Book
Book on WhatsApp Ver esta página en español

Carrera 9 #16-77, San Gil

Hostel in San Gil, Santander

Your home in San Gil. Your starting point for adventure.

A courtyard with a butterfly mural, hammocks and breakfast in a colonial-style house four blocks from the main square. Rest here, then head out for Santander's river, canyon and waterfalls.

Book on WhatsApp Explore the rooms

Carrera 9 #16-77 · San Gil

Three guests smile over breakfast — orange juice, eggs and avocado — in Real Dream's courtyard, in front of the hand-painted butterfly and flower mural.
Two people in helmets and harnesses, roped to a red line at the edge of a rock, share a kiss before a rappel with the green Santander valley behind them.
Rappel in Santander

The house

A home away from home

That's how Real Dream describes itself on Instagram, and you get it the moment you step inside: a covered courtyard with a skylight, a hand-painted mural of butterflies and flowers, terracotta tile floors, timber beams and colourful hammocks to linger in.

There are board games, books, a social area and a shared kitchen. And when you're ready to head out, the team will advise you on adventure sports and places to visit nearby.

  • Hammocks and a social area
  • Board games and books
  • Shared kitchen
  • Advice for your plans
The covered patio with a skylight, timber beams, a hammock and plants; three guests have breakfast with orange juice.
The shared lounge with colourful hammocks hung from timber posts, wicker seats and a couple having breakfast at a glass table.

Adventure, rest and good vibes.

Real Dream's Instagram bio

Rooms

Choose your corner

Six room types, from a four-bed dorm to a family room with a private bathroom. All with free Wi-Fi. We'll send rates and availability on WhatsApp.

Deluxe Family Room

Two double beds, a private bathroom and room for four.

  • 2 double beds
  • Up to 4 guests
  • Bathroom private
  • 36 m²

Deluxe Room

A double bed, a desk and a private bathroom under a timber ceiling.

  • 1 double bed
  • Up to 2 guests
  • Bathroom private
  • 25 m²

Deluxe Double Room

A double bed, a private bathroom and a window with timber shutters.

  • 1 double bed
  • Up to 2 guests
  • Bathroom private
×2 ×2

Bed in 4-Bed Dormitory Room

Your own bed in a small four-bed dorm.

  • Bunk beds: 4 beds in total
  • 1 guest per bed
  • Bathroom shared
  • 16 m²

See all the rooms

Outside

Santander is vast

River, canyon, waterfalls and open sky. San Gil has been Santander's official tourism capital since 2004, and its best-known adventures start here.

A rafting crew in helmets and life jackets paddles through a rapid on the Río Fonce. Destination photo

Water · Río Fonce

Rafting on the Río Fonce

San Gil's classic: running the Río Fonce in a raft, paddling as a team through the rapids.

A paraglider flies over the slopes of the Chicamocha Canyon. Destination photo

Air · Chicamocha Canyon

Paragliding over the Chicamocha

Fly with an expert pilot over the Chicamocha Canyon or the fields around Curití.

Two people in helmets and harnesses, roped to a red line at the edge of a rock, share a kiss before a rappel with the green Santander valley behind them. Hostel's photo

Rock and water · Juan Curí

Rappel and waterfall descents

Descend a rock face on a rope, either dry (rappel) or right beside a falling waterfall (torrentismo).

Real Dream gives advice and helps you book with local operators. Activities are run by independent operators and are not included with your stay.

All adventures
Two guests have scrambled eggs in the dining area while a musician plays guitar in the background.

Photo: Real Dream Hostel (Instagram) · post of 22 May 2023

Breakfast and shared spaces

Good morning, San Gil

American breakfast is served in the dining area and the courtyard, over orange juice, coffee and conversation with other travellers. On Booking.com and Hostelworld it's paid separately; if you book directly, ask whether your rate includes it.

The dining-area bar with timber stools painted white, pink and mint green, an exposed brick wall and a terracotta floor.
Discover the hostel

Around town

San Gil beyond the hostel

Five places to build your days around. Details from the San Gil town hall, Colombia Travel and the hostel’s listings.

  1. Trees draped in Spanish moss in El Gallineral Natural Park.

    El Gallineral Natural Park

    In San Gil, beside the Río Fonce riverside walk

    A river islet of about 4 hectares between the arms of the Curití stream and the Río Fonce, with stone paths and trees draped in Spanish moss. Open to visitors since 1985.

    Source: Alcaldía de San Gil — Parque Gallineral

    Destination photo, not the hostel's. Photo: Alfovie , CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons (cropped and optimised).

  2. The Río Fonce runs between trees, with rafts in the distance.

    Río Fonce

    Runs through town

    It gives San Gil its nickname, "La Perla del Fonce", and it is home to the town's classic rafting run.

    Source: Alcaldía de San Gil — Turismo

    Destination photo, not the hostel's. Photo: Juanca.rada , CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons (cropped and optimised).

  3. A stone-paved street in Barichara with white houses, green doors and the cathedral tower at the end.

    Barichara

    Buses from the Terminalito, one block from the hostel

    One of Colombia's heritage towns, with stone-paved streets and whitewashed houses. Routes to the nearby towns leave from the Terminalito.

    Source: Colombia Travel — Barichara

    Destination photo, not the hostel's. Photo: Bernard Gagnon , CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons (cropped and optimised).

  4. The Juan Curí waterfall drops through thick vegetation onto a rocky bed.

    Juan Curí Waterfalls

    Near San Gil, in the municipality of Páramo

    Falls dropping about 200 metres into a natural pool. The best-known spot in the area for waterfall descents.

    Source: Colombia Travel — San Gil

    Destination photo, not the hostel's. Photo: Juan Gómez , CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons (cropped and optimised).

  5. Folded mountains and the river bed in the Chicamocha Canyon.

    Chicamocha Canyon

    Chicamocha National Park: about 42 km away, per the hostel’s Hostelworld listing

    A vast landscape of folded mountains above the Chicamocha river, and one of the paragliding sites near San Gil.

    Source: Alcaldía de San Gil — Parapente

    Destination photo, not the hostel's. Photo: Bernard Gagnon , CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons (cropped and optimised).

Reviews

What guests say on booking platforms

Scores checked on 28 October 2026.

See you on Carrera 9

Tell us your dates and what you'd like to do in San Gil. We'll reply on WhatsApp with availability, rates and ideas.

Book on WhatsApp Plan my enquiry

Carrera 9 #16-77 · San Gil, Santander Directions