Pre-Columbian period

The Guans were the indigenous people who inhabited the region before the Conquest of America by the Spanish. Their domains, as supported by documents from the Chibcha nation, were bordered to the west by the Yariguís, to the north by the Chitareros, to the east by the Laches, and to the south and southeast by the Muiscas. These limits were defined, to the west, by the course of the Yariguíes mountain range or mountain range, the upper part of Zapatoca and a part of the Oro River until its mouth into the Suratá River. Between this last river and the Umpalá River, at the height of the Páramo de Santa Bárbara, the Guane territory bordered to the north and northeast with that of the Chitareros. The limit with the Lache territories followed the course of the Umpalá River until its mouth at the Chicamocha River and, from there, along the latter until its meeting with the Guantiva mountain range. The continuity of this mountain range until the páramo of La Russia defined the southeastern border with the Muisca country, and this continued from the south to the west along the Tolotá River and the Lenguaruco River, which flows into the Suárez River.[25]​.

Chief Guanentá was one of the five sovereigns who governed the Chibcha people. Its seat of government was located in the Guane town on the Jéridas Plateau, and the chiefs of Uyamata, Sancoteo, Caraota, Cotisco, Siscota, Cácher, Xuaguete, Bocore, Butaregua, Macaregua, Chalalá, Poima and Poasaque were subject to its jurisdiction. Colonial documents, such as royal decrees and titles of reservations, are currently referenced to delimit the so-called Chibcha country, describing an extension that, according to these sources, would extend from the region of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela to Brazil.[26]​.

Colonial period

Bucaramanga was established as an indigenous town, designated as a reservation land and assigned to the jurisdiction of Pamplona "Pamplona (Colombia)"). Its foundation took place on December 22, 1622 by the priest Miguel de Trujillo and Captain Andrés Páez de Sotomayor, following the provisions of the auditor Juan de Villabona Zubiaurre, visitor of the province of Pamplona. One of the reasons that led Juan de Villabona to order this establishment was the difficulty expressed by Miguel de Trujillo, who had to search for the indigenous people from mine to mine to carry out his work of evangelizing.[27][28]​.

The place where the Indian town was built was one kilometer north of the Bucaramanga ranchería, near the Quebrada Seca. Two months after construction began, the town of Bucaramanga, which was named after the ranchería and the ravine, was ready. On December 22, 1622, the founders of the city documented the order and the indigenous people of the Bucarica, Cachagua, Gérira and Guaca groups moved there. The town was declared a "real mine",[27]​ in reference to the gold exploitation that took place nearby.

For a period, Bucaramanga was the seat of the mayor's office of the adjacent Reales de Minas. By 1799, it had a population of 2,178 people, of which only 178 were aboriginal.[27] As the alluvial gold decreased, the settlement gradually transformed into a town of Creoles and mestizos, which resulted in a high percentage of eviction of the indigenous population. Mining activity on the banks of the Río de Oro dispersed until it disappeared, although its inhabitants continued to enjoy the economic facilities granted by the King to the towns that paid gold. However, by dedicating themselves to various agricultural activities, the situation became a bad deal for the Spanish Crown, since they were neither indigenous nor miners. Due to this, and added to Spain's need for resources to finance wars due to the scarcity of mines, one source of financing was the sale of these territories to Spaniards and mestizos as farmland. This situation was denounced by the council of San Juan de Girón "Girón (Santander)") before the Royal Court, since they sought the extinction of the Real de Minas and the annexation of the territories of Bucaramanga to their jurisdiction.[27]​.

On July 11, 1778, the visitor Francisco Antonio Moreno y Escandón arrived in the region. Upon verifying that the order established by Juan de Villabona could not be maintained, he ordered the transfer of the few indigenous people who still remained in the town of Bucaramanga to be relocated to the town of Guane, finalizing their final departure on January 1, 1779. In the place of the old town, in 1779, the parish of Chiquinquirá and San Laureano del Real de Minas de Bucaramanga was created.[27]​.

19th century

Although in 1810 Bucaramanga provisionally proclaimed itself as a town, following the trend of other towns in New Granada that established government boards, this declaration lacked legal recognition and was dissolved after the patriot defeat in the Cachirí moor in 1816, when the troops of the Tierra Firme Expeditionary Army restored monarchical authority in the region.[29]​.

Later, during the Constituent Congress of Cúcuta, lawyer Enrique Puyana presented a formal request for Bucaramanga to officially receive the title of town, highlighting the patriotism and services provided by the parish to the republican cause. On June 30, 1821, Congress definitively granted said recognition.[30][31]​.

However, after the patriot victory in Boyacá (1819), although Bucaramanga organized its own town council as the town of San Laureano, in 1823 the neighboring Piedecuesta - which did have a royal title of town granted in 1810 - demanded the legality of these authorities. As a result, Bucaramanga was reduced to a parish again, with municipal mayors appointed by the Piedecuesta council.[29]​.

The situation was resolved with the issuance of the first Territorial Planning Law of the Republic of Colombia, sanctioned on June 25, 1824 by Vice President Francisco de Paula Santander. This rule established that the canton capitals had to have their own municipality, which allowed Bucaramanga to be officially recognized as a town and capital of the homonymous canton in the province of Pamplona. Since July 14, 1825, its authorities were able to legally sign as "Villa de San Laureano de Bucaramanga."[29]​.

Villa in the mid-19th century (1825–1850)

After the enactment of the Territorial Planning Law of 1824, Bucaramanga was consolidated in 1825 as a legitimate town and canton head of the province of Pamplona, ​​with its own town hall and mayor's office.[29]​.

The artisanal economy was key in this period. The introduction of jipijapa hat weaving in the 1820s, thanks to a Pastuso artisan welcomed in Girón, generated a true regional industry. By 1850, it was estimated that in Bucaramanga about three thousand poor women made hats in their homes, which were then sold in the local market and exported to the Atlantic Coast, Cúcuta and the Antilles.[29]​[32]​ The trade linked to this production allowed the emergence of grocery stores and grocery stores, such as the one founded by Juan Crisóstomo Parra, who diversified his businesses with the transportation of goods to Cúcuta, Bogotá and even Venezuela.[29]​.

The town also acquired political relevance with the presence of Simón Bolívar, who resided there between March and June 1828 during the Ocaña Convention. The Liberator stayed in the houses of the Mutis family, began conversations with the priest Eloy Valenzuela and toured the town and its surroundings, episodes recorded in the Diario de Bucaramanga by Luis Perú de Lacroix.[33]​[30]​.

In the field of health, in 1840 Benito Valenzuela became the first Bumangués to graduate as a doctor and surgeon at the Central University of Bogotá. Upon his return he opened the first pharmacy in the town, which marked the beginning of pharmaceutical services and professional medical care.[32]​.

The participation of women in economic life became visible with figures such as Trinidad Parra de Orozco, born in 1845, who inherited assets from her father and carried out trade independently. It minted its own currency and allocated part of its resources to public works, such as donating land for Romero Park.[32]​.

In educational matters, Bucaramanga had elementary schools from early on and was the birthplace of notable reformers. In 1833 Dámaso Zapata was born, who later stood out as a pedagogical innovator and leader of the modernization of public education in Colombia.[29]​[32]​.

After the creation of the Sovereign State of Santander in 1857, the Constituent Assembly met in Pamplona "Pamplona (Colombia)") on January 1 of that year. This population, with a conservative majority, hoped to be designated the capital of the new State. However, the majority of the conventionists were members of the Liberal Party and favored Socorro "El Socorro (Santander)"), a town with a broad liberal base.[34]​.

Political tensions led to persecutions that forced a good part of the liberal assembly members to travel to Bucaramanga to continue deliberations. Before leaving Pamplona, ​​the president of the State, Manuel Murillo Toro, signed the law that designated Bucaramanga as the capital of the Sovereign State of Santander on November 24, 1857. The Assembly was installed in the town council on December 2 of the same year, consolidating Bucaramanga as the headquarters of state institutions.[34][29]​.

German immigration

In the middle of the century, Bucaramanga received a group of immigrants from Germany, whose main reference was **Geo von Lengerke**, a merchant who arrived in 1852. These immigrants settled in the Santander region and played a role in the construction of communication roads, in export and import trade and in the introduction of some industrial activities.[29]​.

Von Lengerke promoted the opening of routes to the Magdalena River and planned the connection of Bucaramanga with Puerto Wilches through a railway, in addition to participating in companies such as the Santander Industrial Company dedicated to the exploitation of cinchona.[32]​ His activity coincided with the administration of General Solón Wilches, with whom he established links of collaboration.

The German presence was also reflected in the local social and economic sphere. Some immigrants participated in banking, the trade of agricultural products, and industrial initiatives such as breweries and mills.[37] These activities introduced new business practices in Bucaramanga and its surroundings, contributing to diversifying the regional economy during the second half of the century.

Between September 7 and 9, 1879, a popular revolt known as "La Culebra de Pico de Oro" occurred. This was a consequence of the class confrontation between two groups of the time: artisans and merchants (made up of German immigrants and well-off Santander residents), the latter owners of banking and the production of raw materials. The artisans formed a society that their detractors called "La Culebra de Pico de Oro", within which a nationalist zeal was awakened, leading to a riot that culminated in the death of several Colombian merchants and two German citizens. The then German Empire made the respective claim and request for compensation through diplomatic channels, even threatening armed intervention if the demands were not satisfied. The events ended with the arrest, trial and imprisonment of several of those responsible for the massacre.[38]​.

20th century

At the beginning of the century, Bucaramanga endured the economic hardship caused by the Thousand Days War. In the year 1900, the liberal combatants tried to take the city "Battle of Bucaramanga (1899)"), but the conservative soldiers managed to repel the aggression and win the battle, although shortly after the city would pass under liberal control for a few months. Furthermore, the strong social and political blows of this time marked the entire society, highlighting that this was one of the regions with the greatest participation in the Thousand Days War. However, in the second decade of the century, Bucaramanga began its recovery, with great growth in population and infrastructure. The first organized communes of the city began to be forged, accompanied by greater trade derived from the artisanal exploitation of gold, which had in Bucaramanga the epicenter of the commercialization of multiple imported products, which allowed a commercial flow with the outside.[39]​.

The discovery of oil on the "Ribera (shore)") of the Magdalena River energized the economy of Bucaramanga, becoming the place where companies and workers heading to the jungle area of ​​Magdalena Medio in Santander were coordinated, where Barrancabermeja would later emerge. Bucaramanga, in turn, extended the long route that sought trade with Venezuela from Bogotá.[39]​.

21st century

In 2009, the city was elected as a member of the Andean Consultative Council of Municipal Authorities of the Andean Community of Nations. In this decade, the city and its metropolitan area have experienced rapid growth, which has marked its economic and social prosperity.[40]​.

Contenido

Bucaramanga se encuentra dentro del área metropolitana de Bucaramanga, una subdivisión del departamento de Santander "Santander (Colombia)").

Municipal organizational structure

This includes the municipal administration and the decentralized entities of the municipality. The mayor of Bucaramanga is the head of the Government and the municipal administration, in addition to legally, judicially and extrajudicially representing the city. This position is elected every four years by universal and direct suffrage. The mayor pronounces himself through decrees and resolutions. For the period 2024-2027, Mayor Jaime Andrés Beltrán was elected; However, on August 21, 2025, the Council of State annulled his election due to double militancy, which implied his dismissal and the call for new elections.[41]​.

The decentralized municipal secretariats and institutes operate under the direction of the mayor, whose main officials are appointed by him.[42]​.

Political control bodies

The Council of Bucaramanga is the administrative corporation of the municipality and exercises political control over the management of the mayor and his cabinet. It is made up of 19 councilors elected by popular vote for four-year terms. In accordance with article 313 of the Constitution, it is responsible for issuing regulations on economic and social development, adopting the municipal budget, regulating land uses and exercising other functions established by law.[43]​.

The Departmental Assembly "Asamblea Departamental (Colombia)"), the administrative body of Santander, also has its headquarters in Bucaramanga and is made up of 16 deputies.[44]​.

Jurisdictional power

In matters of Ordinary Jurisdiction, Bucaramanga is the headquarters of the Judicial District of the same name, which includes specialized chambers in Criminal, Labor and Civil Family Law. The jurisdiction extends to the judicial circuits of Barrancabermeja, Bucaramanga, Málaga "Málaga (Santander)") and San Vicente de Chucurí. The judicial circuit of Bucaramanga has jurisdiction and includes the municipalities of Bucaramanga, California, Cepitá, Charta, Floridablanca, Girón, Lebrija, Los Santos, Matanza, Piedecuesta, Rionegro, Suratá, Tona and Umpalá.[45]​.

In contentious-administrative matters, Bucaramanga is the seat of the Superior Court of Santander, its jurisdiction extends to all the administrative courts of the department of Santander.

La cabecera municipal se divide en 17 comunas, cada una con aproximadamente 200 barrios.[2]​ La zona rural se compone de tres corregimientos, que a su vez se dividen en 25 veredas.[3]​ Cada comuna y corregimiento cuenta con una junta administradora local (JAL) integrada por siete ediles, elegidos por sufragio universal y directo, con el mismo periodo de mandato que el alcalde de la ciudad y el concejo municipal.

Corregimientos

Bucaramanga has the following townships:

Populated centers and villages without Jal "Local Administrative Board (Colombia)"):.

Metropolitan area

The metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga is made up of the municipalities of Bucaramanga, Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)"), Girón "Girón (Santander)") and Piedecuesta "Piedecuesta (Santander)"). All of them belong to the Metropolitan Province and are registered in the upper basin of the Lebrija River. It has an area of ​​1,479 km².

It was created by ordinance No. 020 of December 15, 1981 by the Santander Assembly, establishing a metropolitan area with Bucaramanga as the large urban center or main nucleus, and the adjacent towns of Girón and Floridablanca. In 1984, ordinance No. 048 was issued to include the municipality of Piedecuesta, which was formalized on March 2, 1985 with Decree 0332 “by which the municipality of Piedecuesta is integrated into the Metropolitan Area of ​​Bucaramanga.”[46][47]​.

It is administered by a Metropolitan Board chaired by the mayor of Bucaramanga, who is head of the administration and its representative. In addition, it is made up of a representative of the Bucaramanga Council, elected by majority vote; a representative of one of the councils of the municipalities of Floridablanca, Girón and Piedecuesta, chosen by the president of the respective councils; a mayor of a municipality other than Bucaramanga, appointed by the governor; and a representative of the Governor.[48]​.

According to data projected by DANE for the period 2008-2009, the metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga is home to 1,065,228 of the 2,016,251 inhabitants of Santander, which is equivalent to 53% of the department's population.

Defense

Bucaramanga is the headquarters of the Second Division "2nd Army Division (Colombia)") of the Colombian Army. Within this division, the Fifth Brigade and some of its battalions, such as the Ricaurte infantry battalion, the Caldas engineering battalion, the Mercedes Ábrego services battalion and the No. 2 Aviation battalion, are stationed in the city.[51][52]​.

La ciudad está localizada en el departamento de Santander "Santander (Colombia)"), en la provincia Metropolitana, sobre una meseta a 959 msnm en la Cordillera Oriental. Sus coordenadas geográficas son de latitud norte con respecto al Meridiano de Bogotá y de longitud al Occidente de Greenwich respectivamente. Al oriente está rodeada de montañas y al occidente se encuentra el cañón del Río de Oro.[53]​ Limita al norte con Rionegro "Rionegro (Santander)");[54]​ por el Oriente con los municipios de Matanza,[55]​ Charta "Charta (Santander)")[56]​ y Tona "Tona (Santander)").[57]​ por el Sur con Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)") y; por el Occidente con Girón "Girón (Santander)").

Territory and soils

The total area of ​​Bucaramanga is 162 km². The different altitudes of some points on the ground allow the city to be found in several thermal levels, distributed in warm (55 km²), medium (100 km², where the urban area lies with 34 km²) and cold (10 km²).[58]​.

The Bucaramanga plateau is located within the valley of the Oro River and forms a wide projection attached to the eastern slope of the Valley. It is formed by a succession of mantles from the Pleistocene period, which descend slightly towards the west. The plateau begins in the east at the foot of the Bucaramanga Massif and is delimited in the west by a vertical scarp, at the base of which begins a topography dissected by intermittent water currents that give the territory a dendritic morphology. Near the western side of the river there are also remains of materials that form the plateau, rocks originating in the Jurassic and Triassic periods. The soil groups a succession of almost horizontal mantles that vary lithologically between conglomerates "Conglomerate (geology)"), limonites, clays, sandstones and gravels.[3]​.

From an agrological point of view, its soils can be divided into two groups: the first, without danger of erosion, are suitable for the cultivation of a wide variety of products and use for livestock farming. The other type of soil has a high erosive potential; For this reason, it has low fertility and a superficial layer of fertility, in some situations almost zero.[58]​.

Bucaramanga is located in an area of ​​High Seismic Activity.[59]​ The sector where it is located, the Bucaramanga plateau, is a sunken block between the Bucaramanga - Santa Marta faults to the east, which limits the rocks of the Bucaramanga massif, and the Suárez Fault, in addition to being close to the Los Santos seismic knot.[60]​[3]​.

Hydrography

The main rivers of Bucaramanga are the Río de Oro and Río Suratá, and the streams of La Flora, Tona, La Iglesia, Quebrada Seca, Cacique, El Horno, San Isidro, Las Navas, La Rosita and Bucaramanga.[58]​.

The Oro River is one of the most important rivers that cross Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area. Its passage through Bucaramanga is located, according to the Territorial Planning Plan of Bucaramanga, on the western escarpment. The Grande ravine, the Suratá ravine and the Lato river flow into this river in the Piedecuesta area. In the Girón area, it receives the waters of the Frío River, the La Iglesia stream, the Chimitá stream, the La Rosita streams (which has the El Loro stream as a tributary) and the Quebrada-Seca (which in turn has the La Joya stream as its tributary). Other important streams in this area of ​​the western escarpment are the streams La Pincha, Chapinero, Las Navas (with its tributary Dos Aguas), La Argelia and La Cuyamita. The Oro River forms, together with the Suratá River, the Lebrija River.[3][61]​.

In the Malpaso escarpment there are the El Carrasco and Guacamaya streams, which pour their waters into the La Iglesia stream and the El Macho stream, which receives the waters from the La Bomba stream. In the northern escarpment are the Chitota ravine and the Zanjón de Regadero ravine.[61]​.

Bucaramanga has a monsoon climate (according to the Köppen climate classification Am). The IDEAM classifies it as follows: in the lower altitude parts of the city, the climate is hot dry; In the higher altitude areas, the climate is temperate.[62]​ The average temperature is 21.4 °C, with an average maximum of 25.5 °C. The average annual precipitation is 1189 mm. The rain regime is distributed in two dry periods and two rainy periods, as in the majority of the country. The dry periods include the months of December, January, February, March, June, July and August, while the rainy periods occur in April, May, September, October and November.[3]​.

