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Eric Gomez

Travel Guide

What to Do in Tona, Santander

Posted on October 24, 2020
what to do in Tona, Santander

Just 2 hours from Bucaramanga is a tiny town in the middle of the mountains called Tona. “Middle of the mountains” could not be a fairer description. People in the area are mainly farmers, and the town is not that well known, but tourism has recently been on the rise. For example, there are a ton of quaint hostels you can visit, hikes you can go on and, most importantly for us, a climbing area with crazy potential! Learn more and get motivated to visit below… this is what to do in Tona, Santander.

Read about the climbing and adventures close to Tona here!

How to get to Tona, Santander

*Note: the map to get to Tona from Bucaramanga is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. Take a bus straight to Tona from Plaza Guarin in Bucaramanga (I marked it on the map). Buses leave at 6, 7, and 11 a.m. and 1, 3 and 5 p.m.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Tona, Santander” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bucaramanga, start your trip at Megamall taking the road to Cúcuta.
  2. At kilometer 18, you’ll run into a roundabout. Take the second exit towards Tona.
  3. Follow this road, which is pretty beat up, all the way straight to Tona. There are no tolls.
A little video of our time in Tona!

What to do in Tona, Santander:

Rock Climb!

This is why we traveled to Tona in the first place. Our friend, Silvio, found a crag with incredible climbing potential, so he bought some land and moved there to start his project of building a hostel and developing the climbing, all while contributing to the local economy. Why he moved is understandable – he lives in the midst of gorgeous valleys and rivers just below the paramo, and every sunset is spectacular. Clouds are constantly rolling in, giving the landscape and ever-changing personality. There are already a good few routes and probably hundreds waiting to be bolted. Definitely get to know this place! Silvio’s hostel is called La Antigua Floresta and you can read all about it by clicking here!

what to do in Tona, Santander, how to get

Enjoy all the Hostels

Though tourism is still developing in the area, you’d be surprised at the amount of hostels there are around here! They’re perfect for a weekend getaway. I’ll just name them and you can take care of the rest: La Antigua Floresta, Casa Tona, Cabaña de Lobos, Hostal la Montaña, Refugio Piedra Parada and Guatoque, just to name a few!

Páramo de Santurbán

First, what is a páramo? It’s an alpine ecosystem that you can only find on mountains close to the equator. The Páramo de Santurbán is very well known because it has some absolutely gorgeous rocky formations and beautiful lagoons. Plus, it’s quite close to Bucaramanga. If you’re staying close to Tona or even Bucaramanga, the trip to hike here is absolutely worth it.

Valle de Totona

This valley close to La Antigua Floresta and Tona is said to be similar to the famous Cocora Valley, also in Colombia. It has tall palm trees, and, of course, includes the beautiful hike to get there. Definitely do not miss out!

Mountain Biking

Being in the mountains, of course there are going to be a lot of paths for mountain biking. You can even ride along the royal road, which is a very old road that indigenous communities made from sections of an ancient riverbed. The ride from Bucaramanga to the roundabout and then Tona is very popular among cyclists, but it is very hard. The amount of kilometers isn’t anything otherworldly, but almost all of them are an uphill climb.

Some things to know:

  • You can contact Silvio, our friend and local guide, for more information about Tona and his hostel, La Antigua Floresta. Call or WhatsApp him at (321) 389-9107. Or you can message his Instagram pages, which are La Antigua Floresta and Escalada Tona. Might as well drop him a follow while you’re at it!
  • The roads close to Tona, Santander are not all paved, but unless you have an old, low car, you should be fine almost everywhere.
  • There are no tolls between Bucaramanga and Tona.
  • Make sure you take cash, because few places will take credit or debit.

Tona may not be very well known, and that’s exactly why you should visit. Now that you know what to do in Tona, go get to know some very special, personal experiences and contribute to the area’s micro-tourism!

Read about another beauty of the region, La Mojarra, here!

