The beautiful city' or the 'city of parks', this is how Bucaramanga is known throughout Colombia. But for a Santandereano this is not enough, because apart from the denominations by which it is known, they do not hesitate to add another category, one that is only possible to affirm by those who tread and live in Santanderean land: it is the best city to live in Colombia!
Not surprisingly, Bucaramanga has been declared on several occasions by the World Bank as the most prosperous city in Latin America, according to its study 'Competitive Cities for Jobs and Growth: What, Who, and How'.
This recognition is given because the gap between rich and poor is not as evident as in other parts of the country, an attribute that even makes Bucaramanga stand out as a "good place to live", compared to large cities such as Bogota and Medellin, where the difference in class or strata is quite marked.
In fact, in the popular neighborhoods of the capital of Santander live people with comforts, mostly merchants who refuse to leave because they are rooted in their customs or tradition.
In statistical terms, the most recent survey of perception on quality of life conducted by the Red de Ciudades Cómo Vamos (RCCV), revealed that Bucaramanga occupies this 2020 the fifth position as one of the best places to live in the country. It is worth noting that for the second consecutive year, this city, located in eastern Colombia, appears in the top 5 of this list.
From the island of enchantment to Bucaramanga
Along with this attribute of a city with a projection of social equity, the cost factor and quality of life in the capital of Santander is another reason that appeals, especially to foreigners. This is confirmed by Michael Canzoneri, currently Co-Founder/CEO of Cecropia.
Originally from Chicago (USA), Michael and his founding partners of Cecropia, saw in Bucaramanga those similarities that made him fall in love with San José, the capital of Costa Rica, a place that has been his home for years and of which he highlights its nature, a characteristic that he always takes in every country he visits.
Just like the Costa Ricans, this businessman loved Bucaramanga's educated people, the warmth of its tropical countries, the good climate, the existence of a working middle class, the low crime rates, the settlement of good universities, the good mobility, and the low cost of living that makes Bucaramanga distinguishable from large cities in the national territory. Along with all of the above, Bucaramanga is the best alternative not only for those seeking economic independence but also for those who wish to build their family project.
Bucaramanga, the chosen one in Latin America
It was 2017 when then Canzoneri and his team, guided by their intuition and perception, decided to make a study of the economy in the city and the answer was what they imagined: Bucaramanga was their bet in Colombia and Latin America to grow and expand, thanks to its consolidated work in being an ideal place for entrepreneurship inside and outside the nation. This undoubtedly positions Bucaramanga as a stable and prosperous city for its inhabitants and investors.
Since then, the capital of Santander was chosen as the headquarters of his company in Colombia, a bet that was ideal for him, since Colombia is very close to the time zone of the United States and the Island of enchantment, his place of residence, Costa Rica.
For this North American, another important reason is the free trade zone, a strategic space of the local geography and of which he highlights great qualities that invite foreign investment. This zone has precisely consolidated the capital of Santander as an epicenter of business development for the country and an example of great enterprises, which consequently contributes to the economy of the region.
A hotbed of local talent for the world.
Cecropia has been in Colombia for three years now, operating under the vision of providing customized software solutions for a diversity of small and medium-sized companies, nationally and internationally.
If there is something Cecropia can be proud of, it is to contribute to stop the drain of local talent, because professionals in the areas of IT and Development find in Cecropia an environment designed to prosper and work with advanced technology, without the need to migrate to big cities in pursuit of the ideal of international projection, because in Cecropia there is a continuous practice of the English language, having contact with English-speaking clients.
All of the above, along with an organizational philosophy where a good work environment prevails, very professional, warm, with horizontal relationships and totally open communication, where the balance between personal and work life is very important.
But the reasons to fall in love with Bucaramanga are not exhausted and that is why it is worth mentioning those other wonders of the city that we like so much:
If there is a color by which to identify 'Bucara', it is green. Its numerous parks, full of color and all lush that make its inhabitants feel that they belong to one of the departments that is the natural lung of Colombia, make it a charming place to breathe fresh air, oxygenate, eliminate stress and let yourself get lost in the greenery of its landscapes.
Not to mention its gastronomic proposal, it is one of the richest and most affordable in Colombia. The delicious tamal santandereano, its irresistible hamburgers with meats crowned in flavor with tartar and pineapple, the tempting arepa santandereana, the delicious egg broth, along with the explosive range of flavors that smoke when spooning the mute and the juicy meat oreada, the pepitoria and the kid; make Bucaramanga a fixed place to taste its varied and tasty food.
Another of Bucaramanga's attractions is its climate. During the course of the year, the temperature, in general, can vary from 20 °C to 27 °C and rarely drops below 18 °C or rises to more than 30 °C. This undoubtedly makes Bucaramanga an ideal place to be with comfortable clothes, outdoor activities, pool plans, etc. The best thing? if you get bored of the hot days, the bumangueses have the possibility to go from hot to cold just by climbing the Mesa de los Santos or the Picacho, a journey that does not take more than an hour.
And if we talk about their people, we must undoubtedly highlight their cordiality. Maybe at first their tone and accent makes you think they are scolding or fighting, but it is only a matter of their idiosyncrasy, because in general, the Santandereano is an excellent host, he likes to be helpful and close.
Bucaramanga also stands out for its power in the education sector. Its schools, in general, tend to lead with the best scores nationally in the ICFES tests. The city has large prestigious universities, this attracts young Colombians from different corners of the country, who travel to continue their professional training in these large houses of higher learning with great prestige.
Reason for pride
The Foscal International and the International Hospital are two major references in the country in the health sector that give the face of the 'beautiful city', as a place at the forefront of medical and technological needs. Countless patients from the country and the world come to these hospitals for their treatments.
Bucaramanga is full of adventure
Its restaurants and the ease of visiting different nearby towns every weekend make the city an ideal place for family vacations, leisure with your partner or tourism.
The capital of Santander is also known for being a meeting place for adventure and adrenaline fans, because in the different municipalities near the city, you can do extreme sports ranging: from speleology (in the Cueva de la Vaca in Curití or in Cueva del Nitro, Zapatoca); Bungee Jumping (San Gil); Cable Bungee (2 km from San Gil on the road to Charalá); paragliding (in the imposing Chicamocha canyon); canoeing (in the Fonce river) and rafting (in the Suárez river); or even rock climbing (in the Mesa de los Santos).
And if you want to live an adventurous plan with the family, one option is to go trekking in Pinchote, an experience that combines different extreme activities such as fixed planks, vertigo ladder, spider web, tarzan jump and hanging bridges.
Cecropia chose the "beautiful city" as its second headquarters after Costa Rica, because it is difficult not to fall for the charms of a city with so much welfare to give to its inhabitants and at the same time combine the inspiring strength of its people, a strength, or perhaps we should say, "berraquera", of which they are fanatics.