Flora

The vegetation of Bucaramanga corresponds to a life zone in transition between the Tropical Dry Forest (bs-T) and Premontane Humid Forest (bmh-PM), or a transition between the Subandean Forest and the Lower Tropical Forest, according to the Cuatrecasas classification.[66] 70 tree species have been identified in Bucaramanga, of which 40 are Native Species and the other 30 are Species. introduced.[67]​ The most abundant tree species in the city are the Licania tomentosa or oití and the pink and yellow guayacanes, which represent 30%. Chicken coops and measles make up 15%. The royal palm and the fan palm add up to 5%. The búcaro occupies 2%. Other species, such as Ficus benjamina, Areca palm, African tulip, Mango and Leuceana, among others, make up the remaining 3%.[67]​[66]​.

Fauna

Some of the animal species that can be found in the city are birds such as the owl, parrot, parakeet, canary, turpial and blackbird; reptiles such as the boa constrictor, iguana and babilla; mammals such as monkeys and rodents such as squirrels, sloths and opossums.[67]​.

Eastern Hills

The Cerros Orientales are a mountainous formation located to the east of the city, made up of 1,300 hectares of native forest (which extend to 3,942 hectares if the Tona River basin is included) and the rural limit with Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)"), both territories inhabited by farmers[68]. They were declared a nature reserve thanks to the Territorial Planning Plan issued in 2013 for this area.[69]​[70]​ They are home to wild animal species such as gray foxes, squirrels, anteaters, armadillos and iguanas.[71]​ Despite being a protected area, many of the ecosystems of the Cerros Orientales are threatened by plans by construction companies to urbanize them.[72]​ Therefore, it was planned to build an ecological park with trails for walkers and a viewpoint "Mirador (tourism)"), using 290 hectares of the mountain system without using construction materials such as sand, brick and concrete so as not to affect the surrounding ecosystem. However, the project is on hold due to the rejection of environmentalists.[73] Currently, they are already a tourist attraction for walks and tours organized by ecological groups of the city and the municipal administration, through the Institute for Youth, Recreation and Sports of Bucaramanga") (INDERBU).[74][75]​.

La Corporación Autónoma Regional para la Defensa de la Meseta de Bucaramanga (CDMB) se encarga de medir los diferentes tipos de contaminación en Bucaramanga.

air pollution

To measure atmospheric pollution, the CDMB uses the IBUCA index), which reports daily on air quality, indicating the concentration level of pollutants and its relationship with health.[76] This measurement is carried out with 5 automatic stations, 3 manual and 4 meteorological stations located in the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga.[76] In addition, this entity is responsible for applying general standards and principles for atmospheric protection, as well as monitoring, control and monitoring mechanisms. air pollution to preserve its quality and reduce or avoid environmental deterioration.[77]​.

In 2009, the data released by the CDMB were:

• - NO2 "Nitrogen oxide (IV)"): 13.58 ppb, which according to the IBUCA measurement scale indicates regular figures, indicating that this oxide is one of the main pollutants of the city's air.

• - NO "Nitrogen (II) oxide"): 13.71 ppb.

• - SO "Sulfur oxide (IV)"): 4.20 ppb. This rust, according to the IBUCA scale, does not represent a high risk to public health.

• - CO "Carbon (II) oxide"): 0.89 ppm.

• - O: 12.30 ppb.

• - Particles in suspension: 38.21 µg/m³.[78]​.

Water pollution

The main points of water pollution are found in the Oro, Suratá and Lebrija rivers, since these streams receive wastewater from the metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga. In 2009, 61 monitoring points were established in the streams of the CDMB jurisdiction area, which covers several municipalities outside of Bucaramanga. According to the 2008 Water Quality Index, 11% (7 points) are classified as "Terrible", 16% (10 points) "Inadequate", 28% (17 points) "Doubtful" and 44% (27 points) "Good".[79]​.

El 52,4 % de las viviendas de Bucaramanga son casas, mientras que el 40,4 % son apartamentos y el 7,2 % restante corresponde a habitaciones u otros.[50]​ Según las cifras presentadas por el DANE del censo 2005, la composición etnográfica de la ciudad es:[80]​.

• - Trigueños (o Mestizos) y Blancos "Blanco (persona)"): (95,9 %).

• - Morenos/mulatos; negros, afrodescendientes o afrocolombianos: (3,9 %).

• - Indígenas o Amerindios: (0,2 %).

Birth and mortality

In 2008, 15,633 births were registered in Bucaramanga,[81]​ with an increase of 633 births compared to 2007.[82]​ Of these, 7,956 were men and 7,677 were women.[81]​.

In 2008, 3,923 deaths occurred in the city, which compared to the 4,328 in 2007 shows a decrease of 405 deaths.[83][84]​ 2,158 deaths were men and 1,765 were women.[83]​.

Citizen security

Since 2014, the homicide rate in Bucaramanga has had a growing trend, which represented an increase variation, at that time the percentage variation of the rate per one hundred thousand inhabitants was 20.1 and for the year 2019 it was 22.13, which represents an increase, with a variation of 2.04 percentage points. Which means a statistically significant variation. In relation to the concentration of cases compared to the national total, Bucaramanga presented 0.93% of the cases registered in Colombia during 2019.[85]​.

Citizen security is in charge of the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Police, attached to the National Police of Colombia. It has four districts, nine stations, one substation and forty-one immediate attention centers (CAI). Its radius of action is made up of the municipalities of Bucaramanga, Floridablanca, Girón, Piedecuesta, Lebrija and Los Santos (Santander) "Los Santos (Santander)").

Industry

The industrial activity that has the greatest presence in the city is agribusiness, followed by metalworking, and traditional footwear production. The Association of Footwear and Similar Industries, Asoinducals, is located in the city.[88]​ A significant sector of the Bumanguesa economy is the service economy that is distributed in various areas such as the health sector, education, hospitality, another area is the agricultural sector, due to the size of the income and jobs generated, whose main activities, agriculture, livestock and poultry, are carried out in various municipalities and surrounding areas in the departments of Santander and Cesar, but its administration and marketing take place in the city.

Bucaramanga has the Chimitá Industrial Zone, located to the west in the conurbation of the municipality of Girón; There are countless companies with different specialties such as Terpel, Nexans Colombia. In addition, one of the main plants of the Bavaria Brewery is located in the city. In the city, the conurbation with Floridablanca, there is a free zone, called the Santander Free Zone").[89]​.

The 2005 census carried out by DANE presents the following figures: 16.5% of establishments are dedicated to industry; 52.1% are dedicated to commerce; 29.8% are dedicated to services and 1.6% are dedicated to another activity. 3.7% of Bucaramanga households have economic activity in their homes. In establishments that have between 0 and 10 jobs, commerce, 54.4%, is the most frequent activity. In establishments that have between 10 and 50 people, the main activity is services (41.7%). Regarding the rural sector of the city, DANE figures showed that 75.9% of occupied rural homes, with people present on the day of the census, had agricultural activity. Of these homes, which had agricultural activity, DANE found that 70.1% were dedicated to agricultural work, 94.1% to livestock work, and the remaining 5.6% to fish farming work. These data are presented because the majority of homes have 2 or 3 types of activities simultaneously.[50]​.

Thanks to the commercial and business development it has, and the size of its economy and the fact that it is the de facto political center of eastern Colombia; Bucaramanga has positioned itself as a city of congresses and events by having infrastructure such as the Center for Fairs and Exhibitions - CENFER, which has become the largest commercial showcase in eastern Colombia, since countless fairs and exhibitions are held there annually in all branches of national commerce.[90]​ The city also has a multifunctional center for events and shows that provides Bucaramanga with a suitable space for holding large shows and activities. recreational, sports or commercial type. A countless number of conference and congress halls allow Bucaramanga to hold conventions with the security of the most adequate logistics, execution, convenience and comfort of the service offered by the Bumangueses for businessmen from all over the country.

Specialized fairs, in addition to generating direct benefits to the respective sector, mark other areas of the economy such as transportation, hotels, restaurants, commerce and various exhibitor service activities such as advertising, design and decoration of stands, modeling, etc.

In this city, one of the most important export-focused fairs in the region is held: the EIMI International Children's Fashion Exhibition, the only one specialized in this topic in Latin America[91]​ and to which Bucaramanga owes the name "capital of children's fashion."[91]​ It is held in Cenfer and is the driving force of exports in the clothing sector in the region, generating 40% of the foreign sales of this industry.

Trade

In recent years, important shopping centers and other types of buildings have been built in Bucaramanga. Among them, the Megamall Shopping Center, opened in 2007, Caracolí, Cacique and Cuarta Etapa stand out, as well as the Gratamira Shopping Center specialized in advanced technology items; We can mention in other areas of the city the Acropolis Shopping Center in the Royal Citadel of Minas, the San Andresito la Isla Shopping Center now called La Isla Centro Comercial and the San Andresito Centro Shopping Center.

Labor market

Historically, Bucaramanga has been one of the cities with the lowest number of unemployed people in the country. As of September 2010, according to DANE statistics, between July and September 2010, the city had an unemployment rate of 11.8%; increasing by 3.3%; with respect to the months of October and December 2009 when a rate of 8.5% was presented;[92]​ The global participation rate (TGP) is 70.1%; the occupancy rate (TO), 61.8%; the subjective underemployment rate (TS Sub), 39.0%; the objective underemployment rate (TS Obj) of 13.7%.[93]​.

En Bucaramanga y los municipios vecinos se puede realizar una diversidad de actividades turísticas; turismo ecológico a través de sus parques, turismo de aventura en la mesa de Ruitoque (Floridablanca), a 15 min de la ciudad se encuentra el “Voladero las Águilas” donde se puede practicar parapente. La zona del centro cuenta con construcciones coloniales, como las iglesias de San Laureano y la capilla de Dolores. Algunas casas importantes como la Casa de Bolívar, de Luis Perú de Lacroix. Otras construcciones coloniales se encuentran en los municipios vecinos de la ciudad. La diversidad turística de Bucaramanga le valió ser escogida como uno de los 7 destinos turísticos de orgullo nacional mediante un proceso de votación que fue convocada por Colombia es pasión y Bavaría.[94]​.

Bucaramanga cuenta con una infraestructura hotelera compuesta en parte por algunas de las mejores cadenas de hoteles del país. Varias zonas de la ciudad son centro de importantes restaurantes y discotecas de la ciudad.

Viewpoints

Morrorrico: located east of the city. A hill-shaped park is built in the sector, where you can see an impressive panoramic view of the city from its top; There are concrete and dirt paths that lead to the top where there is a fountain "Fountain (architecture)") with a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is visited during Holy Week by the inhabitants of the city, especially to perform the Via Crucis on Good Friday; In addition, the residents and parishioners of the area believe that the statue works miracles. The park also has a stage in the shape of a half-cake or half-moon for outdoor theater or other cultural, social or religious activities.

Palonegro: located on the road to the airport of the same name, where you can see a view of the metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga. In the place there are several nightclubs and stops visited especially on weekends.

Historical and natural surroundings

Chicamocha National Park (PANACHI): on the road that leads to Bogotá at the maximum height of the eastern mountain range "Cordillera Oriental (Colombia)") in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Aratoca, it offers a view of the Chicamocha River canyon. It also offers family attractions such as the cable car, among others.

Girón "Girón (Santander)"): located 9 km from Bucaramanga.[95]​ Founded in 1631, its gold mines made it important during the Colony, a time of a wonderful architectural legacy, which turned its old town into a National Monument. The Museum of Religious Art stands out, with valuable paintings and ancient liturgical objects, the Basilica of the Lord of Miracles, a pilgrimage site, and the Corregidor Chapel, on the outskirts.

Socorro "El Socorro (Santander)"): located 121 km from Bucaramanga.[96]​ Cradle of the Los Comuneros uprising, it is located in the Comunera province, northeast of the department of Santander. It was founded in 1681 and in 1711 it was granted the title of "Very Noble and Loyal Villa". In 1781 Manuela Beltrán broke the edict that increased taxes and contributions, which gave rise to the rebellion of Los Comuneros. In the main square, the monuments to José Antonio Galán, leader of the uprising, and Antonia Santos stand out. Other attractions are the house of culture and the cathedral. The old town center was declared a Site of Cultural Interest of the nation.

Barichara: 118 km from Bucaramanga.[97] It was founded by the Pradilla de la Parra family around the veneration of the Virgin of La Piedra. In May 1975 it received the title of "The most beautiful town in Colombia" and through Resolution 005 of June 30, 1975, its old town was declared a "National Monument" or "Asset of Cultural Interest" by the Colombian state. It is known for its cobblestone streets and wooden balconies; In its surroundings it is worth highlighting the colonial town of Guane "Guane (Santander)"), under its jurisdiction, which highlights the Church of the Century with its sanctuary of Santa Lucía and the Anthropological and Archaeological Museum, where its important collection of marine fossils, colonial books and archaeological objects from the indigenous cultures of Guane, Yareguí, Chalalá, etc. stand out.

San Gil "San Gil (Colombia)"): located 96 km from Bucaramanga.[98]​ The historic center of this town with steep streets and located on the banks of the Fonce River, was declared a National Monument of the nation. One of its greatest attractions is El Gallineral park, which occupies an island in the river; The moss hanging from the trees and the sound of the water make it a must-see site.

Other attractions of San Gil are the Ragonessi ecological park, the Pozo Azul spa, La Gruta hill, La Cruz hill and the practice of adventure sports such as canoeing, mountaineering, mountaineering and motocross, among others.

Sogamoso and/or Hidrosogamoso Hydroelectric Plant: property of the state-owned ISAGEN, it is built on the Sogamoso River. The dam and reservoir are located in the jurisdiction of the municipalities of Girón, Betulia "Betulia (Santander)"), Zapatoca, Los Santos "Los Santos (Santander)") and San Vicente de Chucurí. It is one of the 5 largest electricity generation plants in the country and its reservoir area (the largest in the country) of about 7,000 hectares will be used to develop fishing for both sustenance and sport, in addition to the practice of water sports and recreational rides in rowing or motor boats, jet skis or yachts.

Bucaramanga cuenta con los más importantes servicios de telecomunicaciones existentes del momento: telefonía fija y celular, redes inalámbricas de banda ancha de la cual Bucaramanga fue la primera ciudad del país en adquirir este servicio,[99]​[100]​ cibercafés, comunicación IP, etc. Las principales empresas en este sector son Movistar, Une y Claro.

Landline, mobile and Internet telephony

The landline and internet service in the city is provided by the companies Movistar (Antigua TeleBucaramanga), UNE Telecomunicaciones and Claro; 87.8% of the city has landline telephone coverage and 19% has internet service.[101] Mobile telephone service is provided by all mobile telephone operators in the country with 100% coverage, including the municipalities of the metropolitan area. Claro (from América Móvil), Tigo, Movistar, WOM, Móvil Éxito and Virgin Mobile are the six operators that offer the service with 3G technology and as of 2012 the 4G service is also offered. All five operators have GSM technology. They also provide mobile Internet service that also works in 3G and 4G technology. The Avantel company operates in the city offering trunking service.

Television

The city has a regional channel; TRO channel. In addition, the five national channels provide their services: the three private Caracol Televisión, Channel 1 "Canal Uno (Colombia)") and Canal RCN, and the two public ones: Canal Institucional and Diseño Colombia. Subscription television companies offer their own channels.

The cable television service is provided by Movistar "Movistar (Colombia)"), Tigo "Tigo (Colombia)") and Claro "Claro (Colombia)"), on satellite television Claro "Claro (Colombia)"), Movistar "Movistar (Colombia)") (offered by the former TeleBucaramanga")) and DirecTV "DirecTV (Colombia)"). satellite dish television service.

Radio

The city has a large number of AM and FM stations, both local and national coverage, of which the majority belong to large media conglomerates such as the radio networks RCN Radio and Caracol Radio; other highly popular commercial stations such as Olímpica Stereo, or institutional stations such as The National Police, The National Army, stations of the UIS, the UDES, Radio USTA (Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino), Blu Radio and the Cultural Station "Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento", the only cultural station in eastern Colombia.

Press and newspapers

In Bucaramanga the newspapers Vanguardia Liberal, El Frente") and Periódico Q'hubo circulate; in addition, free newspapers such as the weeklies Gente de Cabecera and Gente de Cañaveral circulate. The national newspapers El Tiempo "El Tiempo (Colombia)"), El Espectador "El Espectador (newspaper)"), Periódico ADN and the newspaper El Despertador also circulate.

Energy

The Electrificadora de Santander (ESSA), an EPM company, is in charge of providing the service in Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area. In the city, 97.6% of homes have electricity service.[101]​.

Aqueduct and sewer

The Metropolitan Aqueduct of Bucaramanga S.A. E.S.P. is responsible for the aqueduct service and the Public Sewerage Company of Santander S.A E.S.P., EMPAS S.A. of the sewage service.[102]​ This company supplies the city from the Surata River, the Frío River and the Tona River. 96.1% of the city has aqueduct service[101]​ and 94.7% has sewer service.[101]​.

Bucaramanga's water is considered the best in the country according to a study of the Bucaramanga aqueduct based on the water quality risk index (IRCA). This index cannot exceed 5 percent. For Bucaramanga it reached 0.35 percent.[103]​ For water treatment, the Bucaramanga Aqueduct has four treatment plants. The Bosconia plant is located on the road that leads from Bucaramanga to the municipality of Matanza; The Flora plant is located in the upper eastern part of Bucaramanga on the road to Cúcuta; The Morrorrico plant is located to the east of the city; The Oriente plant is located in the upper part of the Bucarica and Caracolí neighborhoods.[104]​ To guarantee the provision of drinking water service until 2050, the construction of the Bucaramanga Reservoir is planned.[105]​.

Toilet and garbage

Bucaramanga produces around 426 t of waste daily.[106]​ The companies in charge of collecting this waste are the Bucaramanga Cleaning Company (EMAB) which covers strata 1, 2 and 3.[107]​ Aseo Chicamocha S.A E.S.P which covers strata 4, 5 and 6.

This waste is taken to the "El Carrasco" landfill, located between the municipalities of Bucaramanga and Girón. This landfill began to be used in 1978 as an open-air dump. Every day about 750 tons of waste arrive at its facilities from 10 municipalities of Santander, the four in the metropolitan area, as well as Surata, Cáchira, Charta, Rionegro, Lebrija "Lebrija (Santander)") and Barbosa "Barbosa (Santander)"). a new landfill.

Gas

Bucaramanga is supplied with gas service from the 8-inch Barrancabermeja - Payoa - Bucaramanga gas pipeline that began operations in July 1997.[109] The city also has the Gibraltar - Bucaramanga gas pipeline that transports 30 million cubic feet of gas per day. This project seeks to guarantee natural gas service to the city for 15 years, and was completed in December 2010[110]​[111]​.

91.5% of the homes in the city have natural gas service.[101]​ The company in charge of providing the service to the Bumangueses is Gas Natural Del Oriente S.A. E.S.P. (Gasoriente S.A.) of the Vanti Group.

The entities in charge of guaranteeing the provision of health services in the city are the Ministry of Health and the Environment and the ISABU. The health network of Bucaramanga is made up of 24 care points, distributed in 21 Health Centers, 2 Intermediate Units, 1 Mobile Unit and the Local Hospital of the North.[112]​ The city has the most important hospital in the region, the Santander University Hospital (HUS), which is departmental, serving people from various parts of the department and other surrounding departments.[113]​.