Travel Guide

A NEW Climbing Area Close to Bucaramanga

Posted on October 19, 2020
new climbing area close to bucarmanga

Deep in the mountains of Santander, about 2 hours from Bucaramanga, there is our friend, Silvio Bejarano. His vision, quite literally, since you can see it from his front door, is a cliff-side with incredible climbing potential. He moved there by himself to launch his hostal, La Antigua Floresta, and develop the climbing nearby. This place is worth visiting because it is going to be big in the climbing community. It already has some spectacular climbs, without even scratching the surface. Plus, out there you really are far from civilization, so it’s a great place to take a deep breath of nature and rest. Read on to get to know La Antigua Floresta and the new climbing area close to Bucaramanga and Tona!

If you’d like to read about another great climbing spot close to Bucaramanga, click here!

How to Get to La Antigua Floresta

(Find a map to get to La Antigua Floresta from Bucaramanga at the end of this blog post!)

Traveling on Colombia’s bus system is usually easy and inexpensive, but getting to La Antigua Floresta is quite complicated, so we recommend getting there in a car or motorcycle. If you need transportation from Bucaramanga, you can contact Silvio and he’ll set it up for you (more on that below).

With a GPS: look up “La Antigua Floresta, Tona, Santander” on Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. Park your car at an entrance to a path on the road, shortly after passing “El Gramal” (I marked the spot on the map below). Someone will meet you there for the hike up to the hostel.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit downtown Bucaramanga on the road to Cúcuta from Megamall. At kilometer 18, take the second exit on the roundabout headed towards Tona.
  2. When you enter the town of Tona, keep going straight, passing the plaza. Head up the road until “El Gramal.” This is the last place you can buy groceries. We recommend you buy them here to support the local economy!
  3. Continue 10 minutes until you find the entrance to the hostal on a wide curve (marked on the map). You can leave your car inside the fence.
  4. From here, you have a 30-40 minute hike left to get to La Antigua Floresta!

What to Do at La Antigua Floresta

  • Rock Climb!

At the time we visited in October, 2020, there were 17 routes, 11 in one climbing area and 6 in another. All were slabby, but we watched as Silvio bolted a 3-bolt roof with some crazy moves. Further up the cliff (on the second pitch, which you can climb up to on a via ferrata) are several undeveloped climbing areas. There’s everything from insane, layered overhangs to long-ass cracks to slabs waiting to be bolted, and surely of every climbing level. This place is going to have a lot of classic climbs, so it’s worth a visit… and if you can contribute just a tiny bit to developing it by simply visiting and having a great time, I’m sure our buddy Silvio Bejarano would greatly appreciate that.

  • Hike Along the Whole Edge of the Middle of the Cliff

One of the days we visited Silvio, he showed us one of the hikes on which he plans to take people. You start off hiking up to the first climbing area and along the edge of the cliff where there’s a via ferrata to climb up to a ledge in the middle of the cliff. This ledge spans the entire length of the cliff. From there, you keep hiking all the way up through valleys and boulder fields as you watch the clouds roll in and out of the panorama. The whole way, you have incredible (potential) climbs above your head. It was an 8 hour hike with lunch stop and everything, and worth every moment!

  • Get in the River

It will be cold! But in a place with so many rivers and watering holes, you just have to take advantage of them. Pretty much every hike runs across a river or creek, so your options are extensive. Lale actually got into the pool from where La Antigua Floresta gets its water and helped clear the pipe of leaves (everyone gets their water from the rivers here, since there is no piping system, and it’s absolutely drinkable).

  • Pick Andean Blueberries

There are scores of Andean Blueberry plants behind La Antigua Floresta. During a chill day, there’s nothing quite like picking blueberries and then making jelly, dessert or pancakes with them.

  • You can Apply to Volunteer

As of now, La Antigua Floresta has a ways to go. Silvio is looking to make it a proper hostel for climbers and non-climbers alike, with a capacity to host lots of people and make them feel like they’re at home. If you’re looking to get cheaper lodging, want to get your hands dirty or would like to help develop this upcoming climbing area, we suggest you contact the place and see what you can set up! (Contact info below).

  • Eat. A lot.

One thing La Antigua Floresta has had from the start is a fully equipped kitchen. They even have one of those industrial ovens with four doors! We made some delicacies while we were there: French bread, lasagna, pizza, cinnamon rolls, some delicious oatmeal and pancakes with Andean blueberries and more. Silvio is a great chef, or you can pay for cooking space. You’ll have to hike in with all your groceries, so choose wisely. Still, I’d say a difficult hike is worth it for a full belly at all times.

