Prosperous municipality of Santander's department and of Vélez province, located to the south of Santander's department. The locals called it "the golden gate of Santander" because is the second municipality of Santander from the southern entrance of the department. It was founded on may 24th (1539) by the spanish general Heliodoro Barbosa, who fought against the Ubazas indians. This municipality is the strategic center of the region and is frequently visited. In 1539, the conquerors arrived to Barbosa for the first time, commanded by Martin Galeano, wich fulfilled orders from Don Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. He asked him to look for mountains that look like the Vélez mountains, from Spain.
Currently, Barbosa is still developing in different ways, especially due to microenterprises, wich form part of the municipality's economic base.