In the private sector we can find the Carlos Ardila Lülle clinics, Bucaramanga clinic, Metropolitana clinic, Chicamocha clinic, La Merced clinic, among others. In addition, the city has entities specialized in the management of cardiovascular diseases, made up of the Colombian Cardiovascular Foundation (FCV- Heart Institute) which manages other specialties such as neurosciences, critical care and transplants, the Bucaramanga Heart Institute, and the Santander Cardiovascular Society.

Currently in Bucaramanga the construction of two permanent special health Free Zones in the country is being carried out. One of them will have 80,000 m² and will begin operating in February 2012 and has an investment of 120,000 million pesos.[114]​.

The other permanent special Health Free Zone has an International Hospital, Dental Medical Center, Convention Center and hotel, all in an area of ​​270,000 m² and began operations in 2013.

The significant advance in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases is of special relevance since in the city (Clínica Chicamocha) there is one of the few centers in the country where Therapeutic Bronchoscopy is performed").

The Clinics in Bucaramanga, especially the private sector, are characterized by having a wide range of technologies, such as telemedicine that allows medical care and treatment in remote regions used by the Cardiovascular Foundation of Colombia.

En Bucaramanga la entidad encargada de la supervisión y control de la educación de la ciudad es la Secretaría de Educación adscrita a la alcaldía de Bucaramanga.[115]​ La ciudad cuenta con instituciones universitarias, de carácter público y privado. A estas instituciones llegan estudiantes de varias regiones del departamento y del país, como la región Caribe y Norte de Santander. Cuenta la ciudad con varias instituciones especializadas en la formación técnica y tecnológica. En el área de educación la ciudad presenta una amplia oferta de instituciones de educación que comprende todos los niveles, desde prejardín, jardín, educación básica primaria, secundaria, técnica y tecnológica y formación superior universitaria.

Coverage

The census carried out by DANE in 2005 presented the following educational data in Bucaramanga. 95.3% of the population of Bucaramanga over 5 years old knows how to read and write. 48.8% of the population between 3 and 5 years old attends a formal educational institution; 93.1% of the population between 6 and 10 years old and 82.6% of the population between 11 and 17 years old. 32.5% of the population residing in Bucaramanga has reached the basic primary level and 32.4% the secondary level; 13.2% have reached the professional level and 2.2% have completed specialization, master's or doctoral studies. The resident population without any educational level is 6.1%.[101]​.

Schools

Bucaramanga has many primary and secondary education centers, several of which offer bilingual education. The good level of education in Bucaramanga has been reflected in the state tests for admission to higher education ICFES,[116] where on average, 41% of the best ICFES are from Santander, which is why public and private sector schools stand out year after year.

In the city, the "Student Street" stands out, located in the Royal Citadel of Minas, a sector in which several official educational institutions are currently concentrated. These and many more schools make up the city's student body with more than 140,000 students between public and private institutions.

Higher education

The city has several specialized institutions in the field of higher education where their institutions offer technical, technological, and university undergraduate courses. And in postgraduate courses, diplomas, specializations and master's degrees are offered in agreement with other institutions in the country and the world, as well as doctorates.

The most important public university in the city is the Industrial University of Santander (UIS), which is ranked among the 4 best in the country in the public sector. In the private sector, several universities stand out, such as the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga UNAB and the Santo Tomás University (USTA).

Among the Universities founded and based in the city are:.

• - Industrial University of Santander (UIS).

• - Autonomous University of Bucaramanga (UNAB).

• - University of Santander (UDES).

• - Santander Technological Units") (UTS).

• - Research and Development University (UDI).

• - FITEC Technology") (I.E.S.).

• - University Corporation of Science and Development") (UNICIENCIA).

• - Comfenalco University Foundation") (UNC).

Also those that have an extension headquarters in Bucaramanga such as:.

• - Universidad Santo Tomás "Universidad Santo Tomás (Colombia)") (USTA).

• - Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB): Located in the neighboring municipality of Piedecuesta.

• - Cooperative University of Colombia (UCC).

• - Antonio Nariño University (UAN).

• - Manuela Beltrán University (UMB).

• - National Open and Distance University (UNAD).

• - Remington University Corporation") (UniRemington).

• - Higher School of Public Administration (ESAP).

Research and science

Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area have different research and science centers where important processes for the industry are developed:[117]​.

• - Guatiguara Technology Park. PTG.

• - Colombian Petroleum Institute ICP.

• - Research Group on Plant Eco-physiology & Terrestrial Ecosystems (GIEFIVET).

• - Research Group on Industrial Biotechnology and Molecular Biology (CINBIN).

El tránsito público y privado en el país y por ende en Bucaramanga está regulado por la Ley 769 del 6 de agosto de 2002, que en su artículo 6 Parágrafo 3 permite a las autoridades municipales la expedición de normas para el mejoramiento del tránsito en la ciudad siempre y cuando no impliquen modificaciones a la ley.[118]​.

Land

Bucaramanga has a Territorial Planning Plan (POT), in turn this plan classifies the city's roads into two types: the roads called Type Arteries and the roads of the local network of the municipality.[119]​.

Artery type pathways.

Type Arterial Routes are divided into Type V-0 Routes. They have a cross section greater than 60 meters. Type V-1 Tracks. They have a cross section between 60 m and 40 m. Type V-2 tracks. It is between 30 m and 40 m in cross section. Type V-3 tracks. They have between 25 m and 30 m cross section.[120]​ Among the arterial type roads we can find:.

• - Race 15: It is of the V-2 type. In the Rosita sector it becomes Diagonal 15, it is one of the most important for its permanent transport movement, especially public service, it has been expanded and arranged for the Metrolínea project, it begins in the northern sector of the city on the road that comes from Santa Marta and in the Puerta del Sol sector it ends to become the Bucaramanga - Floridablanca - Piedecuesta Highway.

• - Race 27: It is of the V-2 type. Also known as Avenida Próspero Pinzón, it crosses the city from north to south. It begins at the Industrial University of Santander and crosses the city from north to south. In the Puerta del Sol sector, the interchange of the same name is located, from which two roads lead to the highway to Floridablanca and a continuation of Carrera 27 that goes to the intersection between the La Victoria and La Salle neighborhoods respectively, where it becomes the Highway to Girón and Lebrija; From this road the road to Barrancabermeja begins.

Other important arterial type routes are:

• - Bucaramanga - Floridablanca Highway: Type V-0. It communicates these two municipalities of the metropolitan area.[119]​.

• - Bucaramanga - Girón Highway: Type V-1.[119]​.

• - Vía Palenque - Café Madrid: Type V-1.[119]​.

• - Avenida La Rosita: Type V-2.[119]​.

• - Quebrada Seca Avenue: Type V-3.[119]​.

Local network roads of the municipality.

The local network roads of the municipality are divided into: Type V-4 roads. They have a minimum of 18 m and a maximum of 25 m in cross section. Type V-5 Tracks. They have between 15 m and 18 m in cross section. Type V-6 tracks. They have between 12 m and 15 m in cross section. Type V-7 tracks. They are the roads of the local road network that have between 9 m and 12 m in cross section. Type V-8 tracks. It is the road of the local road network that has a cross section less than m.[121]​ Among the roads of the local network of the municipalities we can find:.

• - Carrera 33: Type V-4 Also known as Avenida de las Américas, it starts from Quebrada Seca Avenue and crosses the city from north to south. It is very important because it passes through several commercial sectors of the city. In addition, from 56th Street to 45th Street it has a large pedestrian area for the enjoyment of passers-by.[119]​.

Other important roads are Carreras 17 and 21 and Calle 56, Calle 45 that crosses the city from east to west and ends near the industrial zone of Chimitá, Calle 36 that passes through the center of the city and Avenida González Valencia and La Rosita.[119]​.

• - Metroline. It is the public transportation system of Bucaramanga and part of its metropolitan area. The system consists of articulated buses that circulate from north to south in exclusive lanes, these are also complemented by standard and feeder buses. The cost per ticket for the year 2024 is 3,000 pesos.

• - Bus. The city has a good number of buses that cover the entire metropolitan area. The SITM has been integrating the old urban passenger transportation companies and progress is being made in the integration of the entire metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga to the coverage of the SITM. The cost of the bus ticket varies each year. The cost per ticket for the year 2023 is COP$2800.[122]​.

• - Taxi. Bucaramanga has a large number of taxis 24 hours a day with around 22 companies, it is the second city in Colombia with the largest number of taxis. The minimum value of a taxi ride for the year 2024 is 7,000 Colombian pesos. The taximeter starts from 40 units and goes up to 83 units, each unit is equivalent to 60 meters and/or 60 seconds with a nightly surcharge[123]​ of 1000 Colombian Pesos that would range from to Taxis make use of mobile applications and radio telephones for better service to citizens.[124]​.

• - MetroBici. As a transportation alternative that contributes to reducing road congestion and pollution, the public bicycle transportation system has been implemented. System that has 8 stations in various parts of the city and is free, with opening hours between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. m. - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

• - Train. Bucaramanga has a railway in the northern city sector, where the old railway station called Madrid coffee station is located, currently restored and functions as a play center, this old railway station communicated with the railway station of the municipality of Puerto Wilches and in turn with the Barrancabermeja railway station, currently this railway transport route is unused, and is 98% integrated as a railway transport infrastructure suitable for mobilization of cargo and passengers in the future.[125]​.

Bucaramanga is connected to the rest of the country by 2 main roads. The first is National Route 66 that comes from Barrancabermeja and connects it with Cucutá and from there it passes to Venezuela, the second is National Route 45A that comes from Bogotá and reaches San Alberto. This road connects it with the Colombian Caribbean Region and its main cities through National Route 45.

The Bucaramanga international transportation terminal is located on the road that leads from Bucaramanga to Girón near the Provenza neighborhood. It has 5 stations to receive and dispatch passengers.

Air

By air transportation, Bucaramanga is served by the Palonegro International Airport, located west of Bucaramanga in the municipality of Lebrija "Lebrija (Santander)"), on the road to Barrancabermeja on the historic hill of Palonegro. Inside the building there was a small museum with some of the war objects found at the time of building the airport, which has been considered a pharaonic work of Colombian engineering, due to its location on the esplanade hill.

The airport was inaugurated in 1974, replacing the old Gómez Niño airport) located in the current Ciudadela Real de Minas. Currently the Palonegro Airport operates under the administration of the Colombo-Korean consortium Aeropuertos de Oriente S.A.S. Group that obtained the concession to operate it for 15 years.[129] It receives flights from the main cities of Colombia and Santander, in addition to international flights to and from the cities of Panama "Panamá". (city)") and Fort Lauderdale.

The main terminal is located 20 minutes from the city on the expressway of the western highway to Girón "Girón (Santander)").

By 2019, it was positioned among the 5 most important airports in Colombia, transporting nearly 2 million people annually.

La cultura en Bucaramanga tiene varias expresiones, desde las artes plásticas como la pintura, la escultura, la fotografía, la poesía, y recientemente también en manifestación con propuestas que incorporan nuevas tecnologías para la comunicación artística, como el video. En Bucaramanga a lo largo de su historia ha albergado diversas propuestas culturales en diversas áreas, es así como en la ciudad existen multiplicidad de grupos artísticos.

Uno de los principales pilares de la cultura en Santander y en Bucaramanga como epicentro cultural fue la literatura, en épocas pasadas existió un movimiento cultural alrededor de la literatura que produjo un buen número de escritores que daban cuenta del notable interés de la comunidad por la literatura. Hoy las artes escénicas, como el teatro son uno de los principales exponentes del trabajo cultural en la ciudad.[130]​.

El IMCT (Instituto Municipal de Cultura y Turismo) es el organismo gubernamental municipal presta los servicios de biblioteca, talleres artísticos, presentación de una variada gama de espectáculos y programación de eventos culturales, realiza trabajo cultural con los distintos barrios de la ciudad, de igual forma patrocina actividades culturales realizadas con iniciativa privada y cuenta con una emisora cultural (Emisora Cultural Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento) en el dial 100.7 F.M.

Museums and libraries

• -

Casa Bolívar Museum.

Casa de Bolívar Museum, headquarters of the Academy of History of Santander, preserves historical costumes and objects that the Liberator Simón Bolívar used at some point during his time in the city, in addition to containing archaeological objects (among them mummies) from the Guane indigenous culture that once inhabited a part of the Santander territory.

• - Cultural Center of the East, headquarters of the city's old schools, with small squares for cultural and social events.

The previous sites were declared National Monuments by the Colombian government.

• - Gua Museum, located in an old coffee hacienda where today the La Colina cemetery park operates. There is an old restored colonial house where you can find different artifacts of the vestiges of the indigenous presence in the territory and several elements that recount the history of the urban development of Bucaramanga at the beginning of the century.

• - Casa Luis Perú de la Croix, where the David Martínez Collazos Departmental Library operated, a former fort of the royalist and liberating troops. Today restored to function as one of the headquarters of the Attorney General's Office "Procuraduría General de la Nación (Colombia)").[131]​.

• - Museum of Modern Art of Bucaramanga. Located in a Republican-style house, it has 2 exhibition rooms, a sculpture garden, a sculpture patio, an educational room, among other spaces, available to the public. Since its opening in 1989, it has discovered and promoted local artists who have risen to national recognition and some of whom have been able to exhibit in various galleries around the world. Annually it carries out the "Look at the City" project, which consists of training approximately one thousand children from educational institutions by taking them to cultural centers and heritage spaces in the city, culminating with an exploration workshop in the Museum facilities. It is located at 37th Street No. 26 - 16.

• - Neomundo, It is located next to the La Flora viaduct, on Calle 89 - eastern metropolitan transversal - with Carrera 69. The building is a multi-level complex. It has a modern Convention Center of 12,631 m², with multifunctional auditoriums and exhibition halls.[132]​.

• - Natural History Museum, located at the Industrial University of Santander.

• - Casa del Libro Total (located at 35th Street No. 9-81), headquarters of cultural, artistic, literary and musical events, and where the ellibrototal project is developed"), one of the largest Spanish-speaking virtual libraries in America. It is a CSR project of a local firm (SYC S.A) that strives for the recovery of the cultural heritage of the arts and classic letters of the Hispanic world.

• - UIS Planetarium (located at the Industrial University of Santander, Central Campus - Human Sciences building - top floor - entrance by Visitors), The planetarium consists of a dome that simulates the celestial vault, on which a star projector allows you to view galaxies, stars, constellations, planetary systems such as the solar system, etc. In addition, documentaries, videos and dome films are projected.

• - Cafe Madrid Station Playground. In the facilities of the old railway station that linked Bucaramanga with Puerto Wilches and Barrancabermeja, said space has been recovered as a play center for the recreation of children, young people and adults. Space for the recovery of historical and cultural heritage.

In the metropolitan area:

• - Guane Museum of Floridablanca, located in the Casa de la Cultura Piedra del Sol, has a large collection of objects from the Guanes, one of the most important indigenous ethnic groups of Santander that disappeared almost entirely during the Spanish conquest (19th century).

• - Gabriel Turbay Public Library, located on the side of cra 27 between streets 30 and av quebrada seca.

Theaters and auditoriums

• - Neomundo Convention Center.

• - Teatro Santander.[133]​ It is the stage with the highest technical and logistical conditions for the presentation of scenic and musical works. Its exterior façade was declared a National Monument.

• - Peralta Coliseum Theater. Declared a National Monument.

• - Corfescu Theater. With a varied program of theatrical performances and stand up comedy.

• - Luis A. Calvo Auditorium of the Industrial University of Santander.

• - Pedro Gómez Valderrama Auditorium of the Municipal Institute of Culture").

• - Enrique Low Mutra Auditorium of SENA.

• - Leonardo Angulo Prada Auditorium in Comfenalco").

• - Juan Pablo II Auditorium of the Pontifical Bolivarian University.

• - Carlos Gómez Albarracín Mayor Auditorium of the UNAB.

• - Alfonso Gómez Gómez Minor Auditorium of the UNAB.

• - Jesús Alberto Rey Mariño Auditorium of the UNAB.

• - Auditorium of the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce.

• - Water Park Auditorium.

• - UIS Planetarium Auditorium.

• - Arteficus Cultural House. (Independent Performing Arts Room).

Other sites of interest

• - Old Hotel Bucarica"), located next to the Santander Park, was the headquarters of the Hotel Bucarica, the first luxury hotel built in the city to house the athletes who participated in the National Games held in the city in 1941. Currently it is one of the headquarters of the Industrial University of Santander and this building was declared a National Monument by the Colombian government.[134]​.

• - Club del Comercio"), located in the same Parque Santander diagonal to the Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia, is one of the oldest social clubs in the country. Declared a National Monument for its century façade.

• - Birthplace of Custodio García Rovira, birthplace of this hero of national independence, located on Carrera 9 and Calle 35. Declared a Site of Cultural Interest in Colombia.

• - Old Meat Pavilion of the Central Market Square"); in its location, next to the Central Market Square") and with its land, there was a lagoon called San Mateo; Although its façade dates back to the 19th century, the building is not part of the nation's Assets of Cultural Interest, but is part of the Urban Heritage of Bucaramanga").

• - Bucaramanga Reservoir; owned by the Bucaramanga Aqueduct, is located at the confluence of the Tona River"), is a gravity reservoir that will occupy 54 hectares. It includes the construction of a 103 m high dam that will store a volume of 17.6 million m³ of water and regulate a flow of 1000 liters of water per second, reserving drinking water for the city and its neighboring municipalities until the year 2050. It will also serve as a recreational site for sport fishing and water sports.

• - Provincial Viaduct; Known as the Viaducto de la Novena for being located next to Carrera 9 in the city, it is a 550 m cable-stayed bridge that attracts attention for its avant-garde design and its LED lighting system, which makes it a tourist attraction at night for locals and foreigners. Its objective is to decongest vehicle traffic through the city from the central part to the south by entering service on April 9, 2015. In the western part, beginning the route along 45th Street, there is an obelisk that serves as a viewing point for the illumination of the bridge.

• - Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento Civic Plaza, built in the 90s as a concentration place for political, religious and cultural activities. Located in the heart of the municipal, departmental and judicial public power, between streets 35 and 36 and streets 11 and 12. Located at the top of the open space is a 5 m bronze statue with the face of the Santander politician, martyr of the Colombian internal armed conflict.

Festivals

• - Santander Theater Festival on Stage, organized since 2005 by the Jaulabierta Theater Workshop Corporation.

• - Abrapalabra Ibero-American Storytellers Festival, festival of storytellers and comedians organized by Corporación Festival de Cuenteros that has been held in the city since 1992.

• - International Piano Festival, a piano festival organized by the Industrial University of Santander where international, national and local artists participate. It has been held since 1984 and is considered the most important cultural meeting in eastern Colombia.

• - Bucaramanga Book Fair ULibro, Bucaramanga book festival organized by the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga. Its cultural and academic programming constitutes the axis of the Fair and offers special attractions for the general public, the family, the university community and the primary and secondary educational community. It includes conferences, meetings with authors, artistic presentations, a film and literature cycle, poetry, workshops for children and young people, contests, among other activities.

• - Bucaramanga Fair, an event that takes place every year in the month of September and whose programming includes sporting, cultural and musical events where important artists from various musical genres perform. The events take place in various parts of the city, among their events is the reign of the communes to elect the queen of the festivities, carnival of the east with parade of floats, parade of antique cars, among others.