Biosafety

The hostel has important biosafety protocols for everyone’s safety. You have to make a reservation beforehand, fill out a Health Statement and Liability Exemption Form and disinfect yourself and your belongings upon arrival. The maximum number of climbers allowed during the pilot program is 8 climbers in the climbing area.

Some Things to Know

  • To contact Silvio directly, you can call or WhatsApp him at (321) 389-9107. You can also message him on Instagram on La Antigua Floresta or Escalada Tona‘s pages. Drop them a follow too to support this venture!
  • Staying at La Antigua Floresta costs $25,000 pesos per day.
  • You can rent all sorts of camping and climbing gear.
  • Low or old cars might have trouble on the last stretch of the journey up. If you want to play it safe, you can take the same road from above, though it is a longer trip.
  • Before getting to the hostel, you have to hike a 1.5 km path from the road. We highly recommend taking luggage with which you can hike (learn from our mistake)!
  • As of October, 2020, there are 11 climbing routes in one climbing area and 6 in the other. Routes are being opened as often as possible, but nuts and bolts are expensive, so the endeavor may be slow at times.
  • There is ONE toll from Bucaramanga to La Antigua Floresta, and none on the way back.
  • The cell service that connects best in this area is Claro.

We truly hope this helps make up your mind to visit! It’s a new climbing area close to Bucaramanga, and its going to be huge. If you’ve been wondering where to climb in Colombia or Santander, this is as good a place as any. Let us know if you do!

If you’d like to see a long list of climbing areas in Colombia, click here and read on!

Becoming a Better Photographer

Getting Over the Flicker | Day-to-Night Time-lapses

Posted on September 11, 2020
sunset, bogota, time-lapses

I’ve always loved time-lapses, but I’ve put off learning how to make one in changing light for the longest time. Usually, if I made a time-lapse during a sunset, also known as a holy grail time-lapse, one of two things would happen. It would either get dark way too quickly when there were still colors and clouds I wanted to capture (I wouldn’t change any settings for the time-lapse), or the time-lapse would flicker as the light changed (I would let my camera automatically expose for every shot or expose manually for every shot).

So I read up on the subject and, as it turns out, there is some technical work to be done while taking the time-lapse pictures, but what it really comes down to is the software you use to edit time-lapses. Good thing is, it’s FREE.

Amateur Takes on Sunset Time-lapses

The Shooting

Though creating an awesome time-lapse does mostly come down to using LRTimelapse, there is a best way to shoot time-lapses for them to come out as smooth as possible. (There may be other ways, but this is how I learned.)

To sum it up, you need to set the exposure as you want it, which will usually be ‘0’ on your exposure meter, and then switch back to 0 as it gets darker or lighter on your exposure meter.

I’ll share my learning process to get the hang of this with you – I made sunset time-lapses because 6 a.m. is too early. First, I set up my camera and balanced my image by setting the exposure meter to ‘0.’ With coffee in hand and a book to read, I clicked the intervalometer to begin my time-lapse at an interval of 6 seconds. Then, I kept watch for when the light began to change.

As the sun set, it got darker and my exposure meter read -1/3, then -2/3 and finally 1. That’s when I switched back to 0 and repeated the process for as long as I wished. The second day, I set everything up and decided to be more precise, so every time it got darker and my exposure meter read -1/3, I adjusted it back to 0. This meant smaller jumps in light between sets of pictures than the first day and is better for when the time comes to edit the pictures into a time-lapse.

On the third day, I again adjusted every -1/3, but added a little something. See, once the sun dips under the horizon, the idea is for the time-lapse to show that it indeed has gotten darker (time passing) without letting it get so dark that you can’t see the beautiful details of the blue hour and night. This is a little hard to explain, but I’ll do my best.

As it gets dark, you need to end up adjusting your exposure to -1, not 0. To do this gradually, once the sun set, I left the exposure meter until it read -2/3 and then adjusted it to -1/3 four or five times. Then I let it fall to -1 and adjusted it to -2/3 four or five times. Finally, I let it fall to -1 and 1/3 and from then on adjusted to -1 until I was done with the time-lapse.

