I was surprised by the rivers in Colombia. It’s not a country with a just few whitewater options, it’s absolutely loaded with rivers. They are powerful, fast and flows are often unpredictable. Water rushes off the mountains, landslides block roads and Colombian kayakers and rafters are enthusiastic to tackle just about anything and there is a whole load of water that seems relatively untouched or at least undeveloped for tourism. And this was great for me because I was itching to get the NRS Star raft in the water after shipping across the Darien Gap and driving through the low elevation heat and humidity on the east coast.
San Gil Whitewater Rafting
There are a bunch of places where you could go but San Gil has a great whitewater scene and a variety of options with splashy class III runs and huge class V waters. It’s the perfect basecamp and is aptly labeled as the adventure capital of Colombia. After spending some time up high in the charming town of Barichara, I drove through San Gil and landed on a campsite that doubled as a trailhead for a waterfall hike that required carrying Shale up a series of ladders to reach the top.
The hosts were amazing, cooking without asking, offering refreshments, chewing on cocoa pulp and roasting the cocoa and taking us on hikes. Shale dog was leashed after chewing on a baby goat that was tied to a post alongside a few adults and sheep. Throw in the roaming cats and chickens and she was salivating with a bloodthirsty look in her eye. Getting on the river turned out to be the safest place for anyways. Colombia has a number of incredible rivers that are accessible by the road systems. The whitewater scene is popping and I wish I had more time to stay and explore in this zone. The team at Exploradores Colombia gave me some great advice for river raftin in Colombia and San Gil specifically and helped recommend a good float for the day I had to jump on a river here.
Rafting the Fonce River
It’s not too big, not too small and not crazy technical. The only thing that really throws me off in this region is reading depth. The water clarity is always mud after a rain and judging depth is always tricky. I hit one inside corner to avoid a strainer on the outside and what looked like a deep seem was a serious of barely covered boulders. This river seems to have a few moods, all dependent on the flows that fluctuate with the rains. It’s a stunning landscape and a beautiful place to run a raft. I would love to return here and float more sections and a few other rivers in the area. My French travel companions ran SUP boards for most of this stretch as well. A few minor falls and one portage was all they required to push through the minor rapids on the float we chose. Had we continued into the bigger class IV section, this might have been a different story.
Other Rivers in the Area
The FOnce is a perfect primer but if you visit, consider adding a few others to your list. You’ll want to chat with the guys at the Exploradores Colombia outfit for more info as well. Rafting the Suarez river is a good move for big water with a mix of class III-V rapids. Chicamocha canyon is another to consider for this trip as well. Both of the latter have big water, class V rapids and incredible scenery in canyon landscapes. If you visit the country, whitewater rafting in Colombia should be a high priority for adventure seekers.