• - International Performance Festival Acciones al Margen, organized since 2013 by the Corporación Escenarios de Mujer.

• - Búcaro EcoFestival Music and Ecology Festival, a private initiative organized since 2015.

• - International Festival of Street Theater and Circus of Santander, organized since 2009 with the support of the Ministry of Culture.

• - Festival Without Borders of Magic and Circus Arts, organized since 2015 by the Eventos Recreativos corporation.

• - Santander International Film Festival, the Santander International Film Festival – FICS is the most important film event in Santander and its surroundings organized by the Social Educational and Communications Corporation PRENSA LIBRE since 2009.

• - 'Santander International Puppet Festival', organized since 2013 by the Jaulabierta Theater Workshop Corporation.

• - Bucaramanga International Blues and Jazz Festival, since 2008 as a private initiative.

• - National Children's Festival of Folkloric Music and Dance Maestro Guillermo Laguna"), organized since 1999 by the GIFOS Corporation.

In Bucaramanga, you can find all types of restaurants specialized in all types of cuisine (international, specialized, typical, fast); A good number of important restaurants are located in the Cabecera del Llano sector.

Among the typical dishes of Santander cuisine, we can highlight the Santander mute[135]​—a soup made from various grains and accompanied by various types of meat—; pepitoria, a preparation of viscera and goat or camuro blood mixed with white rice and accompanied by its baked meat. [136]

Big-ass ants are perhaps the most exotic thing about Santander food; They are abundant in the months of March and April. The head and wings are removed and they are roasted over the fire. Some people attribute aphrodisiac powers to them.[138] Currently, they are exported to several countries in Europe and the United States.[139] The traditional sweets of celery, lemon, citron, rice, arequipe and pineapple also stand out - made by many traditional Bumanguese families, however in the neighboring municipality of Floridablanca companies have also been created that market them - as well as the wafers and the Veleño sandwich in the south of the department of Santander.

Bucaramanga está rodeada de montañas lo cual ha obligado a que muchos barrios estén situados en lugares montañosos. La ciudad ha crecido mucho en los últimos años siendo ejemplo de progreso, sin embargo ante la escasez de terrenos para que la ciudad se expanda se han iniciado construcciones de edificios con alturas importantes para el sector de la vivienda y la construcción de oficinas.[140]​.

Colonial and republican architecture

The colonial architecture of Bucaramanga still preserves some buildings built in the 19th century, important are the Casa de Bolívar where the liberator stayed in 1828, and which is currently preserved as a museum.[141]​.

The city's Club del Comercio, whose building was built in 1821 designed by the architect Pedro Colón Moncotini), preserves the typical Republican style. On its façade we can find Doric columns.[141]​.

The Peralta Coliseum"), built on the grounds of Anselmo Peralta in 1895, was built following the architectural parameters of the Spanish corrals: Horseshoe shape, a huge open-air stage with natural acoustics and a double row of seats.[141]​.

The current Cultural Center of the Colombian East") is located in the old facilities of a Jesuit school (Colegio San Pedro Claver). It was built between 1899 and 1912 and rebuilt in the 70's for the operation of a high school in the city, still preserving its republican style.[141]​.

There is also the old Hotel Bucarica"), a house built in 1880 where the hotel would operate decades later, established by the departmental authorities to house athletes from other departments who participated in the V National Games of Bucaramanga in 1941. Its design was carried out by the Spanish architect Germán Tejeiro de Latorre"), in an art deco style. An annexed headquarters of the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) currently operates.[141]​.

The four buildings mentioned were declared National Monuments by the Colombian state.

In Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area, several buildings of more than 15 floors have been built, with more intensity in the sectors of the Bucaramanga-Floridablanca highway; From Provenza to Cañaveral, a large number of buildings that exceed 22 floors have been developed. The tallest buildings are located in the east of the city, more specifically in the Cabecera del Llano sector, where there are residential apartments of 20 to 28 floors, but recently they are being built in other sectors of the city such as the Ciudadela Real de Minas, Lagos del Cacique, La Flora and the Bucaramanga - Floridablanca highway sector, in addition to the Cañaveral sector in Floridablanca.

Other sectors of the city are not so well urbanized since they are the places where the popular sectors settled their homes, these are the North Communes and the Morrorico neighborhood; among others, where houses are built on sites at high risk of landslides. Added to this is the lack of projects of social interest.[142]​.

There are other sectors where you can still see 1 and 2-story homes, houses built in the 60's and 70's in rammed earth, mostly in the strata 3 and 4 neighborhoods.

The architecture of Bucaramanga has grown a lot in recent years, having many residential sites; especially, a large number of buildings, making it the fifth city with the most constructions in Colombia. There is also a center specialized in science and technology called Neomundo") and the Palace of Justice (seat of the judicial power in the department). Architecture is also present in the clinics such as the Carlos Ardila Lulle Clinic"), one of the largest in the country, with six large buildings each with more than ten floors.

Almost anywhere in Bucaramanga you can see the erection of a building, the remodeling of a house or the adaptation of a piece of land. But although construction allows investment and generates employment, concern arises about knowing where and how it is being built.

During the first 20 years of the century, the price of coffee, the region's main product, fell and for investors at that time it became profitable to convert agricultural land into urban land. The Sociedad Sucesores de David Puyana S.A., the main developer of the time, began to sell lots for housing construction in Waterloo, today the Antonia Santos neighborhood, as well as in Pueblo Nuevo and Cabecera del Llano, later. Freddy Merchán and Heiber Zanguña, who carried out the architectural pre-inventory at the Antonio Nariño University, assure in their thesis that the houses built in these neighborhoods were of high value because in addition to functionality they had aesthetics: "The positioning of the elite in the sector was evidenced by Messrs. Brench Wessells and Carlos Tapias, by building two chalet-style villas, based on attractive and elegant plans brought from Europe." The Colombian League Against Cancer operates today in one of these German-style houses. Part of the neighborhood was converted into buildings, stores and is now a commercial area.

'City within cities' was an innovative urban concept proposed in the government of former president Alfonso López Michelsen in the mid-70s. Thanks to the Territorial Credit Institute, later called INURBE (an entity that has disappeared in Colombia), the main cities of the country, including Bucaramanga, were able to design an almost self-sufficient urban complex called Ciudadela Real de Minas, on the land where an airport called Gómez Niño previously operated.

religious architecture

The construction of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral began in 1896 with the laying of the first stone. In 1898, work began on its construction, and on October 8, 1922, the towers were inaugurated. In 1929, the bell of the eastern tower was inaugurated, which was cast in Piedecuesta. On February 28, 1941, the tower clock was inaugurated. This clock was a gift from the Public Improvement Society, and was built in the Robledo workshops in Medellín. Around 1945, the work on the cathedral was completed and it was then placed at the service of the Bumangueses.[143] Declared a National Monument of Colombia.

The church of Chiquinquirá del Real de Minas de San Laureano, or commonly known as the Church of San Laureano, began construction on January 1, 1779. In 1866 the construction of its dome was completed and in 1893 its doors were inaugurated, the value of these was 1,200 pesos at the time.[144]​ The church is located next to García Park. Rovira. It was declared an "Asset of Cultural Interest" by the Ministry of Culture in 2009.[145]​.

First church built in the city, its structure dates back to the century although it is perfectly preserved. It was the place where the Liberator Simón Bolívar went to mass and prayed while he was passing through the city, awaiting the results of the Ocaña Convention. Its conservation is in charge of the Church of San Laureano and, like it, it was declared a National Monument by the Colombian State.[146]​ The colonial style, in addition to the cozy and private nature of the site, makes it the favorite place for couples to seal their fraternal bond and swear eternal love in the institution of marriage, through a Catholic religious Eucharist.

Ordered to be built by the friars of the Franciscan Order upon their arrival in the city in 1937, at the same time as the Franciscan Convent and the school they currently run (Virrey Solis School). Located in the San Francisco neighborhood on Carrera 22, its façade is built in Gothic style, which attracts the attention of locals and tourists.[147]​.

Commonly known as the Church of San Pedro, it was built by order of the Jesuit community that settled in the city since 1897, in parallel with the construction of the San Pedro School that is currently in its charge. It is located on Calle 45 with Carrera 27A, in the Sotomayor sector.[148]​.

contemporary architecture

Majestic Building "Majestic Building (Bucaramanga)")

A 42-story skyscraper, it is the tallest building in the city, as well as the tallest in eastern Colombia. Currently it is the sixth tallest in Colombia in terms of height meters and the tallest building in the country for residential purposes.

It is the first skyscraper in Bucaramanga, so its consulting and engineering work was not common compared to other buildings in the city due to its topographical difficulty, since Bucaramanga is built on a plateau, in addition to the fact that the city is built near the seismic nest of the Mesa de los Santos, the second with the most seismic activity in the world after the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan.[149] Due to the number of floors that makes it a skyscraper, the building has a management in the environmental part different from the other buildings in the city, recognized by the Corporation for the Defense of the Bucaramanga Plateau (CDMB).

The execution in record time of 73 large reinforced concrete "Pilot (foundation)" piles with an average diameter of 2 meters was required, which have a depth of 40 meters, managing to reach the bedrock, to provide the building with greater security.

This imposing building is located on an area of ​​approximately 12,000 m², surrounded by the leafy eastern hills of the city, in an exclusive place in the city called Altos de Cabecera, between Carreras 41 and 42 with Calle 41, to which a private road was built from Carrera 42, to provide security and privacy to residents and visitors to the sector.

Bucaramanga, also called the City of Parks, has more than 72 parks in its metropolitan area.

In the downtown area there are the oldest parks with colonial style. In this sector, the parks stand out:

• - Romero Park.

• - Antonia Santos Park.

• - Centennial Park.

• - Bolívar Park.

• - Santander Park.

• - Custodio García Rovira Park.

Among the recent parks is La Rosita Park, managed by the Bucaramanga Aqueduct"), where a water storage tank is located, with architectural adaptations on top; there is a giant map of the city divided into communes with their streets and careers specified for the orientation of local citizens, tourists and visitors; in addition, it stores inside an amount of 4500 cubic meters of water that helps the supply of liquid in the downtown sector of the city.[150]​.

In the headwaters of the plain and its surroundings we can find the following parks:

• - Water Park. Inaugurated in 2003, this park is located in the facilities of the Metropolitan Aqueduct of Bucaramanga. The park combines educational and recreational functions. The old aqueduct tanks were used for its construction. During the Christmas season the park is illuminated with decorations alluding to this time. The park's design has received several national and international architectural awards.[151]​.

• - Morrorrico Park. Chosen pilgrimage site in the city for the Via Crucis every Good Friday.

• - La Flora Park. The park is characterized by its abundant number of trees and being a true green refuge in the middle of the city, it is home to local fauna and flora that can be seen frequently, such as squirrels, birds such as hummingbirds, blackbirds, parrots, woodpeckers, etc. With pedestrian paths, children's games and low-intensity sports facilities, sanitary units for use by walkers.

• - Orient National Park. More popularly known as the Acoustic Shell for its shell-shaped stage; ideal for concerts, plays and the like. It has ecological trails, a vertical water fountain and a unique orchid display in the country.

• - Las Palmas Park. A classic meeting area for young people in Bucaramanga on weekends, an area of ​​restaurants, bars and some nightclubs has developed around it.

• - San Pío Park. A landmark park in the city located between cra 33 and cra 35a and 45th street and 48th street. Famous long before a Botero sculpture was installed.

• - Los Leones Park. Another famous park, which serves as an outdoor gym for residents of the sector.

Southwestern sector of the city:

• - Puerta del Sol Park. In the Puerta del Sol sector, it has a total area of 3,800 m², it fulfills two important social functions: first, by means of a tank it stores 5,000 cubic meters of water, which allows it to regulate the pressures of 12,000 homes in the Ciudadela Real de Minas sector, and the Mutis, Monterredondo, Héroes, Prados del Mutis, Manzanares and Estoraques neighborhoods, and also meet the demand the current and future housing developments of the Municipality of Girón; Second, it is considered from the moment of its inauguration as a place of recreation, thanks to its water fountain and also its carefully decorated gardens, for the joyful enjoyment of locals and tourists who visit the city.

• - Cicada Park. Located in the sector of the Royal Citadel of Minas.

• - Public Improvements Park.

• - Las Américas Park.

• - Gabriel Turbay Park. Located on the side of Carrera 27.

Parks to the north of the city:

• - Flag Park. Located in the roundabout near the Américo Montanini stadium.

• - Children's Park. It is located on Carrera 27. Its construction began in 1909. It was the first park with a children's vocation built in Bucaramanga, its facilities have several basketball and tennis courts, as well as a large number of trees of different varieties. It has two monuments: one to José Antonio Galán, leader of the communal insurrection, and a treble headstock as a tribute to the Santander composer José Alejandro Morales. Nearby is the headquarters of the Municipal Institute of Culture.[152]​.

Parks in the metropolitan area:.

• - Health Park. Located in the south of the city, in the sector known as El Bosque, near the Carlos Ardila Lulle Clinic.

• - Eloy Valenzuela Botanical Garden. In tribute to Juan Eloy Valenzuela y Mantilla.

Of the total inhabitants, in Bucaramanga 90% of the population consider themselves Catholic, 5% other Christian groups, 4% agnostics, atheists and gnostics and 1% Islam and Jews.

According to data from the Archdiocese of Bucaramanga, those baptized by the Catholic Church in 2018 are a total of 1,440,000, representing 96.1% of the population.[153]​.

Bucaramanga se ha caracterizado por exponer en el concierto nacional las distintas modalidades deportivas que se practican en los juegos olímpicos, se puede encontrar fácilmente diversos escenarios deportivos de carácter público y privado en la ciudad. Sin embargo, el fútbol y el microfútbol son los deportes más practicados en la ciudad. Indersantander") e Inderbu") son las entidades encargadas de la administración y desarrollo del deporte local y departamental.[154]​[155]​.

Soccer

Bucaramanga has the Américo Montanini Stadium, located in the Hermán Aceros Olympic Village,[156]​ it has capacity for 25,000 people, the stadium has Bermuda 419 natural grass, which is the same used by stadiums that host international games, this after 10 years of the artificial grass having been installed, fulfilling its useful life cycle. This stage is the home of Atlético Bucaramanga, a football team that was Champion of the Colombian League in 2024. It is also the alternate stadium of Real Santander when the latter requires it, since its usual stage is the Álvaro Gómez Hurtado stadium in Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)"); Currently, this team plays in the First National Division.[157]​[158]​ In 2010, the city hosted the 2010 South American Women's Under-20 Championship organized by Conmebol.[159]​ In the Olympic Village there is also the Court Marte in synthetic grass, a temple of amateur football in the region and where every year in the month of December the Court Tournament is held. Marte, the most important amateur soccer tournament in the department. There is also another synthetic soccer field called "La Juventud", located in the eastern sector of the stadium, opened to the public in 2015, replacing the old field located where the Bicentennial Coliseum is currently located.

Other sports

For other sports, the city has the Vicente Díaz Romero Coliseum, which has capacity for 8,000 people. This stage, located in the city's Olympic Village, is the home of the Búcaros de Santander basketball team, in 2014 the Caribbean Heat team of San Andrés "Isla de San Andrés (Colombia)") and Providencia played some home games in this stage;[160] both teams play in the Colombian Professional Basketball League. In the Olympic Village there are also the Olympic Pools for swimming "Swimming (sport)") and diving, receiving a remodeling process in 2010. coliseums or venues for practicing sports such as gymnastics, Olympic and Greco-Roman wrestling, chess and shuffleboard "Shuffleboard (sport)").

Another setting where different sports are practiced is the Edmundo Luna Santos Coliseum, hangar of the old Luis Francisco Gómez Niño airport, located in the Royal Citadel of Minas sector; In this scenario, the professional indoor soccer or microsoccer teams Independiente Santander play their local matches in the men's branch "Copa Profesional de Microfútbol (Colombia)") and Real Bumanguesas") in the women's branch "Copa Profesional de Microfútbol Femenina (Colombia)"), who play the respective professional national microsoccer tournaments; this scenario is also usually used for the practice of boxing and attached to it there is a small coliseum for the practice of tennis table. Another microfootball team that played on this stage and was part of the microfootball tournament was TAZ Santander").

In 2010, construction began, in the Olympic Village, of the Alejandro Galvis Ramírez Bicentennial Coliseum, for the 2011 Indoor Soccer World Cup in Colombia, and of which Bucaramanga was chosen as the sub-host. The coliseum had an investment of $18,771 million pesos. Its capacity is 8,000 spectators and its inauguration took place in March 2011[163] with the first World Cup match between the Argentine national teams "Argentine Futsal Team (AMF)") and Brazil. The Bicentennial Coliseum was the scene of the Inline Hockey World Cup that was played in the city from June 29 to July 14, 2012 and which featured the participation of the power countries in this sport, competing on this stage, which was adapted at the time for this discipline; It was home to the Bucaramanga FSC professional micro-soccer team until its dissolution and is currently home to the Real Bucaramanga indoor soccer or futsal team that plays in the Colombian Futsal League; This stage was also one of the venues for the 2016 Futsal World Cup that was held in Colombia.[164]​ In this way, it became the first and only coliseum in Colombia to have hosted the two existing futsal world championships in the senior men's category (AMF and FIFA versions).

For the practice of athletics there is the Luis Enrique Figueroa Rey athletics stadium, better known as La Flora Stadium, which is located in the southeastern sector of the city, next to Neomundo. In addition, there is a softball stage (which occasionally lends itself to playing baseball) and a speed skating stage (skatedrome) called Roberto García Peña, these two located in the Ciudadela Real de Minas sector. For the practice of extreme sports (aggressive skating, skateboarding and BMX) there is the Extreme Park), located in the south of the city (Barrios San Martín and San Pedro, below the García Cadena Viaduct).

Bucaramanga has twice been the setting for the National Sports Games in 1941 and 1996, the venue for the Pan American Track and Road Cycling Championships in 2000[165] and is the current venue for the ATP Challenger Series Bucaramanga Open tennis tournament that is played every year on the courts of the Club Campestre de Bucaramanga), although this venue is located in the neighboring city of Floridablanca. "Floridablanca (Colombia)"), where the most important tennis players in Colombia participate and some of the best ranked in the world according to the Association of Professional Tennis Players.[166]​.

• - San José de Cúcuta, Colombia[167]​.

• - Concepción "Concepción (Chile)"), Chile.

• - San Luis Potosí "San Luis Potosí (San Luis Potosí)"), Mexico.

• - Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

• - Fort Lauderdale "Fort Lauderdale (Florida)"), United States.

• - Grenoble, France[13]​.

• - Valencia, Spain.

• - Nuuk, Greenland.

• - Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.

Flag

The flag of Bucaramanga was designed by the historian Gustavo Gómez Mejía. It is composed of three horizontal stripes: two green stripes at the ends, which symbolize hope and glory, and a central yellow stripe that represents wealth and progress. In the center of the yellow stripe is a blue circle, surrounded by a red border that symbolizes the blood shed by the children of Santander in the struggles for independence. Inside the blue circle is a white star. In the central circle the motto is read "Under the blue of its sky and defended by the generous blood of its children, Bucaramanga is open to the four horizons of the Homeland."[22]​.