After day 3, that was pretty much it, so I continued to play around with techniques and settings. All in all, it’s pretty simple and straightforward. Some key points: adjust your exposure through shutter speed until the shutter speed is half your time-lapse interval (so, if you’re taking pictures every 6 seconds, don’t set your shutter speed over 3 seconds). Once you get to that point, start changing your ISO. Also, it’s best to pause your intervalometer every time you adjust your exposure, but don’t take too long because you want to maintain the time-lapse’s continuity.

I had a blast sitting on the balcony reading and making time-lapses. We switched apartments since then and, though it’s an upgrade, we don’t have quite the view. See all the time-lapses I made right here below!

The Editing

I learned the art of holy-grail time-lapsing using Lightroom and LRTimelapse. Thankfully, LRTimelapse is free… to a certain extent. But it was a sufficient extent! The most limiting factor about LRTimelapse for an amateur like myself is that you can only make time-lapses with 400 pictures. I had some 900-picture time-lapses to make, which meant I had to make three separate time-lapses and put them together in Premiere. This led to some jumps in exposure, but I’ll take it.

Now, I’m not going to go in-depth on how to use the software, but it works like this: you import your photos into LRTimelapse, straighten some squiggly lines, move your photos to Lightroom to edit them, move them back to LRTimelapse to create the transitions between pictures and de-flicker your time-lapse, and finally move back to Lightroom to export your completed time-lapse as a video.

This may sound like complete nonsense to you coming from me, which reminds me – here are the links to the guides I read and watched to learn how to make day-night time-lapses.

This was my very first blog post in the “Becoming a Better Photographer” series. Check them all out here!

Travel Guide

You Need to Visit Niddo, and This is Why

Posted on January 18, 2020
Niddo glamping review, romantic honeymoon destination

We had our doubts about Niddo, but it exceeded our expectations. Niddo is a glamping destination close to Bogota. It’s high up in the mountains and is a natural reserve. In addition to the glamping, there’s a ton of hiking you can do. We went to Niddo as part of our honeymoon and it was a near-perfect setting for it – I’ll explain everything below, hope it helps!

How to Get There

Getting to Niddo is actually really easy. Just head north from Bogota following signs to Tunja. You aren’t going all the way to Tunja, though – Suesca is your destination. Click here for detailed directions to Suesca!

Once in Suesca, head into town until you cross a bridge and go right the first chance you get after the bridge. When you get to a fork in the road, head left. From there on out, just stay on the unpaved road that seems best-kept and you’ll get to Niddo.

I recommend you use a GPS in case you lose your bearings on the dirt road. Just download the map beforehand and you’ll be good to go!

Prices

Niddo is quite expensive per night, especially during the high season, which is weekends and holidays. There are three kinds of Niddos: Standard, Superior and De las Rocas (“Of the Rocks”) – the Niddo de las Rocas is right under the cliff and it’s where we stayed. The Standard Niddo is the smallest, and costs less, while the other two are larger and cost a little more. They both cost the same per night.

That being said, the Standard Niddo costs $233,000 (about $72 USD) a night for two people at the cheapest (weekdays), and the other two Niddos cost $490,000 (about $150 USD) a night for two people at the most (weekends, holidays).

We stayed at the Niddo de las Rocas because they are more spread out, so we weren’t very close to other people. Since Niddo Superior and Niddo de las Rocas cost the same, we figured the Niddo de las Rocas was more worth the price.

Real quick: click here to read about the best glamping spots close to Bogota!

Was it worth the price?

Absolutely.

We expected a cool hostel, a special idea, and that it would be nice being in nature. But the experience went beyond that. The truth is, Niddo is an established hostel with stellar accommodations, food and customer service. It exceeded our expectations. It is worth the money.

That being said, we wouldn’t stay more than two nights, but that may be because we aren’t “stay-at-hotel-people.” Also, all their cool services start adding up.

Concepts we Loved

  1. The food was spectacular, although at first we thought it was a little pricey. It costs $35,000 pesos per meal (about $11 USD) or $90,000 pesos for three meals (about $30 USD). Writing this now, it’s not pricey at ALL if you make money in dollars! Anyway, the food is very gourmet, delicious and it comes in large quantities. Worth every peso!
  2. We had freedom. Something I dislike about the outdoors in Colombia is that you aren’t given the freedom to go experience it on your own, or the infrastructure isn’t there to do so. Niddo is on a natural reserve owned by the same people who own Niddo, and they encourage you to hike on your own throughout their 29 acres full of trails. I love that.
  3. It’s very romantic. Niddo is THE place to go on a romantic getaway outdoors. You don’t have the hardships of camping – at all – but you do get the peace of the outdoors.

