Hostel Santander Aleman Terrace Vista

I loved this hostel. Very quiet, clean and organize, beatiful rooms with hot water. And the price os good for the quality of the hostel. I really recomend! The hostel is in the center, next to everything. At night is very quiet do ia great to sleep.

Im a 69 yr old woman solo traveling for my first time in South America, not knowing the language. I booked the Santander Aleman Hotel based on prior good reviews and the location (close to my rafting excursion) and it didn’t disappoint. Ivan could not have been more helpful (and yes, he does speak and understand enough English to get by). The location was convenient even to the public square. Extremely clean; breakfast for $3 (US$) was full and fresh. Although the room rates are super affordable, don’t choose this hotel because of that. Choose it because of Ivan and his family and the impeccable quality and service they provide. You won’t be disappointed.

Iván is the concierge, breakfast cook and housekeeper extrodinaire. He helped book paragliding and rafting trips with pick ups from the hotel. He taught himself English 8 years ago only using a dictionary and an enthusiasm for his job. They have a laundry service, the laundry smelled nice, faintly like cinnamon. The location is close to the river, the park and the plaza. You get exercise wherever you walk in San Gil so don’t worry about reviews saying it’s steep, all of Santander is steep. San Gil is not a destination for foodies but we enjoyed the street food in the square. We stayed at Aleman for two nights then went to Baricharra and then returned to Aleman for three nights. Baricharra had more options for dinning and slowing life down to a snails pace. But there is a really nice restaurant next to the Aleman called El Mana with typical Colombian food and seemingly endless fresh juice refills. The hotel was really clean, has a kitchen area for guests and has a nice balcony with views of the mountains and a hammock. This is a tip for the middle age, motion sickness folks and less adrenaline junkies. The rio Fonce rafting is near by, a shorter trip and way less intense than rio Saurez. We did paragliding in Villa Nueva so we didn’t have to be in the car for a total of 3 hours to the top of Chicamocha. They were both spectacular experiences closer to San Gil and easier on the budget. Bring ear plugs, there are a prodigious amount of church bells in San Gil. Have fun in San Gil