Shield

The Bucaramanga shield was designed by the writer Enrique Otero D'Costa") and drawn by Alberto Torres Carrizosa"). It was adopted by Decree of October 10, 1971, during the mayoralty of Saúl Trillos.[23]​ Its description in heraldic language is as follows:[22]​.

Hymn

The anthem of Bucaramanga "s:es:Himno de Bucaramanga (Colombia)") was written in 2002 by Gabriel Latorre Carvajal and set to music by John Jairo Claro.[24]​.

Pre-Columbian period

The Guans were the indigenous people who inhabited the region before the Conquest of America by the Spanish. Their domains, as supported by documents from the Chibcha nation, were bordered to the west by the Yariguís, to the north by the Chitareros, to the east by the Laches, and to the south and southeast by the Muiscas. These limits were defined, to the west, by the course of the Yariguíes mountain range or mountain range, the upper part of Zapatoca and a part of the Oro River until its mouth into the Suratá River. Between this last river and the Umpalá River, at the height of the Páramo de Santa Bárbara, the Guane territory bordered to the north and northeast with that of the Chitareros. The limit with the Lache territories followed the course of the Umpalá River until its mouth at the Chicamocha River and, from there, along the latter until its meeting with the Guantiva mountain range. The continuity of this mountain range until the páramo of La Russia defined the southeastern border with the Muisca country, and this continued from the south to the west along the Tolotá River and the Lenguaruco River, which flows into the Suárez River.[25]​.

Chief Guanentá was one of the five sovereigns who governed the Chibcha people. Its seat of government was located in the Guane town on the Jéridas Plateau, and the chiefs of Uyamata, Sancoteo, Caraota, Cotisco, Siscota, Cácher, Xuaguete, Bocore, Butaregua, Macaregua, Chalalá, Poima and Poasaque were subject to its jurisdiction. Colonial documents, such as royal decrees and titles of reservations, are currently referenced to delimit the so-called Chibcha country, describing an extension that, according to these sources, would extend from the region of Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela to Brazil.[26]​.

Colonial period

Bucaramanga was established as an indigenous town, designated as a reservation land and assigned to the jurisdiction of Pamplona "Pamplona (Colombia)"). Its foundation took place on December 22, 1622 by the priest Miguel de Trujillo and Captain Andrés Páez de Sotomayor, following the provisions of the auditor Juan de Villabona Zubiaurre, visitor of the province of Pamplona. One of the reasons that led Juan de Villabona to order this establishment was the difficulty expressed by Miguel de Trujillo, who had to search for the indigenous people from mine to mine to carry out his work of evangelizing.[27][28]​.

The place where the Indian town was built was one kilometer north of the Bucaramanga ranchería, near the Quebrada Seca. Two months after construction began, the town of Bucaramanga, which was named after the ranchería and the ravine, was ready. On December 22, 1622, the founders of the city documented the order and the indigenous people of the Bucarica, Cachagua, Gérira and Guaca groups moved there. The town was declared a "real mine",[27]​ in reference to the gold exploitation that took place nearby.

For a period, Bucaramanga was the seat of the mayor's office of the adjacent Reales de Minas. By 1799, it had a population of 2,178 people, of which only 178 were aboriginal.[27] As the alluvial gold decreased, the settlement gradually transformed into a town of Creoles and mestizos, which resulted in a high percentage of eviction of the indigenous population. Mining activity on the banks of the Río de Oro dispersed until it disappeared, although its inhabitants continued to enjoy the economic facilities granted by the King to the towns that paid gold. However, by dedicating themselves to various agricultural activities, the situation became a bad deal for the Spanish Crown, since they were neither indigenous nor miners. Due to this, and added to Spain's need for resources to finance wars due to the scarcity of mines, one source of financing was the sale of these territories to Spaniards and mestizos as farmland. This situation was denounced by the council of San Juan de Girón "Girón (Santander)") before the Royal Court, since they sought the extinction of the Real de Minas and the annexation of the territories of Bucaramanga to their jurisdiction.[27]​.

On July 11, 1778, the visitor Francisco Antonio Moreno y Escandón arrived in the region. Upon verifying that the order established by Juan de Villabona could not be maintained, he ordered the transfer of the few indigenous people who still remained in the town of Bucaramanga to be relocated to the town of Guane, finalizing their final departure on January 1, 1779. In the place of the old town, in 1779, the parish of Chiquinquirá and San Laureano del Real de Minas de Bucaramanga was created.[27]​.

19th century

Although in 1810 Bucaramanga provisionally proclaimed itself as a town, following the trend of other towns in New Granada that established government boards, this declaration lacked legal recognition and was dissolved after the patriot defeat in the Cachirí moor in 1816, when the troops of the Tierra Firme Expeditionary Army restored monarchical authority in the region.[29]​.

Later, during the Constituent Congress of Cúcuta, lawyer Enrique Puyana presented a formal request for Bucaramanga to officially receive the title of town, highlighting the patriotism and services provided by the parish to the republican cause. On June 30, 1821, Congress definitively granted said recognition.[30][31]​.

However, after the patriot victory in Boyacá (1819), although Bucaramanga organized its own town council as the town of San Laureano, in 1823 the neighboring Piedecuesta - which did have a royal title of town granted in 1810 - demanded the legality of these authorities. As a result, Bucaramanga was reduced to a parish again, with municipal mayors appointed by the Piedecuesta council.[29]​.

The situation was resolved with the issuance of the first Territorial Planning Law of the Republic of Colombia, sanctioned on June 25, 1824 by Vice President Francisco de Paula Santander. This rule established that the canton capitals had to have their own municipality, which allowed Bucaramanga to be officially recognized as a town and capital of the homonymous canton in the province of Pamplona. Since July 14, 1825, its authorities were able to legally sign as "Villa de San Laureano de Bucaramanga."[29]​.

Villa in the mid-19th century (1825–1850)

After the enactment of the Territorial Planning Law of 1824, Bucaramanga was consolidated in 1825 as a legitimate town and canton head of the province of Pamplona, ​​with its own town hall and mayor's office.[29]​.

The artisanal economy was key in this period. The introduction of jipijapa hat weaving in the 1820s, thanks to a Pastuso artisan welcomed in Girón, generated a true regional industry. By 1850, it was estimated that in Bucaramanga about three thousand poor women made hats in their homes, which were then sold in the local market and exported to the Atlantic Coast, Cúcuta and the Antilles.[29]​[32]​ The trade linked to this production allowed the emergence of grocery stores and grocery stores, such as the one founded by Juan Crisóstomo Parra, who diversified his businesses with the transportation of goods to Cúcuta, Bogotá and even Venezuela.[29]​.

The town also acquired political relevance with the presence of Simón Bolívar, who resided there between March and June 1828 during the Ocaña Convention. The Liberator stayed in the houses of the Mutis family, began conversations with the priest Eloy Valenzuela and toured the town and its surroundings, episodes recorded in the Diario de Bucaramanga by Luis Perú de Lacroix.[33]​[30]​.

In the field of health, in 1840 Benito Valenzuela became the first Bumangués to graduate as a doctor and surgeon at the Central University of Bogotá. Upon his return he opened the first pharmacy in the town, which marked the beginning of pharmaceutical services and professional medical care.[32]​.

The participation of women in economic life became visible with figures such as Trinidad Parra de Orozco, born in 1845, who inherited assets from her father and carried out trade independently. It minted its own currency and allocated part of its resources to public works, such as donating land for Romero Park.[32]​.

In educational matters, Bucaramanga had elementary schools from early on and was the birthplace of notable reformers. In 1833 Dámaso Zapata was born, who later stood out as a pedagogical innovator and leader of the modernization of public education in Colombia.[29]​[32]​.

After the creation of the Sovereign State of Santander in 1857, the Constituent Assembly met in Pamplona "Pamplona (Colombia)") on January 1 of that year. This population, with a conservative majority, hoped to be designated the capital of the new State. However, the majority of the conventionists were members of the Liberal Party and favored Socorro "El Socorro (Santander)"), a town with a broad liberal base.[34]​.

Political tensions led to persecutions that forced a good part of the liberal assembly members to travel to Bucaramanga to continue deliberations. Before leaving Pamplona, ​​the president of the State, Manuel Murillo Toro, signed the law that designated Bucaramanga as the capital of the Sovereign State of Santander on November 24, 1857. The Assembly was installed in the town council on December 2 of the same year, consolidating Bucaramanga as the headquarters of state institutions.[34][29]​.

German immigration

In the middle of the century, Bucaramanga received a group of immigrants from Germany, whose main reference was **Geo von Lengerke**, a merchant who arrived in 1852. These immigrants settled in the Santander region and played a role in the construction of communication roads, in export and import trade and in the introduction of some industrial activities.[29]​.

Von Lengerke promoted the opening of routes to the Magdalena River and planned the connection of Bucaramanga with Puerto Wilches through a railway, in addition to participating in companies such as the Santander Industrial Company dedicated to the exploitation of cinchona.[32]​ His activity coincided with the administration of General Solón Wilches, with whom he established links of collaboration.

The German presence was also reflected in the local social and economic sphere. Some immigrants participated in banking, the trade of agricultural products, and industrial initiatives such as breweries and mills.[37] These activities introduced new business practices in Bucaramanga and its surroundings, contributing to diversifying the regional economy during the second half of the century.

Between September 7 and 9, 1879, a popular revolt known as "La Culebra de Pico de Oro" occurred. This was a consequence of the class confrontation between two groups of the time: artisans and merchants (made up of German immigrants and well-off Santander residents), the latter owners of banking and the production of raw materials. The artisans formed a society that their detractors called "La Culebra de Pico de Oro", within which a nationalist zeal was awakened, leading to a riot that culminated in the death of several Colombian merchants and two German citizens. The then German Empire made the respective claim and request for compensation through diplomatic channels, even threatening armed intervention if the demands were not satisfied. The events ended with the arrest, trial and imprisonment of several of those responsible for the massacre.[38]​.

20th century

At the beginning of the century, Bucaramanga endured the economic hardship caused by the Thousand Days War. In the year 1900, the liberal combatants tried to take the city "Battle of Bucaramanga (1899)"), but the conservative soldiers managed to repel the aggression and win the battle, although shortly after the city would pass under liberal control for a few months. Furthermore, the strong social and political blows of this time marked the entire society, highlighting that this was one of the regions with the greatest participation in the Thousand Days War. However, in the second decade of the century, Bucaramanga began its recovery, with great growth in population and infrastructure. The first organized communes of the city began to be forged, accompanied by greater trade derived from the artisanal exploitation of gold, which had in Bucaramanga the epicenter of the commercialization of multiple imported products, which allowed a commercial flow with the outside.[39]​.

The discovery of oil on the "Ribera (shore)") of the Magdalena River energized the economy of Bucaramanga, becoming the place where companies and workers heading to the jungle area of ​​Magdalena Medio in Santander were coordinated, where Barrancabermeja would later emerge. Bucaramanga, in turn, extended the long route that sought trade with Venezuela from Bogotá.[39]​.

21st century

In 2009, the city was elected as a member of the Andean Consultative Council of Municipal Authorities of the Andean Community of Nations. In this decade, the city and its metropolitan area have experienced rapid growth, which has marked its economic and social prosperity.[40]​.

Contenido

Bucaramanga se encuentra dentro del área metropolitana de Bucaramanga, una subdivisión del departamento de Santander "Santander (Colombia)").

Municipal organizational structure

This includes the municipal administration and the decentralized entities of the municipality. The mayor of Bucaramanga is the head of the Government and the municipal administration, in addition to legally, judicially and extrajudicially representing the city. This position is elected every four years by universal and direct suffrage. The mayor pronounces himself through decrees and resolutions. For the period 2024-2027, Mayor Jaime Andrés Beltrán was elected; However, on August 21, 2025, the Council of State annulled his election due to double militancy, which implied his dismissal and the call for new elections.[41]​.

The decentralized municipal secretariats and institutes operate under the direction of the mayor, whose main officials are appointed by him.[42]​.

Political control bodies

The Council of Bucaramanga is the administrative corporation of the municipality and exercises political control over the management of the mayor and his cabinet. It is made up of 19 councilors elected by popular vote for four-year terms. In accordance with article 313 of the Constitution, it is responsible for issuing regulations on economic and social development, adopting the municipal budget, regulating land uses and exercising other functions established by law.[43]​.

The Departmental Assembly "Asamblea Departamental (Colombia)"), the administrative body of Santander, also has its headquarters in Bucaramanga and is made up of 16 deputies.[44]​.

Jurisdictional power

In matters of Ordinary Jurisdiction, Bucaramanga is the headquarters of the Judicial District of the same name, which includes specialized chambers in Criminal, Labor and Civil Family Law. The jurisdiction extends to the judicial circuits of Barrancabermeja, Bucaramanga, Málaga "Málaga (Santander)") and San Vicente de Chucurí. The judicial circuit of Bucaramanga has jurisdiction and includes the municipalities of Bucaramanga, California, Cepitá, Charta, Floridablanca, Girón, Lebrija, Los Santos, Matanza, Piedecuesta, Rionegro, Suratá, Tona and Umpalá.[45]​.

In contentious-administrative matters, Bucaramanga is the seat of the Superior Court of Santander, its jurisdiction extends to all the administrative courts of the department of Santander.

La cabecera municipal se divide en 17 comunas, cada una con aproximadamente 200 barrios.[2]​ La zona rural se compone de tres corregimientos, que a su vez se dividen en 25 veredas.[3]​ Cada comuna y corregimiento cuenta con una junta administradora local (JAL) integrada por siete ediles, elegidos por sufragio universal y directo, con el mismo periodo de mandato que el alcalde de la ciudad y el concejo municipal.

Corregimientos

Bucaramanga has the following townships:

Populated centers and villages without Jal "Local Administrative Board (Colombia)"):.

Metropolitan area

The metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga is made up of the municipalities of Bucaramanga, Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)"), Girón "Girón (Santander)") and Piedecuesta "Piedecuesta (Santander)"). All of them belong to the Metropolitan Province and are registered in the upper basin of the Lebrija River. It has an area of ​​1,479 km².

It was created by ordinance No. 020 of December 15, 1981 by the Santander Assembly, establishing a metropolitan area with Bucaramanga as the large urban center or main nucleus, and the adjacent towns of Girón and Floridablanca. In 1984, ordinance No. 048 was issued to include the municipality of Piedecuesta, which was formalized on March 2, 1985 with Decree 0332 “by which the municipality of Piedecuesta is integrated into the Metropolitan Area of ​​Bucaramanga.”[46][47]​.

It is administered by a Metropolitan Board chaired by the mayor of Bucaramanga, who is head of the administration and its representative. In addition, it is made up of a representative of the Bucaramanga Council, elected by majority vote; a representative of one of the councils of the municipalities of Floridablanca, Girón and Piedecuesta, chosen by the president of the respective councils; a mayor of a municipality other than Bucaramanga, appointed by the governor; and a representative of the Governor.[48]​.

According to data projected by DANE for the period 2008-2009, the metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga is home to 1,065,228 of the 2,016,251 inhabitants of Santander, which is equivalent to 53% of the department's population.

Defense

Bucaramanga is the headquarters of the Second Division "2nd Army Division (Colombia)") of the Colombian Army. Within this division, the Fifth Brigade and some of its battalions, such as the Ricaurte infantry battalion, the Caldas engineering battalion, the Mercedes Ábrego services battalion and the No. 2 Aviation battalion, are stationed in the city.[51][52]​.

La ciudad está localizada en el departamento de Santander "Santander (Colombia)"), en la provincia Metropolitana, sobre una meseta a 959 msnm en la Cordillera Oriental. Sus coordenadas geográficas son de latitud norte con respecto al Meridiano de Bogotá y de longitud al Occidente de Greenwich respectivamente. Al oriente está rodeada de montañas y al occidente se encuentra el cañón del Río de Oro.[53]​ Limita al norte con Rionegro "Rionegro (Santander)");[54]​ por el Oriente con los municipios de Matanza,[55]​ Charta "Charta (Santander)")[56]​ y Tona "Tona (Santander)").[57]​ por el Sur con Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)") y; por el Occidente con Girón "Girón (Santander)").

Territory and soils

The total area of ​​Bucaramanga is 162 km². The different altitudes of some points on the ground allow the city to be found in several thermal levels, distributed in warm (55 km²), medium (100 km², where the urban area lies with 34 km²) and cold (10 km²).[58]​.

The Bucaramanga plateau is located within the valley of the Oro River and forms a wide projection attached to the eastern slope of the Valley. It is formed by a succession of mantles from the Pleistocene period, which descend slightly towards the west. The plateau begins in the east at the foot of the Bucaramanga Massif and is delimited in the west by a vertical scarp, at the base of which begins a topography dissected by intermittent water currents that give the territory a dendritic morphology. Near the western side of the river there are also remains of materials that form the plateau, rocks originating in the Jurassic and Triassic periods. The soil groups a succession of almost horizontal mantles that vary lithologically between conglomerates "Conglomerate (geology)"), limonites, clays, sandstones and gravels.[3]​.

From an agrological point of view, its soils can be divided into two groups: the first, without danger of erosion, are suitable for the cultivation of a wide variety of products and use for livestock farming. The other type of soil has a high erosive potential; For this reason, it has low fertility and a superficial layer of fertility, in some situations almost zero.[58]​.

Bucaramanga is located in an area of ​​High Seismic Activity.[59]​ The sector where it is located, the Bucaramanga plateau, is a sunken block between the Bucaramanga - Santa Marta faults to the east, which limits the rocks of the Bucaramanga massif, and the Suárez Fault, in addition to being close to the Los Santos seismic knot.[60]​[3]​.

Hydrography

The main rivers of Bucaramanga are the Río de Oro and Río Suratá, and the streams of La Flora, Tona, La Iglesia, Quebrada Seca, Cacique, El Horno, San Isidro, Las Navas, La Rosita and Bucaramanga.[58]​.

The Oro River is one of the most important rivers that cross Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area. Its passage through Bucaramanga is located, according to the Territorial Planning Plan of Bucaramanga, on the western escarpment. The Grande ravine, the Suratá ravine and the Lato river flow into this river in the Piedecuesta area. In the Girón area, it receives the waters of the Frío River, the La Iglesia stream, the Chimitá stream, the La Rosita streams (which has the El Loro stream as a tributary) and the Quebrada-Seca (which in turn has the La Joya stream as its tributary). Other important streams in this area of ​​the western escarpment are the streams La Pincha, Chapinero, Las Navas (with its tributary Dos Aguas), La Argelia and La Cuyamita. The Oro River forms, together with the Suratá River, the Lebrija River.[3][61]​.

In the Malpaso escarpment there are the El Carrasco and Guacamaya streams, which pour their waters into the La Iglesia stream and the El Macho stream, which receives the waters from the La Bomba stream. In the northern escarpment are the Chitota ravine and the Zanjón de Regadero ravine.[61]​.

Bucaramanga has a monsoon climate (according to the Köppen climate classification Am). The IDEAM classifies it as follows: in the lower altitude parts of the city, the climate is hot dry; In the higher altitude areas, the climate is temperate.[62]​ The average temperature is 21.4 °C, with an average maximum of 25.5 °C. The average annual precipitation is 1189 mm. The rain regime is distributed in two dry periods and two rainy periods, as in the majority of the country. The dry periods include the months of December, January, February, March, June, July and August, while the rainy periods occur in April, May, September, October and November.[3]​.

