Bucaramanga

Bucaramanga is a large Colombian city, the center of the department of Santander. It is located in the northeast of the country, near the border with Venezuela, and lies in a mountain valley surrounded by the spurs of the Cordillera. Colombians consider it the most beautiful city in the country. Bucaramanga is famous for wealthy green plantations; there are about 70 large parks, and more than a hundred small squares. The most popular of them are Water Park, Park San Pio, Jardin Eloy Valenzuela Botanic Garden, and eco-park Cerro del Santisimo, in which a huge sculpture of Christ is installed on the observation deck. There are many ancient churches in Bucaramanga. The most interesting are the pure white Basilica of the Holy Family, the Gothic Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, and the church Iglesia de San Pedro Claver, completely unlike traditional Catholic churches. The city has lots of beautiful civil buildings in the Colonial style, for example, the Birthplace of Simón Bolívar. There are several interesting museums here. And since Bucaramanga is full of students, there are many bars, discos, clubs, and other entertainment establishments.