Some things to Improve

  1. Since the Niddo de las Rocas is by the cliff, sound gets amplified a lot. The restaurant is down the hill from the cabins, so we had some bass bumpin’ in our ears one full day. Once we got the guts to ask them to turn it down, they were extremely nice and not only did they turn it down, they changed the music to birds chirping. That was awesome!
  2. We didn’t have water, although that’s not always the case. I just wanted to write it down because it’s a thing that can happen.

In conclusion, I’d say Niddo is great for a 1 or 2-night romantic getaway. It is a high-quality destination that is worth the money because you really do get what you pay for.

Hope this Niddo glamping review was useful to you!

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Travel Guide

Where to Go Glamping Close to Bogota

Posted on October 26, 2019
glamping close to bogota, where to, cheapest to most expensive

I did the research so you don’t have to. Also, I did the research because I’m looking for a place to go glamping for our honeymoon! We figured it would be nice to lay low and relax a little before traveling, and some glamorous camping fit nicely. Glamping seems to be getting extremely popular, and lots of places have sprung up in Colombia where you can glamp (is that even a word?). So here’s a list to help you choose where to glamp close to Bogota! I’ve arranged them from cheapest to most expensive (-$- to -$$$$$-), but you can be sure these are all the best spots for glamping close to Bogota at each of their price ranges.

Where to go Glamping Close to Bogota

(from cheapest to most expensive)

1. Glamping La Finca – $

Glamping La Finca isn’t quite as close to Bogota as others (about 3 hours), but it’s quite nice for its price. I would say the only thing I don’t love about the place is that the tents are lined up side by side like suburb houses. Each one of them has a hot tub, though, and they look super cozy. On top of everything, if you stay here, you’re in Villa de Leyva, which is one of Colombia’s coolest towns. There’s a ton to do. From eating at great restaurants to sweating outdoors – it’s got it all. Glamping La Finca’s prices range from $200,000 Colombian pesos (about $65 USD) to $320,000 pesos (about $100 USD) per night for 2 people depending on the day of the week and time of year. You can read about Villa de Leyva by clicking here!

2. Bajo el Cielo Glamping – $$

High in the mountains of Colombia, this glamping hostal is close to Guatavita, looking over the Tomine Dam. Their domes are spacious, minimalistic and well-designed, and their areas have everything you need for comfort. Their standard domes with private bathrooms and outdoor space cost $280,000 pesos a night for 2 people (about $87.5 USD). The domes with a Jacuzzi cost $380,000 a night (about $120 USD). These prices include breakfast, and they increase by $100,000 pesos on the weekends. Being close to Guatavita, there’s also lots to do around the area, such as hiking, town visits and even helicopter rides! Bajo el Cielo Glamping is only an hour and a half from Bogota.

3. Glamping Colombia in Guatavita – $$

This place is also close to the beautiful town of Guatavita, an hour and a half from Bogota. Each one of their glamping areas has a wooden platform, a dome with a view of the dam below, and a private bathroom. The domes are nice and spacious. Its location gives you lots to do while you’re there: you can visit lakes, hike, do outdoor sports and go for a helicopter ride. It costs $360,000 Colombian pesos for two people per night (about $110 USD) and that includes no meals. I’m also not completely sure how their prices change during weekends or the high season. I can’t speak for their customer service, but their online, pre-glamping customer service is pretty bad.

4. Niddo Suesca – $$$

Only an hour from Bogota, we’ve heard a lot about Niddo because it’s close to Colombia’s most popular climbing area. Its tents look extremely warm and homely, and are well-designed and spacious. Of all the glamping close to Bogota I’ve researched, it also looks like the most romantic spot for glamping close to Bogota. The tents are nice and far apart, although not as much as I’d like (you don’t feel as much in the middle of nowhere). The cheapest I found was the smaller Niddo at $233,000 (about $72 USD) and the most expensive was the large Niddo at $490,000 (about $150 USD). These prices are per night for two people and don’t include any food. The prices do vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year.