Flora

The vegetation of Bucaramanga corresponds to a life zone in transition between the Tropical Dry Forest (bs-T) and Premontane Humid Forest (bmh-PM), or a transition between the Subandean Forest and the Lower Tropical Forest, according to the Cuatrecasas classification.[66] 70 tree species have been identified in Bucaramanga, of which 40 are Native Species and the other 30 are Species. introduced.[67]​ The most abundant tree species in the city are the Licania tomentosa or oití and the pink and yellow guayacanes, which represent 30%. Chicken coops and measles make up 15%. The royal palm and the fan palm add up to 5%. The búcaro occupies 2%. Other species, such as Ficus benjamina, Areca palm, African tulip, Mango and Leuceana, among others, make up the remaining 3%.[67]​[66]​.

Fauna

Some of the animal species that can be found in the city are birds such as the owl, parrot, parakeet, canary, turpial and blackbird; reptiles such as the boa constrictor, iguana and babilla; mammals such as monkeys and rodents such as squirrels, sloths and opossums.[67]​.

Eastern Hills

The Cerros Orientales are a mountainous formation located to the east of the city, made up of 1,300 hectares of native forest (which extend to 3,942 hectares if the Tona River basin is included) and the rural limit with Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)"), both territories inhabited by farmers[68]. They were declared a nature reserve thanks to the Territorial Planning Plan issued in 2013 for this area.[69]​[70]​ They are home to wild animal species such as gray foxes, squirrels, anteaters, armadillos and iguanas.[71]​ Despite being a protected area, many of the ecosystems of the Cerros Orientales are threatened by plans by construction companies to urbanize them.[72]​ Therefore, it was planned to build an ecological park with trails for walkers and a viewpoint "Mirador (tourism)"), using 290 hectares of the mountain system without using construction materials such as sand, brick and concrete so as not to affect the surrounding ecosystem. However, the project is on hold due to the rejection of environmentalists.[73] Currently, they are already a tourist attraction for walks and tours organized by ecological groups of the city and the municipal administration, through the Institute for Youth, Recreation and Sports of Bucaramanga") (INDERBU).[74][75]​.

La Corporación Autónoma Regional para la Defensa de la Meseta de Bucaramanga (CDMB) se encarga de medir los diferentes tipos de contaminación en Bucaramanga.

air pollution

To measure atmospheric pollution, the CDMB uses the IBUCA index), which reports daily on air quality, indicating the concentration level of pollutants and its relationship with health.[76] This measurement is carried out with 5 automatic stations, 3 manual and 4 meteorological stations located in the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga.[76] In addition, this entity is responsible for applying general standards and principles for atmospheric protection, as well as monitoring, control and monitoring mechanisms. air pollution to preserve its quality and reduce or avoid environmental deterioration.[77]​.

In 2009, the data released by the CDMB were:

• - NO2 "Nitrogen oxide (IV)"): 13.58 ppb, which according to the IBUCA measurement scale indicates regular figures, indicating that this oxide is one of the main pollutants of the city's air.

• - NO "Nitrogen (II) oxide"): 13.71 ppb.

• - SO "Sulfur oxide (IV)"): 4.20 ppb. This rust, according to the IBUCA scale, does not represent a high risk to public health.

• - CO "Carbon (II) oxide"): 0.89 ppm.

• - O: 12.30 ppb.

• - Particles in suspension: 38.21 µg/m³.[78]​.

Water pollution

The main points of water pollution are found in the Oro, Suratá and Lebrija rivers, since these streams receive wastewater from the metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga. In 2009, 61 monitoring points were established in the streams of the CDMB jurisdiction area, which covers several municipalities outside of Bucaramanga. According to the 2008 Water Quality Index, 11% (7 points) are classified as "Terrible", 16% (10 points) "Inadequate", 28% (17 points) "Doubtful" and 44% (27 points) "Good".[79]​.

El 52,4 % de las viviendas de Bucaramanga son casas, mientras que el 40,4 % son apartamentos y el 7,2 % restante corresponde a habitaciones u otros.[50]​ Según las cifras presentadas por el DANE del censo 2005, la composición etnográfica de la ciudad es:[80]​.

• - Trigueños (o Mestizos) y Blancos "Blanco (persona)"): (95,9 %).

• - Morenos/mulatos; negros, afrodescendientes o afrocolombianos: (3,9 %).

• - Indígenas o Amerindios: (0,2 %).

Birth and mortality

In 2008, 15,633 births were registered in Bucaramanga,[81]​ with an increase of 633 births compared to 2007.[82]​ Of these, 7,956 were men and 7,677 were women.[81]​.

In 2008, 3,923 deaths occurred in the city, which compared to the 4,328 in 2007 shows a decrease of 405 deaths.[83][84]​ 2,158 deaths were men and 1,765 were women.[83]​.

Citizen security

Since 2014, the homicide rate in Bucaramanga has had a growing trend, which represented an increase variation, at that time the percentage variation of the rate per one hundred thousand inhabitants was 20.1 and for the year 2019 it was 22.13, which represents an increase, with a variation of 2.04 percentage points. Which means a statistically significant variation. In relation to the concentration of cases compared to the national total, Bucaramanga presented 0.93% of the cases registered in Colombia during 2019.[85]​.

Citizen security is in charge of the Bucaramanga Metropolitan Police, attached to the National Police of Colombia. It has four districts, nine stations, one substation and forty-one immediate attention centers (CAI). Its radius of action is made up of the municipalities of Bucaramanga, Floridablanca, Girón, Piedecuesta, Lebrija and Los Santos (Santander) "Los Santos (Santander)").

Industry

The industrial activity that has the greatest presence in the city is agribusiness, followed by metalworking, and traditional footwear production. The Association of Footwear and Similar Industries, Asoinducals, is located in the city.[88]​ A significant sector of the Bumanguesa economy is the service economy that is distributed in various areas such as the health sector, education, hospitality, another area is the agricultural sector, due to the size of the income and jobs generated, whose main activities, agriculture, livestock and poultry, are carried out in various municipalities and surrounding areas in the departments of Santander and Cesar, but its administration and marketing take place in the city.

Bucaramanga has the Chimitá Industrial Zone, located to the west in the conurbation of the municipality of Girón; There are countless companies with different specialties such as Terpel, Nexans Colombia. In addition, one of the main plants of the Bavaria Brewery is located in the city. In the city, the conurbation with Floridablanca, there is a free zone, called the Santander Free Zone").[89]​.

The 2005 census carried out by DANE presents the following figures: 16.5% of establishments are dedicated to industry; 52.1% are dedicated to commerce; 29.8% are dedicated to services and 1.6% are dedicated to another activity. 3.7% of Bucaramanga households have economic activity in their homes. In establishments that have between 0 and 10 jobs, commerce, 54.4%, is the most frequent activity. In establishments that have between 10 and 50 people, the main activity is services (41.7%). Regarding the rural sector of the city, DANE figures showed that 75.9% of occupied rural homes, with people present on the day of the census, had agricultural activity. Of these homes, which had agricultural activity, DANE found that 70.1% were dedicated to agricultural work, 94.1% to livestock work, and the remaining 5.6% to fish farming work. These data are presented because the majority of homes have 2 or 3 types of activities simultaneously.[50]​.

Thanks to the commercial and business development it has, and the size of its economy and the fact that it is the de facto political center of eastern Colombia; Bucaramanga has positioned itself as a city of congresses and events by having infrastructure such as the Center for Fairs and Exhibitions - CENFER, which has become the largest commercial showcase in eastern Colombia, since countless fairs and exhibitions are held there annually in all branches of national commerce.[90]​ The city also has a multifunctional center for events and shows that provides Bucaramanga with a suitable space for holding large shows and activities. recreational, sports or commercial type. A countless number of conference and congress halls allow Bucaramanga to hold conventions with the security of the most adequate logistics, execution, convenience and comfort of the service offered by the Bumangueses for businessmen from all over the country.

Specialized fairs, in addition to generating direct benefits to the respective sector, mark other areas of the economy such as transportation, hotels, restaurants, commerce and various exhibitor service activities such as advertising, design and decoration of stands, modeling, etc.

In this city, one of the most important export-focused fairs in the region is held: the EIMI International Children's Fashion Exhibition, the only one specialized in this topic in Latin America[91]​ and to which Bucaramanga owes the name "capital of children's fashion."[91]​ It is held in Cenfer and is the driving force of exports in the clothing sector in the region, generating 40% of the foreign sales of this industry.

Trade

In recent years, important shopping centers and other types of buildings have been built in Bucaramanga. Among them, the Megamall Shopping Center, opened in 2007, Caracolí, Cacique and Cuarta Etapa stand out, as well as the Gratamira Shopping Center specialized in advanced technology items; We can mention in other areas of the city the Acropolis Shopping Center in the Royal Citadel of Minas, the San Andresito la Isla Shopping Center now called La Isla Centro Comercial and the San Andresito Centro Shopping Center.

Labor market

Historically, Bucaramanga has been one of the cities with the lowest number of unemployed people in the country. As of September 2010, according to DANE statistics, between July and September 2010, the city had an unemployment rate of 11.8%; increasing by 3.3%; with respect to the months of October and December 2009 when a rate of 8.5% was presented;[92]​ The global participation rate (TGP) is 70.1%; the occupancy rate (TO), 61.8%; the subjective underemployment rate (TS Sub), 39.0%; the objective underemployment rate (TS Obj) of 13.7%.[93]​.

En Bucaramanga y los municipios vecinos se puede realizar una diversidad de actividades turísticas; turismo ecológico a través de sus parques, turismo de aventura en la mesa de Ruitoque (Floridablanca), a 15 min de la ciudad se encuentra el “Voladero las Águilas” donde se puede practicar parapente. La zona del centro cuenta con construcciones coloniales, como las iglesias de San Laureano y la capilla de Dolores. Algunas casas importantes como la Casa de Bolívar, de Luis Perú de Lacroix. Otras construcciones coloniales se encuentran en los municipios vecinos de la ciudad. La diversidad turística de Bucaramanga le valió ser escogida como uno de los 7 destinos turísticos de orgullo nacional mediante un proceso de votación que fue convocada por Colombia es pasión y Bavaría.[94]​.

Bucaramanga cuenta con una infraestructura hotelera compuesta en parte por algunas de las mejores cadenas de hoteles del país. Varias zonas de la ciudad son centro de importantes restaurantes y discotecas de la ciudad.

Viewpoints

Morrorrico: located east of the city. A hill-shaped park is built in the sector, where you can see an impressive panoramic view of the city from its top; There are concrete and dirt paths that lead to the top where there is a fountain "Fountain (architecture)") with a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which is visited during Holy Week by the inhabitants of the city, especially to perform the Via Crucis on Good Friday; In addition, the residents and parishioners of the area believe that the statue works miracles. The park also has a stage in the shape of a half-cake or half-moon for outdoor theater or other cultural, social or religious activities.

Palonegro: located on the road to the airport of the same name, where you can see a view of the metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga. In the place there are several nightclubs and stops visited especially on weekends.

Historical and natural surroundings

Chicamocha National Park (PANACHI): on the road that leads to Bogotá at the maximum height of the eastern mountain range "Cordillera Oriental (Colombia)") in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Aratoca, it offers a view of the Chicamocha River canyon. It also offers family attractions such as the cable car, among others.

Girón "Girón (Santander)"): located 9 km from Bucaramanga.[95]​ Founded in 1631, its gold mines made it important during the Colony, a time of a wonderful architectural legacy, which turned its old town into a National Monument. The Museum of Religious Art stands out, with valuable paintings and ancient liturgical objects, the Basilica of the Lord of Miracles, a pilgrimage site, and the Corregidor Chapel, on the outskirts.

Socorro "El Socorro (Santander)"): located 121 km from Bucaramanga.[96]​ Cradle of the Los Comuneros uprising, it is located in the Comunera province, northeast of the department of Santander. It was founded in 1681 and in 1711 it was granted the title of "Very Noble and Loyal Villa". In 1781 Manuela Beltrán broke the edict that increased taxes and contributions, which gave rise to the rebellion of Los Comuneros. In the main square, the monuments to José Antonio Galán, leader of the uprising, and Antonia Santos stand out. Other attractions are the house of culture and the cathedral. The old town center was declared a Site of Cultural Interest of the nation.

Barichara: 118 km from Bucaramanga.[97] It was founded by the Pradilla de la Parra family around the veneration of the Virgin of La Piedra. In May 1975 it received the title of "The most beautiful town in Colombia" and through Resolution 005 of June 30, 1975, its old town was declared a "National Monument" or "Asset of Cultural Interest" by the Colombian state. It is known for its cobblestone streets and wooden balconies; In its surroundings it is worth highlighting the colonial town of Guane "Guane (Santander)"), under its jurisdiction, which highlights the Church of the Century with its sanctuary of Santa Lucía and the Anthropological and Archaeological Museum, where its important collection of marine fossils, colonial books and archaeological objects from the indigenous cultures of Guane, Yareguí, Chalalá, etc. stand out.

San Gil "San Gil (Colombia)"): located 96 km from Bucaramanga.[98]​ The historic center of this town with steep streets and located on the banks of the Fonce River, was declared a National Monument of the nation. One of its greatest attractions is El Gallineral park, which occupies an island in the river; The moss hanging from the trees and the sound of the water make it a must-see site.

Other attractions of San Gil are the Ragonessi ecological park, the Pozo Azul spa, La Gruta hill, La Cruz hill and the practice of adventure sports such as canoeing, mountaineering, mountaineering and motocross, among others.

Sogamoso and/or Hidrosogamoso Hydroelectric Plant: property of the state-owned ISAGEN, it is built on the Sogamoso River. The dam and reservoir are located in the jurisdiction of the municipalities of Girón, Betulia "Betulia (Santander)"), Zapatoca, Los Santos "Los Santos (Santander)") and San Vicente de Chucurí. It is one of the 5 largest electricity generation plants in the country and its reservoir area (the largest in the country) of about 7,000 hectares will be used to develop fishing for both sustenance and sport, in addition to the practice of water sports and recreational rides in rowing or motor boats, jet skis or yachts.

Bucaramanga cuenta con los más importantes servicios de telecomunicaciones existentes del momento: telefonía fija y celular, redes inalámbricas de banda ancha de la cual Bucaramanga fue la primera ciudad del país en adquirir este servicio,[99]​[100]​ cibercafés, comunicación IP, etc. Las principales empresas en este sector son Movistar, Une y Claro.

Landline, mobile and Internet telephony

The landline and internet service in the city is provided by the companies Movistar (Antigua TeleBucaramanga), UNE Telecomunicaciones and Claro; 87.8% of the city has landline telephone coverage and 19% has internet service.[101] Mobile telephone service is provided by all mobile telephone operators in the country with 100% coverage, including the municipalities of the metropolitan area. Claro (from América Móvil), Tigo, Movistar, WOM, Móvil Éxito and Virgin Mobile are the six operators that offer the service with 3G technology and as of 2012 the 4G service is also offered. All five operators have GSM technology. They also provide mobile Internet service that also works in 3G and 4G technology. The Avantel company operates in the city offering trunking service.

Television

The city has a regional channel; TRO channel. In addition, the five national channels provide their services: the three private Caracol Televisión, Channel 1 "Canal Uno (Colombia)") and Canal RCN, and the two public ones: Canal Institucional and Diseño Colombia. Subscription television companies offer their own channels.

The cable television service is provided by Movistar "Movistar (Colombia)"), Tigo "Tigo (Colombia)") and Claro "Claro (Colombia)"), on satellite television Claro "Claro (Colombia)"), Movistar "Movistar (Colombia)") (offered by the former TeleBucaramanga")) and DirecTV "DirecTV (Colombia)"). satellite dish television service.

Radio

The city has a large number of AM and FM stations, both local and national coverage, of which the majority belong to large media conglomerates such as the radio networks RCN Radio and Caracol Radio; other highly popular commercial stations such as Olímpica Stereo, or institutional stations such as The National Police, The National Army, stations of the UIS, the UDES, Radio USTA (Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino), Blu Radio and the Cultural Station "Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento", the only cultural station in eastern Colombia.

Press and newspapers

In Bucaramanga the newspapers Vanguardia Liberal, El Frente") and Periódico Q'hubo circulate; in addition, free newspapers such as the weeklies Gente de Cabecera and Gente de Cañaveral circulate. The national newspapers El Tiempo "El Tiempo (Colombia)"), El Espectador "El Espectador (newspaper)"), Periódico ADN and the newspaper El Despertador also circulate.

Energy

The Electrificadora de Santander (ESSA), an EPM company, is in charge of providing the service in Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area. In the city, 97.6% of homes have electricity service.[101]​.

Aqueduct and sewer

The Metropolitan Aqueduct of Bucaramanga S.A. E.S.P. is responsible for the aqueduct service and the Public Sewerage Company of Santander S.A E.S.P., EMPAS S.A. of the sewage service.[102]​ This company supplies the city from the Surata River, the Frío River and the Tona River. 96.1% of the city has aqueduct service[101]​ and 94.7% has sewer service.[101]​.

Bucaramanga's water is considered the best in the country according to a study of the Bucaramanga aqueduct based on the water quality risk index (IRCA). This index cannot exceed 5 percent. For Bucaramanga it reached 0.35 percent.[103]​ For water treatment, the Bucaramanga Aqueduct has four treatment plants. The Bosconia plant is located on the road that leads from Bucaramanga to the municipality of Matanza; The Flora plant is located in the upper eastern part of Bucaramanga on the road to Cúcuta; The Morrorrico plant is located to the east of the city; The Oriente plant is located in the upper part of the Bucarica and Caracolí neighborhoods.[104]​ To guarantee the provision of drinking water service until 2050, the construction of the Bucaramanga Reservoir is planned.[105]​.

Toilet and garbage

Bucaramanga produces around 426 t of waste daily.[106]​ The companies in charge of collecting this waste are the Bucaramanga Cleaning Company (EMAB) which covers strata 1, 2 and 3.[107]​ Aseo Chicamocha S.A E.S.P which covers strata 4, 5 and 6.

This waste is taken to the "El Carrasco" landfill, located between the municipalities of Bucaramanga and Girón. This landfill began to be used in 1978 as an open-air dump. Every day about 750 tons of waste arrive at its facilities from 10 municipalities of Santander, the four in the metropolitan area, as well as Surata, Cáchira, Charta, Rionegro, Lebrija "Lebrija (Santander)") and Barbosa "Barbosa (Santander)"). a new landfill.

Gas

Bucaramanga is supplied with gas service from the 8-inch Barrancabermeja - Payoa - Bucaramanga gas pipeline that began operations in July 1997.[109] The city also has the Gibraltar - Bucaramanga gas pipeline that transports 30 million cubic feet of gas per day. This project seeks to guarantee natural gas service to the city for 15 years, and was completed in December 2010[110]​[111]​.

91.5% of the homes in the city have natural gas service.[101]​ The company in charge of providing the service to the Bumangueses is Gas Natural Del Oriente S.A. E.S.P. (Gasoriente S.A.) of the Vanti Group.

