Reunions, tradition and flavor: this is how the family atmosphere is experienced in the mountains.

The village transforms: more than a vacation, it's a homecoming

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During the year, many towns and villages in Norte de Santander maintain a seemingly unchanging calm. But the middle of the year changes everything. It is enough with the beginning of school or university vacations for absent children, grandchildren and cousins to start arriving. It is the month when many families take the opportunity to return to their land, to visit grandparents, to breathe the cold air of Pamplona or walk through the sunny streets of Chinácota.

This transformation is noticeable in the smallest details:

Stores open a little earlier and sell more arepas than usual.

The houses that were closed are filled with laughter and voices.

Local radio stations announce verbenas, bingos and neighborhood gatherings.

And neighbors greet each other more often, as if time has also turned back a little.

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Beyond the official festivities, the mid-year season becomes the great festival of the everyday, where hugs are more valuable than fireworks, and reunions taste better than any banquet.

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Tradition that is cooked over a slow fire

At this time of year, kitchens become the heart of every celebration. It is not necessary to have a big event to light the stove and prepare something special. Every visit is reason enough to make mute, cuchuco, carne oreada, envueltos or arroz con leche.

The beauty of these foods is not only in the taste, but in the process:

Grandmothers teach their recipes to the new generations.

They peel corncobs in a group, knead arepas amidst jokes and memories.

Late-night coffees are offered that end in improvised gatherings.

Many households prepare dishes that are only made "when the family comes over". These recipes keep secrets, stories and affection. Cooking becomes a collective ritual, where what is served on the plate also feeds the soul.

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Verbenas, serenades and spontaneous celebrations

Although they do not appear in the official tourism pages, many neighborhoods and villages celebrate their own festivities during this time of the year. Some are born from ancient traditions, others simply from the desire to share.

In Pamplona, for example, it is common for neighbors to organize community meetings, with bingo, raffles, live music and the sale of typical food. In Chinácota, some farms prepare extended family reunions, with the participation of neighbors, friends and even curious tourists.

It is also common to find:

Peasant serenades with guitar and tiple, dedicated to the matrons of the family.

Soccer or micro-soccer championships, organized in the town's fields.

Impromptu singing competitions, traditional songs or dances.

Children's rounds, old-fashioned games, and tug-of-war competitions that bring together children and adults.

These celebrations are a living example of the welcoming spirit of the people of nortesantandereanos: warm, spontaneous and deeply communitarian.

Memories that last a lifetime

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Beyond the typical dishes and music, this time of the year is remembered for its emotional aspect. It is the time of the year when bonds are strengthened that, due to distance or time, seemed dormant. It is the time to take pictures at the entrance of the house with the grandparents, to record videos of family gatherings, to meet again with that neighbor you haven't seen since childhood.

Some moments that will remain engraved forever:

A father teaching his son to ride a bicycle where he himself learned.

A grandmother telling stories under the starry sky, while shelling beans.

A family dinner with more than twenty people seated at tables joined together with different tablecloths.

A prayer of the rosary where faith, nostalgia and gratitude are mixed.

These details - so simple, so real - make the middle of the year to look forward to and remember with tenderness.

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Hotel Cariongo: your base for reconnecting with tradition

Both at its headquarters in Pamplona and at its new headquarters in Chinácota, Hotel Cariongo is the ideal place for those who wish to experience this season with a sense of family and culture.

Visiting the town of your childhood, but your house is no longer available? Want to do cultural tourism and stay close to the trails where these celebrations take place? Going to see your family but also need a quiet place to rest? Cariongo is your place.

• Comfortable and warm rooms, ideal for those looking for rest between visits.
• Common spaces perfect for sharing with the family or reading quietly.
• Friendly staff who can recommend local verbenas, community events and nearby festivals.

We offer special menus with typical dishes, packages for family groups and tourist routes through nearby towns. Everything is designed to make you feel at home, even if you come from far away.

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Tips to enjoy with an open heart

1. Pack with intention: bring clothes for the weather (ruana if you go to Pamplona, cool clothes for Chinácota) and something special to give to your loved ones.
2. Bring printed photos or handwritten letters: these are details that touch deeply.
3. Ask the locals: many parties are not published in networks, but neighbors know more than any social network.
4. Be encouraged to participate: in the games, in the meals, in the long conversations. That's part of the experience.
5. Enjoy without haste: here everything is lived slower, with more soul. Let time flow as in the chats around the campfire.

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This time of year Norte de Santander becomes a collective home. The mountains hold laughter, the houses are filled with life and memories simmer. Here, tradition is not something that is observed from afar: it is lived, touched, savored and shared.

If you are looking for a trip that reconnects you with the essential, with your family, your history or simply with a more human way of being, this is the perfect season to come. And Hotel Cariongo is your home in the mountains, where it all begins.

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