5. La Villa Suiza – $$$

High in the mountains, this “Swiss Village” (the name, translated) looks over one of our favorite camping areas – the Neusa Dam. I’m not exactly sure if it counts as glamping because what they have is some wonderful chalets, but they look so warm and inviting that I had to include them on this list. They have standard chalets and deluxe chalets. Their prices range from at least $350,000 pesos (about $110 USD) to $450,000 pesos (about $140 USD) for two people per night depending on the day of the week and the type of chalet you’d like to experience. If you want one with a hot tub, though, the price spikes up to $550,000 pesos!

6. Kingdome Glamping – $$$

As you may have deduced from this place’s name, they have glamping in domes. What this place boasts is their 2-story domes with internal, private hot tubs. Their spaces are big and beautifully decorated, surrounded by woods. Like 2 other places for glamping close to Bogota, this one is in Guatavita, so there’s lots to do other than glamping as well. Their 2-story domes with hot tubs cost $450,000 pesos (about $140 USD) and their standard dome costs $400,000 pesos (about $125 USD) per night for two people.

7. Terramaga Glamping – $$$$

Terramaga is located in the town of San Francisco, about an hour and a half from Bogota. This place looks like a near-perfect glamping spot – each space is nice and isolated, everything is in the woods, and some of the glamps are even right by a river. It looks super romantic and outdoorsy. That being said, it is one of the most expensive because of how great it is. Each space costs $480,000 pesos (about $150 USD) during low season and $550,000 pesos (about $170 USD) during high season per night for 2 people. They book on AirBnB.

8. Yuva Glamping – $$$$$

Yuva Glamping is probably the most expensive glamping spot close to Bogota, but also one of the most amazing I found. Each dome’s individual area is huge and nicely far apart. One of them (maybe more) is right by the river, and I can just imagine falling asleep to its gentle lull. Also, all of the glamping areas have Jacuzzis. It’s about an hour and a half from Bogota in the town of San Francisco. Two of their glamping spaces cost $530,000 pesos (about $165 USD) per night for two people and the other two cost $630,000 pesos (about $200 USD). Those prices include breakfast and they increase by $100,000 pesos during the high season.

Well, that’s that for the best places to go glamping close to Bogota! I hope this list helps you narrow down your options for a super fun experience.

If you’re looking for outdoorsy things to do close to Bogota, click here to read our blog post!

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Travel Guide

How to Get to Choachi

Posted on September 5, 2019
how to get to Choachi, what to do

Choachi is a quaint town in the middle of the mountains that tower over Bogotá. Only an hour and a half away from the city, it’s a great place to get away and enjoy a whole lot of outdoors. Though you can finish touring the town in half a day, the amount of activities to do around here are more than enough. That includes, rock climbing, bungee jumping, visiting Colombia’s tallest waterfall and more. This is how to get to Choachi and what to do there!!

If you’re looking for more outdoorsy things to do close to Bogota, read here!

How to get to Choachi

*Note: the map to get to Choachi from Bogotá is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. Go to Calle 6 with Avenida Caracas (see on map below) in Bogota and grab a Transoriente or Cootransfómeque bus. The trip costs $10,500 Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and lasts about an hour and a half. Buses head out from 5:15 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day.
  2. Just stay on the bus all the way to the Choachi terminal. If you’re getting off before, make sure you tell your bus driver where you’re getting off.
  3. Enjoy!

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Choachi” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bogota, get on Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and then Avenida Circunvalar headed south.
  2. As you go south, turn left after an Universidad Distrital campus where there’s a sign pointing to Choachi.
  3. After a bit, you’ll get to a sharp U-turn. Do the U-turn staying on the main paved road.
  4. Follow the main road all the way to Choachi. There are no tolls!
This enormous waterfall is so close to Choachi – read more below!

What to do in Choachi:

Climb Some Rocks

The climbing close to Choachi is so great – it has so much potential. All you’ll find is sport climbing and some trad, and the routes are long and beautiful. Everything, from the drive in to looking backwards while climbing, is spectacular. You’re in the middle of a Hidden Valley (literally how the place is called), in a semi-alpine setting in the midst of clouds. Definitely worth a visit. Read how to get there here!

