Crossing the old and precarious Puente Negro

Crossing the old and precarious Puente Negro

Colombia, south-america

Length

20.7 km

Elevation

91 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, picture this: You're in Santander, Colombia, heading from El Conchal to Barcelona. Forget smooth highways, you're in for an *adventure*! This "road," a 20.7km (12.86 miles) stretch running west to east, features the infamous Puente Negro—the Black Bridge. This isn't your average overpass, friends. We're talking a narrow, rickety wooden bridge, a relic of the old Tren de Bucaramanga railway (think 1870s!), suspended high above the Lebrija River. We're talking a gut-wrenching 300ft drop!

Now, officially, this thing is closed to *everything*: cars, bikes, horses, even feet. But reality bites, and locals (and adventurous travelers!) still risk it, navigating the narrow path, because, well, sometimes you gotta get from point A to point B. Just a heads-up, don't bring anything too heavy. And maybe say a little prayer before you go. The scenery, though? Absolutely breathtaking.

Where is it?

Crossing the old and precarious Puente Negro is located in Colombia (south-america). Coordinates: 3.5515, -73.4004

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Road Details

Country
Colombia
Continent
south-america
Length
20.7 km
Max Elevation
91 m
Difficulty
hard
Coordinates
3.5515, -73.4004

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