The entities in charge of guaranteeing the provision of health services in the city are the Ministry of Health and the Environment and the ISABU. The health network of Bucaramanga is made up of 24 care points, distributed in 21 Health Centers, 2 Intermediate Units, 1 Mobile Unit and the Local Hospital of the North.[112]​ The city has the most important hospital in the region, the Santander University Hospital (HUS), which is departmental, serving people from various parts of the department and other surrounding departments.[113]​.

In the private sector we can find the Carlos Ardila Lülle clinics, Bucaramanga clinic, Metropolitana clinic, Chicamocha clinic, La Merced clinic, among others. In addition, the city has entities specialized in the management of cardiovascular diseases, made up of the Colombian Cardiovascular Foundation (FCV- Heart Institute) which manages other specialties such as neurosciences, critical care and transplants, the Bucaramanga Heart Institute, and the Santander Cardiovascular Society.

Currently in Bucaramanga the construction of two permanent special health Free Zones in the country is being carried out. One of them will have 80,000 m² and will begin operating in February 2012 and has an investment of 120,000 million pesos.[114]​.

The other permanent special Health Free Zone has an International Hospital, Dental Medical Center, Convention Center and hotel, all in an area of ​​270,000 m² and began operations in 2013.

The significant advance in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory diseases is of special relevance since in the city (Clínica Chicamocha) there is one of the few centers in the country where Therapeutic Bronchoscopy is performed").

The Clinics in Bucaramanga, especially the private sector, are characterized by having a wide range of technologies, such as telemedicine that allows medical care and treatment in remote regions used by the Cardiovascular Foundation of Colombia.

En Bucaramanga la entidad encargada de la supervisión y control de la educación de la ciudad es la Secretaría de Educación adscrita a la alcaldía de Bucaramanga.[115]​ La ciudad cuenta con instituciones universitarias, de carácter público y privado. A estas instituciones llegan estudiantes de varias regiones del departamento y del país, como la región Caribe y Norte de Santander. Cuenta la ciudad con varias instituciones especializadas en la formación técnica y tecnológica. En el área de educación la ciudad presenta una amplia oferta de instituciones de educación que comprende todos los niveles, desde prejardín, jardín, educación básica primaria, secundaria, técnica y tecnológica y formación superior universitaria.

Coverage

The census carried out by DANE in 2005 presented the following educational data in Bucaramanga. 95.3% of the population of Bucaramanga over 5 years old knows how to read and write. 48.8% of the population between 3 and 5 years old attends a formal educational institution; 93.1% of the population between 6 and 10 years old and 82.6% of the population between 11 and 17 years old. 32.5% of the population residing in Bucaramanga has reached the basic primary level and 32.4% the secondary level; 13.2% have reached the professional level and 2.2% have completed specialization, master's or doctoral studies. The resident population without any educational level is 6.1%.[101]​.

Schools

Bucaramanga has many primary and secondary education centers, several of which offer bilingual education. The good level of education in Bucaramanga has been reflected in the state tests for admission to higher education ICFES,[116] where on average, 41% of the best ICFES are from Santander, which is why public and private sector schools stand out year after year.

In the city, the "Student Street" stands out, located in the Royal Citadel of Minas, a sector in which several official educational institutions are currently concentrated. These and many more schools make up the city's student body with more than 140,000 students between public and private institutions.

Higher education

The city has several specialized institutions in the field of higher education where their institutions offer technical, technological, and university undergraduate courses. And in postgraduate courses, diplomas, specializations and master's degrees are offered in agreement with other institutions in the country and the world, as well as doctorates.

The most important public university in the city is the Industrial University of Santander (UIS), which is ranked among the 4 best in the country in the public sector. In the private sector, several universities stand out, such as the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga UNAB and the Santo Tomás University (USTA).

Among the Universities founded and based in the city are:.

• - Industrial University of Santander (UIS).

• - Autonomous University of Bucaramanga (UNAB).

• - University of Santander (UDES).

• - Santander Technological Units") (UTS).

• - Research and Development University (UDI).

• - FITEC Technology") (I.E.S.).

• - University Corporation of Science and Development") (UNICIENCIA).

• - Comfenalco University Foundation") (UNC).

Also those that have an extension headquarters in Bucaramanga such as:.

• - Universidad Santo Tomás "Universidad Santo Tomás (Colombia)") (USTA).

• - Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB): Located in the neighboring municipality of Piedecuesta.

• - Cooperative University of Colombia (UCC).

• - Antonio Nariño University (UAN).

• - Manuela Beltrán University (UMB).

• - National Open and Distance University (UNAD).

• - Remington University Corporation") (UniRemington).

• - Higher School of Public Administration (ESAP).

Research and science

Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area have different research and science centers where important processes for the industry are developed:[117]​.

• - Guatiguara Technology Park. PTG.

• - Colombian Petroleum Institute ICP.

• - Research Group on Plant Eco-physiology & Terrestrial Ecosystems (GIEFIVET).

• - Research Group on Industrial Biotechnology and Molecular Biology (CINBIN).

El tránsito público y privado en el país y por ende en Bucaramanga está regulado por la Ley 769 del 6 de agosto de 2002, que en su artículo 6 Parágrafo 3 permite a las autoridades municipales la expedición de normas para el mejoramiento del tránsito en la ciudad siempre y cuando no impliquen modificaciones a la ley.[118]​.

Land

Bucaramanga has a Territorial Planning Plan (POT), in turn this plan classifies the city's roads into two types: the roads called Type Arteries and the roads of the local network of the municipality.[119]​.

Artery type pathways.

Type Arterial Routes are divided into Type V-0 Routes. They have a cross section greater than 60 meters. Type V-1 Tracks. They have a cross section between 60 m and 40 m. Type V-2 tracks. It is between 30 m and 40 m in cross section. Type V-3 tracks. They have between 25 m and 30 m cross section.[120]​ Among the arterial type roads we can find:.

• - Race 15: It is of the V-2 type. In the Rosita sector it becomes Diagonal 15, it is one of the most important for its permanent transport movement, especially public service, it has been expanded and arranged for the Metrolínea project, it begins in the northern sector of the city on the road that comes from Santa Marta and in the Puerta del Sol sector it ends to become the Bucaramanga - Floridablanca - Piedecuesta Highway.

• - Race 27: It is of the V-2 type. Also known as Avenida Próspero Pinzón, it crosses the city from north to south. It begins at the Industrial University of Santander and crosses the city from north to south. In the Puerta del Sol sector, the interchange of the same name is located, from which two roads lead to the highway to Floridablanca and a continuation of Carrera 27 that goes to the intersection between the La Victoria and La Salle neighborhoods respectively, where it becomes the Highway to Girón and Lebrija; From this road the road to Barrancabermeja begins.

Other important arterial type routes are:

• - Bucaramanga - Floridablanca Highway: Type V-0. It communicates these two municipalities of the metropolitan area.[119]​.

• - Bucaramanga - Girón Highway: Type V-1.[119]​.

• - Vía Palenque - Café Madrid: Type V-1.[119]​.

• - Avenida La Rosita: Type V-2.[119]​.

• - Quebrada Seca Avenue: Type V-3.[119]​.

Local network roads of the municipality.

The local network roads of the municipality are divided into: Type V-4 roads. They have a minimum of 18 m and a maximum of 25 m in cross section. Type V-5 Tracks. They have between 15 m and 18 m in cross section. Type V-6 tracks. They have between 12 m and 15 m in cross section. Type V-7 tracks. They are the roads of the local road network that have between 9 m and 12 m in cross section. Type V-8 tracks. It is the road of the local road network that has a cross section less than m.[121]​ Among the roads of the local network of the municipalities we can find:.

• - Carrera 33: Type V-4 Also known as Avenida de las Américas, it starts from Quebrada Seca Avenue and crosses the city from north to south. It is very important because it passes through several commercial sectors of the city. In addition, from 56th Street to 45th Street it has a large pedestrian area for the enjoyment of passers-by.[119]​.

Other important roads are Carreras 17 and 21 and Calle 56, Calle 45 that crosses the city from east to west and ends near the industrial zone of Chimitá, Calle 36 that passes through the center of the city and Avenida González Valencia and La Rosita.[119]​.

• - Metroline. It is the public transportation system of Bucaramanga and part of its metropolitan area. The system consists of articulated buses that circulate from north to south in exclusive lanes, these are also complemented by standard and feeder buses. The cost per ticket for the year 2024 is 3,000 pesos.

• - Bus. The city has a good number of buses that cover the entire metropolitan area. The SITM has been integrating the old urban passenger transportation companies and progress is being made in the integration of the entire metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga to the coverage of the SITM. The cost of the bus ticket varies each year. The cost per ticket for the year 2023 is COP$2800.[122]​.

• - Taxi. Bucaramanga has a large number of taxis 24 hours a day with around 22 companies, it is the second city in Colombia with the largest number of taxis. The minimum value of a taxi ride for the year 2024 is 7,000 Colombian pesos. The taximeter starts from 40 units and goes up to 83 units, each unit is equivalent to 60 meters and/or 60 seconds with a nightly surcharge[123]​ of 1000 Colombian Pesos that would range from to Taxis make use of mobile applications and radio telephones for better service to citizens.[124]​.

• - MetroBici. As a transportation alternative that contributes to reducing road congestion and pollution, the public bicycle transportation system has been implemented. System that has 8 stations in various parts of the city and is free, with opening hours between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. m. - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

• - Train. Bucaramanga has a railway in the northern city sector, where the old railway station called Madrid coffee station is located, currently restored and functions as a play center, this old railway station communicated with the railway station of the municipality of Puerto Wilches and in turn with the Barrancabermeja railway station, currently this railway transport route is unused, and is 98% integrated as a railway transport infrastructure suitable for mobilization of cargo and passengers in the future.[125]​.

Bucaramanga is connected to the rest of the country by 2 main roads. The first is National Route 66 that comes from Barrancabermeja and connects it with Cucutá and from there it passes to Venezuela, the second is National Route 45A that comes from Bogotá and reaches San Alberto. This road connects it with the Colombian Caribbean Region and its main cities through National Route 45.

The Bucaramanga international transportation terminal is located on the road that leads from Bucaramanga to Girón near the Provenza neighborhood. It has 5 stations to receive and dispatch passengers.

Air

By air transportation, Bucaramanga is served by the Palonegro International Airport, located west of Bucaramanga in the municipality of Lebrija "Lebrija (Santander)"), on the road to Barrancabermeja on the historic hill of Palonegro. Inside the building there was a small museum with some of the war objects found at the time of building the airport, which has been considered a pharaonic work of Colombian engineering, due to its location on the esplanade hill.

The airport was inaugurated in 1974, replacing the old Gómez Niño airport) located in the current Ciudadela Real de Minas. Currently the Palonegro Airport operates under the administration of the Colombo-Korean consortium Aeropuertos de Oriente S.A.S. Group that obtained the concession to operate it for 15 years.[129] It receives flights from the main cities of Colombia and Santander, in addition to international flights to and from the cities of Panama "Panamá". (city)") and Fort Lauderdale.

The main terminal is located 20 minutes from the city on the expressway of the western highway to Girón "Girón (Santander)").

By 2019, it was positioned among the 5 most important airports in Colombia, transporting nearly 2 million people annually.

La cultura en Bucaramanga tiene varias expresiones, desde las artes plásticas como la pintura, la escultura, la fotografía, la poesía, y recientemente también en manifestación con propuestas que incorporan nuevas tecnologías para la comunicación artística, como el video. En Bucaramanga a lo largo de su historia ha albergado diversas propuestas culturales en diversas áreas, es así como en la ciudad existen multiplicidad de grupos artísticos.

Uno de los principales pilares de la cultura en Santander y en Bucaramanga como epicentro cultural fue la literatura, en épocas pasadas existió un movimiento cultural alrededor de la literatura que produjo un buen número de escritores que daban cuenta del notable interés de la comunidad por la literatura. Hoy las artes escénicas, como el teatro son uno de los principales exponentes del trabajo cultural en la ciudad.[130]​.

El IMCT (Instituto Municipal de Cultura y Turismo) es el organismo gubernamental municipal presta los servicios de biblioteca, talleres artísticos, presentación de una variada gama de espectáculos y programación de eventos culturales, realiza trabajo cultural con los distintos barrios de la ciudad, de igual forma patrocina actividades culturales realizadas con iniciativa privada y cuenta con una emisora cultural (Emisora Cultural Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento) en el dial 100.7 F.M.

Museums and libraries

• -

Casa Bolívar Museum.

Casa de Bolívar Museum, headquarters of the Academy of History of Santander, preserves historical costumes and objects that the Liberator Simón Bolívar used at some point during his time in the city, in addition to containing archaeological objects (among them mummies) from the Guane indigenous culture that once inhabited a part of the Santander territory.

• - Cultural Center of the East, headquarters of the city's old schools, with small squares for cultural and social events.

The previous sites were declared National Monuments by the Colombian government.

• - Gua Museum, located in an old coffee hacienda where today the La Colina cemetery park operates. There is an old restored colonial house where you can find different artifacts of the vestiges of the indigenous presence in the territory and several elements that recount the history of the urban development of Bucaramanga at the beginning of the century.

• - Casa Luis Perú de la Croix, where the David Martínez Collazos Departmental Library operated, a former fort of the royalist and liberating troops. Today restored to function as one of the headquarters of the Attorney General's Office "Procuraduría General de la Nación (Colombia)").[131]​.

• - Museum of Modern Art of Bucaramanga. Located in a Republican-style house, it has 2 exhibition rooms, a sculpture garden, a sculpture patio, an educational room, among other spaces, available to the public. Since its opening in 1989, it has discovered and promoted local artists who have risen to national recognition and some of whom have been able to exhibit in various galleries around the world. Annually it carries out the "Look at the City" project, which consists of training approximately one thousand children from educational institutions by taking them to cultural centers and heritage spaces in the city, culminating with an exploration workshop in the Museum facilities. It is located at 37th Street No. 26 - 16.

• - Neomundo, It is located next to the La Flora viaduct, on Calle 89 - eastern metropolitan transversal - with Carrera 69. The building is a multi-level complex. It has a modern Convention Center of 12,631 m², with multifunctional auditoriums and exhibition halls.[132]​.

• - Natural History Museum, located at the Industrial University of Santander.

• - Casa del Libro Total (located at 35th Street No. 9-81), headquarters of cultural, artistic, literary and musical events, and where the ellibrototal project is developed"), one of the largest Spanish-speaking virtual libraries in America. It is a CSR project of a local firm (SYC S.A) that strives for the recovery of the cultural heritage of the arts and classic letters of the Hispanic world.

• - UIS Planetarium (located at the Industrial University of Santander, Central Campus - Human Sciences building - top floor - entrance by Visitors), The planetarium consists of a dome that simulates the celestial vault, on which a star projector allows you to view galaxies, stars, constellations, planetary systems such as the solar system, etc. In addition, documentaries, videos and dome films are projected.

• - Cafe Madrid Station Playground. In the facilities of the old railway station that linked Bucaramanga with Puerto Wilches and Barrancabermeja, said space has been recovered as a play center for the recreation of children, young people and adults. Space for the recovery of historical and cultural heritage.

In the metropolitan area:

• - Guane Museum of Floridablanca, located in the Casa de la Cultura Piedra del Sol, has a large collection of objects from the Guanes, one of the most important indigenous ethnic groups of Santander that disappeared almost entirely during the Spanish conquest (19th century).

• - Gabriel Turbay Public Library, located on the side of cra 27 between streets 30 and av quebrada seca.

Theaters and auditoriums

• - Neomundo Convention Center.

• - Teatro Santander.[133]​ It is the stage with the highest technical and logistical conditions for the presentation of scenic and musical works. Its exterior façade was declared a National Monument.

• - Peralta Coliseum Theater. Declared a National Monument.

• - Corfescu Theater. With a varied program of theatrical performances and stand up comedy.

• - Luis A. Calvo Auditorium of the Industrial University of Santander.

• - Pedro Gómez Valderrama Auditorium of the Municipal Institute of Culture").

• - Enrique Low Mutra Auditorium of SENA.

• - Leonardo Angulo Prada Auditorium in Comfenalco").

• - Juan Pablo II Auditorium of the Pontifical Bolivarian University.

• - Carlos Gómez Albarracín Mayor Auditorium of the UNAB.

• - Alfonso Gómez Gómez Minor Auditorium of the UNAB.

• - Jesús Alberto Rey Mariño Auditorium of the UNAB.

• - Auditorium of the Bucaramanga Chamber of Commerce.

• - Water Park Auditorium.

• - UIS Planetarium Auditorium.

• - Arteficus Cultural House. (Independent Performing Arts Room).

Other sites of interest

• - Old Hotel Bucarica"), located next to the Santander Park, was the headquarters of the Hotel Bucarica, the first luxury hotel built in the city to house the athletes who participated in the National Games held in the city in 1941. Currently it is one of the headquarters of the Industrial University of Santander and this building was declared a National Monument by the Colombian government.[134]​.

• - Club del Comercio"), located in the same Parque Santander diagonal to the Cathedral of the Sagrada Familia, is one of the oldest social clubs in the country. Declared a National Monument for its century façade.

• - Birthplace of Custodio García Rovira, birthplace of this hero of national independence, located on Carrera 9 and Calle 35. Declared a Site of Cultural Interest in Colombia.

• - Old Meat Pavilion of the Central Market Square"); in its location, next to the Central Market Square") and with its land, there was a lagoon called San Mateo; Although its façade dates back to the 19th century, the building is not part of the nation's Assets of Cultural Interest, but is part of the Urban Heritage of Bucaramanga").

• - Bucaramanga Reservoir; owned by the Bucaramanga Aqueduct, is located at the confluence of the Tona River"), is a gravity reservoir that will occupy 54 hectares. It includes the construction of a 103 m high dam that will store a volume of 17.6 million m³ of water and regulate a flow of 1000 liters of water per second, reserving drinking water for the city and its neighboring municipalities until the year 2050. It will also serve as a recreational site for sport fishing and water sports.

• - Provincial Viaduct; Known as the Viaducto de la Novena for being located next to Carrera 9 in the city, it is a 550 m cable-stayed bridge that attracts attention for its avant-garde design and its LED lighting system, which makes it a tourist attraction at night for locals and foreigners. Its objective is to decongest vehicle traffic through the city from the central part to the south by entering service on April 9, 2015. In the western part, beginning the route along 45th Street, there is an obelisk that serves as a viewing point for the illumination of the bridge.

• - Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento Civic Plaza, built in the 90s as a concentration place for political, religious and cultural activities. Located in the heart of the municipal, departmental and judicial public power, between streets 35 and 36 and streets 11 and 12. Located at the top of the open space is a 5 m bronze statue with the face of the Santander politician, martyr of the Colombian internal armed conflict.

Festivals

• - Santander Theater Festival on Stage, organized since 2005 by the Jaulabierta Theater Workshop Corporation.

• - Abrapalabra Ibero-American Storytellers Festival, festival of storytellers and comedians organized by Corporación Festival de Cuenteros that has been held in the city since 1992.

• - International Piano Festival, a piano festival organized by the Industrial University of Santander where international, national and local artists participate. It has been held since 1984 and is considered the most important cultural meeting in eastern Colombia.

