San Gil is full of tour companies offering every possible adrenaline filled activity. While these tours are convenient, sometimes it’s nice to just go at your own pace and travel independently. While there are a handful of activities you can do on your own, one of my favorites is a visit to the Juan Curi Waterfall.
In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to plan your own visit including transportation, prices, and what to expect.
Why Visit the Juan Curi Waterfall
Located outside the center of San Gil, the Juan Curi Waterfall towers over 180 meters (nearly 600 feet) above the forest below. As you arrive, you’ll be able to see the falls in the distance, but getting up close is even better. Hike through the forest as you make your way to the bottom of the falls. The roar of the water shows just powerful this waterfall is.
How to Get to the Juan Curi Waterfall
Getting to the Juan Curi Waterfall is easy. From San Gil, you’ll want to go to Terminalito (the small bus station located just a few blocks from the main square). From there, you can get a bus heading toward Charalá. When you board the bus, ask the driver to drop you at “Las Cascadas”. When I did this in November 2024, the bus cost 8,000 COP one way. You can buy a ticket at the counter or just pay the driver.
I have just a few notes from my journey. First, the driver drove right passed the waterfalls. I saw the entrance and thought “wait I think that was my stop”. Thankfully he still stopped, but instead of stopping right at the entrance, it was a bit up the road. So I ended up walking just a little bit on the road. Not bad, but I definitely had a slight moment of panic.
Second, in at least one other blog post, the author made a note that there would probably be other people getting off at the waterfalls too. That was not the case for me. The bus was full and I was the only one who got off at the waterfalls. But since I got where I needed to go, I can’t complain.
Lastly, there’s no designated bus stop. So, when you leave the waterfalls, you’ll just have to wait on the side of the road until a bus shows up. This can feel weird, especially if you’re like me and you’re the only one sitting there. But eventually a bus will come. Flag them down and ride until you arrive back in San Gil.
Entrance Fees for the Juan Curi Waterfall
Entrance to the Juan Curi Waterfall is 12,000 COP. When you enter, you’ll see a building on the lefthand
side. Pay for fee and check in. As a note, you’ll need your passport number when you sign in. I didn’t need to show my actual passport, but I still needed that number for the sign in sheet. It’s a good idea to just have it memorized.
Hiking to the Juan Curi WaterFall
In my opinion, the best part of the Juan Curi Waterfall isn’t the waterfall itself, but rather it’s the adventure you get to have while you hike out to the waterfall.
When you pay your entrance fee, you’ll be shown a rudimentary map of the property. Then, the person who took your money will explain where to go. This is all done in Spanish, so if you aren’t confident with your Spanish abilities, make sure you have an app like Google Translate ready. In my opinion, there was one major piece of advice. When you get to the fork in the road, go to the right. The rest of the information covers stairs and river crossings, but as long as you know to expect them (which you now know about after reading this post), you’ve gotten the gist of it.
Now that you’ve been fully orientated, start hiking to the falls. I was not thinking and did not start my normal hiking tracker, but I’d guess in total it was about 1.5 to 2 miles round trip. There is a bit of elevation change, but compared to other hikes I’ve done in Colombia, it was nothing too noteworthy.
Back to the hike. Follow the path, but keep an eye out for the split. When you arrive, you should see an arrow pointing to the right (although it’s easy to walk past if you aren’t paying attention). This keeps you on the right track and will make a for a much better experience. As you hike, you’ll hear the sound of rushing water and occasionally pass smaller waterfalls.
There were two notable river crossings that I have to mention. For each crossing (and even some other sections of the trail), there is a rope that you can hold on to. The rope is fastened to the trees so you can use that to keep your balance and have something to hold on to, which gives you a better feeling of security.
I visited during the rainy season and while I could cross the river without too many issues, there was a current pulling at my ankles as I crossed. Be aware. And yes, your shoes will get wet, so if that bothers you, take them off before you cross (I chose to use this as an opportunity to clean my filthy shoes).
You’ll also have to climb a ladder and some stairs, but that just adds to the adventure. Like I said, I was expecting a calm waterfall viewing and got a fun hike through the forest and across the river.
Eventually, you will pop out at the base of the Juan Curi waterfall. The noise from the water is a lot, but it’s just a reminder of how powerful it is. If you brought your swimsuit (and changed into it before you started hiking—there are changing stalls up at the front of the property), find a place to set your belongings and have a dip. While it was a beautiful day outside, the water wasn’t quite warm, though it was still refreshing.
When you’re finished at the base of the waterfall, loop around. Do not follow the way you came. The trail keeps looping and will take you back to your starting point. I found this second half of the trail less adventurous, but maybe that’s because I was more ready for adventure now.
More at the Juan Curi Waterfall
If hiking around the falls sounds too tame, you do have one more option. Adventurous travelers can climb to the very top of the waterfall and repel back down to the bottom. For those who are seeking a bit more adventure, this can be a great option. Obviously you’ll need a guide, but you’ll be able to sign up for repelling at the waterfalls.
I opted to skip the repel on my visit to Juan Curi. Do I think it would have been fun? Absolutely, but I enjoyed following the path and getting up close with the falls.
How Long Do You Need at the Juan Curi Waterfall
If you plan to repel down the falls, you’ll obviously need a bit more time.
For those you plan to just hike the loop to the falls, budget a half day. This includes your transportation to and from San Gil as well as time spent at the falls. Of course you could spend longer but in my opinion, a half day is really all you need.
Do You Need a Guide for the Juan Curi Waterfall?
If you’re planning to repel down the waterfall, you’ll need a guide. However, this doesn’t mean you have to go with a tour company for the entire visit. Go to the entrance, pay your fee, and you will be able to repel down the waterfall.
Regardless of whether or not you want to repel down the waterfall, I don’t think you need to go with a guided tour. There are several tour agencies in San Gil and they will offer a visit to the Juan Curi Waterfall, but since it’s so easy to do on your own, I recommend saving your money. In total, the bus and entrance fee cost me just 28,000 COP (or about $6.50 USD).
More in San Gil
San Gil is an adventure town and you’ll have no shortage of things to do during your stay. Popular activities include white water rafting, paragliding, zip lining, and hiking. But you’ll also find connections to smaller, colonial towns like Barichara and Curiti which will offer a calmer experience.
When to Visit the Juan Curi Waterfall
San Gil can be visited all year round. While many countries have weather that can change drastically throughout the year, Colombia has just two seasons: dry season and rainy season.
Dry season is more popular because rain is less likely. Dry season typically runs from December through February or March. Then there is another dry season from June through August.
Rainy season comprises of the other months of the year. April and May and September through November. While it is rainy season, it may not rain every day, but you need to be prepared that it could rain at any time. Learn more about visiting during rainy season.
While dry season, particularly December through February, is the most popular time to travel, I chose to visit in November. It was rainy season and it did rain every day of my visit. However, the rain typically did not occur until the late afternoon or evening, meaning on most days my mornings were dry and I was able to explore in the dry sunshine.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for an easy DIY day trip from San Gil, look into a visit to the Juan Curi Waterfall. It’s an easy and fun trip and makes for a great way to spend a few hours.
Continue Your Adventure
San Gil: San Gil is Colombia’s adventure capital and is full of great things to do. Check out my two day San Gil itinerary which also includes a day trip to the charming town of Barichara and a hike along the Camino Real.
More in Colombia: Start planning your trip with my Colombia Travel Guide. Don’t miss my nine day itinerary, my advice for creating a reasonable travel budget, plenty of safety information, and my top travel tips. And don’t miss other destinations in Colombia like the capital of Bogotá and the colonial town of Villa de Leyva.