Most visitors to San Jose de Cucuta, the capital of Norte de Santander department, will see the pristine white immigration building, the airport or the bus terminal, and no more.
But if you make the effort to see the city, you might just like it. If you are in town over the weekend, the Malecon — a 4 mile strip of Avenida Libertadores — could see you through.
With restaurants, clubs and bars plus parks and a rollerskating rink, it is the place to party hard on Saturday nights and recover on Sunday. However there are the obligatory malls in which to cool down or dry off. The biggest is Ventura Plaza whereas the smaller Unicentro is said to be the eco-friendly shopping center with natural water fonts incorporated into the floor. Day trips can be made by taxi to the three rivers in the vicinity; Pamplonito, Zulia, and Cornejo.
Be warned, the water is cold. Buses leave from the terminal. Just make sure you head back to the international bridge to get your stamps before travelling any further into Venezuela. Places of interest for tourists are Casa de Santander and Templo del Congreso. Casa de Santander was the childhood home of Francisco de Paula Santander, the first administrator of Gran Colombia and is now a museum dedicated to his memory. The bus terminal has a very bad reputation, so take care.
Keep an eye or a hand on all belongings and when departing, pay the driver of the vehicle and wait inside it. Alternatively, you can go to Tierra Linda, a short parade of ticket offices which all coaches pass. If the cashier is feeling charitable, you may be able to leave your luggage for a while and go for a wander. Yet another option is to use the private terminals of bus companies Copetran and Berlinas de Fonce.