• - Bucaramanga Book Fair ULibro, Bucaramanga book festival organized by the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga. Its cultural and academic programming constitutes the axis of the Fair and offers special attractions for the general public, the family, the university community and the primary and secondary educational community. It includes conferences, meetings with authors, artistic presentations, a film and literature cycle, poetry, workshops for children and young people, contests, among other activities.

• - Bucaramanga Fair, an event that takes place every year in the month of September and whose programming includes sporting, cultural and musical events where important artists from various musical genres perform. The events take place in various parts of the city, among their events is the reign of the communes to elect the queen of the festivities, carnival of the east with parade of floats, parade of antique cars, among others.

• - International Performance Festival Acciones al Margen, organized since 2013 by the Corporación Escenarios de Mujer.

• - Búcaro EcoFestival Music and Ecology Festival, a private initiative organized since 2015.

• - International Festival of Street Theater and Circus of Santander, organized since 2009 with the support of the Ministry of Culture.

• - Festival Without Borders of Magic and Circus Arts, organized since 2015 by the Eventos Recreativos corporation.

• - Santander International Film Festival, the Santander International Film Festival – FICS is the most important film event in Santander and its surroundings organized by the Social Educational and Communications Corporation PRENSA LIBRE since 2009.

• - 'Santander International Puppet Festival', organized since 2013 by the Jaulabierta Theater Workshop Corporation.

• - Bucaramanga International Blues and Jazz Festival, since 2008 as a private initiative.

• - National Children's Festival of Folkloric Music and Dance Maestro Guillermo Laguna"), organized since 1999 by the GIFOS Corporation.

In Bucaramanga, you can find all types of restaurants specialized in all types of cuisine (international, specialized, typical, fast); A good number of important restaurants are located in the Cabecera del Llano sector.

Among the typical dishes of Santander cuisine, we can highlight the Santander mute[135]​—a soup made from various grains and accompanied by various types of meat—; pepitoria, a preparation of viscera and goat or camuro blood mixed with white rice and accompanied by its baked meat. [136]

Big-ass ants are perhaps the most exotic thing about Santander food; They are abundant in the months of March and April. The head and wings are removed and they are roasted over the fire. Some people attribute aphrodisiac powers to them.[138] Currently, they are exported to several countries in Europe and the United States.[139] The traditional sweets of celery, lemon, citron, rice, arequipe and pineapple also stand out - made by many traditional Bumanguese families, however in the neighboring municipality of Floridablanca companies have also been created that market them - as well as the wafers and the Veleño sandwich in the south of the department of Santander.

Bucaramanga está rodeada de montañas lo cual ha obligado a que muchos barrios estén situados en lugares montañosos. La ciudad ha crecido mucho en los últimos años siendo ejemplo de progreso, sin embargo ante la escasez de terrenos para que la ciudad se expanda se han iniciado construcciones de edificios con alturas importantes para el sector de la vivienda y la construcción de oficinas.[140]​.

Colonial and republican architecture

The colonial architecture of Bucaramanga still preserves some buildings built in the 19th century, important are the Casa de Bolívar where the liberator stayed in 1828, and which is currently preserved as a museum.[141]​.

The city's Club del Comercio, whose building was built in 1821 designed by the architect Pedro Colón Moncotini), preserves the typical Republican style. On its façade we can find Doric columns.[141]​.

The Peralta Coliseum"), built on the grounds of Anselmo Peralta in 1895, was built following the architectural parameters of the Spanish corrals: Horseshoe shape, a huge open-air stage with natural acoustics and a double row of seats.[141]​.

The current Cultural Center of the Colombian East") is located in the old facilities of a Jesuit school (Colegio San Pedro Claver). It was built between 1899 and 1912 and rebuilt in the 70's for the operation of a high school in the city, still preserving its republican style.[141]​.

There is also the old Hotel Bucarica"), a house built in 1880 where the hotel would operate decades later, established by the departmental authorities to house athletes from other departments who participated in the V National Games of Bucaramanga in 1941. Its design was carried out by the Spanish architect Germán Tejeiro de Latorre"), in an art deco style. An annexed headquarters of the Industrial University of Santander (UIS) currently operates.[141]​.

The four buildings mentioned were declared National Monuments by the Colombian state.

In Bucaramanga and its metropolitan area, several buildings of more than 15 floors have been built, with more intensity in the sectors of the Bucaramanga-Floridablanca highway; From Provenza to Cañaveral, a large number of buildings that exceed 22 floors have been developed. The tallest buildings are located in the east of the city, more specifically in the Cabecera del Llano sector, where there are residential apartments of 20 to 28 floors, but recently they are being built in other sectors of the city such as the Ciudadela Real de Minas, Lagos del Cacique, La Flora and the Bucaramanga - Floridablanca highway sector, in addition to the Cañaveral sector in Floridablanca.

Other sectors of the city are not so well urbanized since they are the places where the popular sectors settled their homes, these are the North Communes and the Morrorico neighborhood; among others, where houses are built on sites at high risk of landslides. Added to this is the lack of projects of social interest.[142]​.

There are other sectors where you can still see 1 and 2-story homes, houses built in the 60's and 70's in rammed earth, mostly in the strata 3 and 4 neighborhoods.

The architecture of Bucaramanga has grown a lot in recent years, having many residential sites; especially, a large number of buildings, making it the fifth city with the most constructions in Colombia. There is also a center specialized in science and technology called Neomundo") and the Palace of Justice (seat of the judicial power in the department). Architecture is also present in the clinics such as the Carlos Ardila Lulle Clinic"), one of the largest in the country, with six large buildings each with more than ten floors.

Almost anywhere in Bucaramanga you can see the erection of a building, the remodeling of a house or the adaptation of a piece of land. But although construction allows investment and generates employment, concern arises about knowing where and how it is being built.

During the first 20 years of the century, the price of coffee, the region's main product, fell and for investors at that time it became profitable to convert agricultural land into urban land. The Sociedad Sucesores de David Puyana S.A., the main developer of the time, began to sell lots for housing construction in Waterloo, today the Antonia Santos neighborhood, as well as in Pueblo Nuevo and Cabecera del Llano, later. Freddy Merchán and Heiber Zanguña, who carried out the architectural pre-inventory at the Antonio Nariño University, assure in their thesis that the houses built in these neighborhoods were of high value because in addition to functionality they had aesthetics: "The positioning of the elite in the sector was evidenced by Messrs. Brench Wessells and Carlos Tapias, by building two chalet-style villas, based on attractive and elegant plans brought from Europe." The Colombian League Against Cancer operates today in one of these German-style houses. Part of the neighborhood was converted into buildings, stores and is now a commercial area.

'City within cities' was an innovative urban concept proposed in the government of former president Alfonso López Michelsen in the mid-70s. Thanks to the Territorial Credit Institute, later called INURBE (an entity that has disappeared in Colombia), the main cities of the country, including Bucaramanga, were able to design an almost self-sufficient urban complex called Ciudadela Real de Minas, on the land where an airport called Gómez Niño previously operated.

religious architecture

The construction of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral began in 1896 with the laying of the first stone. In 1898, work began on its construction, and on October 8, 1922, the towers were inaugurated. In 1929, the bell of the eastern tower was inaugurated, which was cast in Piedecuesta. On February 28, 1941, the tower clock was inaugurated. This clock was a gift from the Public Improvement Society, and was built in the Robledo workshops in Medellín. Around 1945, the work on the cathedral was completed and it was then placed at the service of the Bumangueses.[143] Declared a National Monument of Colombia.

The church of Chiquinquirá del Real de Minas de San Laureano, or commonly known as the Church of San Laureano, began construction on January 1, 1779. In 1866 the construction of its dome was completed and in 1893 its doors were inaugurated, the value of these was 1,200 pesos at the time.[144]​ The church is located next to García Park. Rovira. It was declared an "Asset of Cultural Interest" by the Ministry of Culture in 2009.[145]​.

First church built in the city, its structure dates back to the century although it is perfectly preserved. It was the place where the Liberator Simón Bolívar went to mass and prayed while he was passing through the city, awaiting the results of the Ocaña Convention. Its conservation is in charge of the Church of San Laureano and, like it, it was declared a National Monument by the Colombian State.[146]​ The colonial style, in addition to the cozy and private nature of the site, makes it the favorite place for couples to seal their fraternal bond and swear eternal love in the institution of marriage, through a Catholic religious Eucharist.

Ordered to be built by the friars of the Franciscan Order upon their arrival in the city in 1937, at the same time as the Franciscan Convent and the school they currently run (Virrey Solis School). Located in the San Francisco neighborhood on Carrera 22, its façade is built in Gothic style, which attracts the attention of locals and tourists.[147]​.

Commonly known as the Church of San Pedro, it was built by order of the Jesuit community that settled in the city since 1897, in parallel with the construction of the San Pedro School that is currently in its charge. It is located on Calle 45 with Carrera 27A, in the Sotomayor sector.[148]​.

contemporary architecture

Majestic Building "Majestic Building (Bucaramanga)")

A 42-story skyscraper, it is the tallest building in the city, as well as the tallest in eastern Colombia. Currently it is the sixth tallest in Colombia in terms of height meters and the tallest building in the country for residential purposes.

It is the first skyscraper in Bucaramanga, so its consulting and engineering work was not common compared to other buildings in the city due to its topographical difficulty, since Bucaramanga is built on a plateau, in addition to the fact that the city is built near the seismic nest of the Mesa de los Santos, the second with the most seismic activity in the world after the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan.[149] Due to the number of floors that makes it a skyscraper, the building has a management in the environmental part different from the other buildings in the city, recognized by the Corporation for the Defense of the Bucaramanga Plateau (CDMB).

The execution in record time of 73 large reinforced concrete "Pilot (foundation)" piles with an average diameter of 2 meters was required, which have a depth of 40 meters, managing to reach the bedrock, to provide the building with greater security.

This imposing building is located on an area of ​​approximately 12,000 m², surrounded by the leafy eastern hills of the city, in an exclusive place in the city called Altos de Cabecera, between Carreras 41 and 42 with Calle 41, to which a private road was built from Carrera 42, to provide security and privacy to residents and visitors to the sector.

Bucaramanga, also called the City of Parks, has more than 72 parks in its metropolitan area.

In the downtown area there are the oldest parks with colonial style. In this sector, the parks stand out:

• - Romero Park.

• - Antonia Santos Park.

• - Centennial Park.

• - Bolívar Park.

• - Santander Park.

• - Custodio García Rovira Park.

Among the recent parks is La Rosita Park, managed by the Bucaramanga Aqueduct"), where a water storage tank is located, with architectural adaptations on top; there is a giant map of the city divided into communes with their streets and careers specified for the orientation of local citizens, tourists and visitors; in addition, it stores inside an amount of 4500 cubic meters of water that helps the supply of liquid in the downtown sector of the city.[150]​.

In the headwaters of the plain and its surroundings we can find the following parks:

• - Water Park. Inaugurated in 2003, this park is located in the facilities of the Metropolitan Aqueduct of Bucaramanga. The park combines educational and recreational functions. The old aqueduct tanks were used for its construction. During the Christmas season the park is illuminated with decorations alluding to this time. The park's design has received several national and international architectural awards.[151]​.

• - Morrorrico Park. Chosen pilgrimage site in the city for the Via Crucis every Good Friday.

• - La Flora Park. The park is characterized by its abundant number of trees and being a true green refuge in the middle of the city, it is home to local fauna and flora that can be seen frequently, such as squirrels, birds such as hummingbirds, blackbirds, parrots, woodpeckers, etc. With pedestrian paths, children's games and low-intensity sports facilities, sanitary units for use by walkers.

• - Orient National Park. More popularly known as the Acoustic Shell for its shell-shaped stage; ideal for concerts, plays and the like. It has ecological trails, a vertical water fountain and a unique orchid display in the country.

• - Las Palmas Park. A classic meeting area for young people in Bucaramanga on weekends, an area of ​​restaurants, bars and some nightclubs has developed around it.

• - San Pío Park. A landmark park in the city located between cra 33 and cra 35a and 45th street and 48th street. Famous long before a Botero sculpture was installed.

• - Los Leones Park. Another famous park, which serves as an outdoor gym for residents of the sector.

Southwestern sector of the city:

• - Puerta del Sol Park. In the Puerta del Sol sector, it has a total area of 3,800 m², it fulfills two important social functions: first, by means of a tank it stores 5,000 cubic meters of water, which allows it to regulate the pressures of 12,000 homes in the Ciudadela Real de Minas sector, and the Mutis, Monterredondo, Héroes, Prados del Mutis, Manzanares and Estoraques neighborhoods, and also meet the demand the current and future housing developments of the Municipality of Girón; Second, it is considered from the moment of its inauguration as a place of recreation, thanks to its water fountain and also its carefully decorated gardens, for the joyful enjoyment of locals and tourists who visit the city.

• - Cicada Park. Located in the sector of the Royal Citadel of Minas.

• - Public Improvements Park.

• - Las Américas Park.

• - Gabriel Turbay Park. Located on the side of Carrera 27.

Parks to the north of the city:

• - Flag Park. Located in the roundabout near the Américo Montanini stadium.

• - Children's Park. It is located on Carrera 27. Its construction began in 1909. It was the first park with a children's vocation built in Bucaramanga, its facilities have several basketball and tennis courts, as well as a large number of trees of different varieties. It has two monuments: one to José Antonio Galán, leader of the communal insurrection, and a treble headstock as a tribute to the Santander composer José Alejandro Morales. Nearby is the headquarters of the Municipal Institute of Culture.[152]​.

Parks in the metropolitan area:.

• - Health Park. Located in the south of the city, in the sector known as El Bosque, near the Carlos Ardila Lulle Clinic.

• - Eloy Valenzuela Botanical Garden. In tribute to Juan Eloy Valenzuela y Mantilla.

Of the total inhabitants, in Bucaramanga 90% of the population consider themselves Catholic, 5% other Christian groups, 4% agnostics, atheists and gnostics and 1% Islam and Jews.

According to data from the Archdiocese of Bucaramanga, those baptized by the Catholic Church in 2018 are a total of 1,440,000, representing 96.1% of the population.[153]​.

Bucaramanga se ha caracterizado por exponer en el concierto nacional las distintas modalidades deportivas que se practican en los juegos olímpicos, se puede encontrar fácilmente diversos escenarios deportivos de carácter público y privado en la ciudad. Sin embargo, el fútbol y el microfútbol son los deportes más practicados en la ciudad. Indersantander") e Inderbu") son las entidades encargadas de la administración y desarrollo del deporte local y departamental.[154]​[155]​.

Soccer

Bucaramanga has the Américo Montanini Stadium, located in the Hermán Aceros Olympic Village,[156]​ it has capacity for 25,000 people, the stadium has Bermuda 419 natural grass, which is the same used by stadiums that host international games, this after 10 years of the artificial grass having been installed, fulfilling its useful life cycle. This stage is the home of Atlético Bucaramanga, a football team that was Champion of the Colombian League in 2024. It is also the alternate stadium of Real Santander when the latter requires it, since its usual stage is the Álvaro Gómez Hurtado stadium in Floridablanca "Floridablanca (Colombia)"); Currently, this team plays in the First National Division.[157]​[158]​ In 2010, the city hosted the 2010 South American Women's Under-20 Championship organized by Conmebol.[159]​ In the Olympic Village there is also the Court Marte in synthetic grass, a temple of amateur football in the region and where every year in the month of December the Court Tournament is held. Marte, the most important amateur soccer tournament in the department. There is also another synthetic soccer field called "La Juventud", located in the eastern sector of the stadium, opened to the public in 2015, replacing the old field located where the Bicentennial Coliseum is currently located.

Other sports

For other sports, the city has the Vicente Díaz Romero Coliseum, which has capacity for 8,000 people. This stage, located in the city's Olympic Village, is the home of the Búcaros de Santander basketball team, in 2014 the Caribbean Heat team of San Andrés "Isla de San Andrés (Colombia)") and Providencia played some home games in this stage;[160] both teams play in the Colombian Professional Basketball League. In the Olympic Village there are also the Olympic Pools for swimming "Swimming (sport)") and diving, receiving a remodeling process in 2010. coliseums or venues for practicing sports such as gymnastics, Olympic and Greco-Roman wrestling, chess and shuffleboard "Shuffleboard (sport)").

Another setting where different sports are practiced is the Edmundo Luna Santos Coliseum, hangar of the old Luis Francisco Gómez Niño airport, located in the Royal Citadel of Minas sector; In this scenario, the professional indoor soccer or microsoccer teams Independiente Santander play their local matches in the men's branch "Copa Profesional de Microfútbol (Colombia)") and Real Bumanguesas") in the women's branch "Copa Profesional de Microfútbol Femenina (Colombia)"), who play the respective professional national microsoccer tournaments; this scenario is also usually used for the practice of boxing and attached to it there is a small coliseum for the practice of tennis table. Another microfootball team that played on this stage and was part of the microfootball tournament was TAZ Santander").

In 2010, construction began, in the Olympic Village, of the Alejandro Galvis Ramírez Bicentennial Coliseum, for the 2011 Indoor Soccer World Cup in Colombia, and of which Bucaramanga was chosen as the sub-host. The coliseum had an investment of $18,771 million pesos. Its capacity is 8,000 spectators and its inauguration took place in March 2011[163] with the first World Cup match between the Argentine national teams "Argentine Futsal Team (AMF)") and Brazil. The Bicentennial Coliseum was the scene of the Inline Hockey World Cup that was played in the city from June 29 to July 14, 2012 and which featured the participation of the power countries in this sport, competing on this stage, which was adapted at the time for this discipline; It was home to the Bucaramanga FSC professional micro-soccer team until its dissolution and is currently home to the Real Bucaramanga indoor soccer or futsal team that plays in the Colombian Futsal League; This stage was also one of the venues for the 2016 Futsal World Cup that was held in Colombia.[164]​ In this way, it became the first and only coliseum in Colombia to have hosted the two existing futsal world championships in the senior men's category (AMF and FIFA versions).

For the practice of athletics there is the Luis Enrique Figueroa Rey athletics stadium, better known as La Flora Stadium, which is located in the southeastern sector of the city, next to Neomundo. In addition, there is a softball stage (which occasionally lends itself to playing baseball) and a speed skating stage (skatedrome) called Roberto García Peña, these two located in the Ciudadela Real de Minas sector. For the practice of extreme sports (aggressive skating, skateboarding and BMX) there is the Extreme Park), located in the south of the city (Barrios San Martín and San Pedro, below the García Cadena Viaduct).

Bucaramanga has twice been the setting for the National Sports Games in 1941 and 1996, the venue for the Pan American Track and Road Cycling Championships in 2000[165] and is the current venue for the ATP Challenger Series Bucaramanga Open tennis tournament that is played every year on the courts of the Club Campestre de Bucaramanga), although this venue is located in the neighboring city of Floridablanca. "Floridablanca (Colombia)"), where the most important tennis players in Colombia participate and some of the best ranked in the world according to the Association of Professional Tennis Players.[166]​.

• - San José de Cúcuta, Colombia[167]​.

• - Concepción "Concepción (Chile)"), Chile.

• - San Luis Potosí "San Luis Potosí (San Luis Potosí)"), Mexico.

• - Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.

• - Fort Lauderdale "Fort Lauderdale (Florida)"), United States.

• - Grenoble, France[13]​.

• - Valencia, Spain.

• - Nuuk, Greenland.

• - Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.