or close to the center of Valledupar include Hotel La Casa de Siempre (Google Maps), Hotel Valle Central (Google Maps) or Hotel Valledupar Plaza (Google Maps),
If you’re looking to treat yourself, you can try the slightly more upscale options of Hotel Boutique Casa Rosalía (Google Maps) and Hotel Boutique Casa de Los Santos Reyes (Google Maps).
It’s easy for a solo traveler to get to Valledupar by bus from other Colombian travel destinations like Bucaramanga, Santa Marta and Riohacha. In case you do not have a lot of time, there are also cheap flights from Bogota and Cali.
To explore the surroundings it’s best to organize a (shared) taxi or ask the locals about mini buses and vans. An alternative is asking your Uber driver to make you an offer for a day trip. Join our Colombia Solo Travelers Facebook Group to find other solo travelers near you.
Valledupar is a small city and I felt safe when I visited. However, it is always recommendable to apply some safety precautions as a solo traveler, like not walking around alone after dark or in isolated places. Please have a look at our Safety Tips for Solo Travelers in Colombia and Colombia Solo Travel Guide.
Valledupar features a tropical monsoon climate with average daytime temperatures around 34°C/35°C (93°F/95°F) and nighttime temperatures around 24°C (25°F). The month with most rain is typically October.
Depending on whether you like Vallenato music – or loud music in the streets in general – the Vallenato festival time (usually in April) can be the best or worst time to visit for you.
It’s easy to get from Valledupar to other interesting travel destinations in Colombia by bus. Here are a few suggestions on where to go next.
Riohacha: You can get to the relaxed capital of La Guajira in 3,5 hours by bus (see Rome2Rio). Check out what to do in Riohacha and the La Guajira peninsula.
Cabo de la Vela: An alternative and less frequented access road leads you from Valledupar to coastal Cabo de la Vela in La Guajira in about 5 hours, without passing through Riohacha (see route on Rome2Rio).
Santa Marta: The bus journey to the tropical paradise Santa Marta takes about 4 hours (see Rome2Rio). Find out what Santa Marta and its surroundings have to offer.
Mompox: A new bus connection takes you to the laid-back river town Santa Cruz de Mompox in just 4 hours.
Cartagena: Caribbean beauty Cartagena is reachable in 7 hours by bus from Valledupar. Get inspirations on Things to do in Cartagena.
Bucaramanga: You can get to the outdoor and adventure paradise Bucaramanga in 8 hours by bus from Valledupar. Find out what to do in Bucaramanga and its surroundings.