Check out La Chorrera

The park that holds La Chorrera, Colombia’s tallest waterfall, is only about 25 minutes from Choachi. Getting there on a bus involves even more walking, but the entire trail is pretty easy and very rewarding. Somewhere in the middle, you can walk right behind an enormous waterfall called El Chiflón and the trail ends with the grand prize – La Chorrera, a 2,000 foot waterfall. Read our travel guide to this place here!

Bungee Jumping

There’s a very well-known place to bungee jump close to Choachi. They’re professional and it’s safe. I marked the place on the map below, and the phone number on Google Maps is 3112630110!

Hot Springs

Along one road heading out from Choachi, there are a number of hotels with hot springs as the main attraction. It’s actually very, very close to the bungee jumping spot. You can take your pick, but Termales Santa Monica seems like the quaintest, nicest of the hotels around there. I marked everything on the map below!

Some things to know:

  • There are NO tolls between Bogotá and Choachi!
  • People will always refer to Choachi very broadly. The climbing area is about 30 minutes from town and is called Valle Escondido (Hidden Valley), but people still just call it Choachi.
  • Make sure you take cash, because few places will take credit or debit.

Now that you know how to get to Choachi, what are you waiting for!? Go explore some.

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Travel Guide

THIS is Where to Climb in Choachi

Posted on August 29, 2019
where to climb in Choachi, how to get to Valle Escondido, climbing in Colombia, rock climbing close to Bogota, high altitude, hiking, hidden valley

It’s amazing how many epic places there are close to Bogota. I guess that’s what you get when you put a city in the middle of the mountains. When you drive through Bogota’s eastern mountain range, the landscape is absolutely striking! The area is home to one of the tallest waterfalls in the world and, much less known, some of Colombia’s most beautiful climbing areas with the most potential. Something cool about it is that they’re at a really high altitude – about 3,100 meters or 10,000 feet. This is where to climb in Choachi and how to get there!

If you’re looking to climb a lot in Colombia, we have a list of areas here!

Where to Climb in Choachi

*Note: the map to get to these areas from Bogotá is at the end of this post!

I recommend visiting these areas with a local on your first time because, I’ll be honest, getting to the climbing can be hard – the paths aren’t obvious at all. There also aren’t any great guide books.

Valle Escondido

The climbing at Valle Escondido (Hidden Valley) is amazing – long routes with overhangs, cracks and a gorgeous backdrop to boot. You can do sport or trad climbing, and a lot of routes are mixed. Since it’s a relatively new area, most climbs are pretty difficult, starting at 5.11 and going up to project-level difficulty. There are a few 5.10s, though. The potential here is outstanding, and there are climbs going up all the time! Please don’t leave trash, be a good citizen and pay your fee so the place doesn’t get closed off to us!

Agua Dulce

This is a newer, smaller area that’s really close to the road. All the climbing is sport, and there aren’t many routes. However, the climbs are absolutely gorgeous and the area isn’t as cold as Valle Escondido. It’s known for long, crimpy vertical routes with cruxes at the top. It’s honestly become one of our favorite climbing areas!

El Rinconcito

This is the newest, smallest climbing areas. If you’re wondering where to climb in Choachi, I’d recommend this one, especially from December to March, which are the dry seasons. The climbs are astounding, with a great variety of types of sport routes – and a ton of HARD climbing (13+). That I know, of there’s only one 5.10. Plus, the hike to get here and the scenery all day is gorgeous.

How to Get There

In Public Transportation:

  1. Take a Transoriente or Cootransfómeque bus from Bogota. You can grab them on Calle 6 with Avenida Caracas (see on map below). The trip costs about $10,000 Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and lasts about an hour. You can grab the buses between 5:15 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. every day.
  2. For Valle Escondido, tell the driver you’ll be getting off at Valle Escondido or Cafe de los Gatos. After a while on the winding road, you’ll get to a spot where there are cliffs around you. About 30 seconds after you pass a bridge with road bumps before and after it, the entrance will be to your right with a small house and a trail leading up into the mountain. Take the trail up and down to the owner’s house to pay the entrance fee.
  3. For Agua Dulce, tell the driver you’ll be getting off at Cabaña Cuatro Elementos. You pay the entrance fee right in front at a small house, and then take a short hike up to the rocks.
  4. For El Rinconcito, tell the driver you’ll be getting of at Kilometer 11, where you’ll see a U-turn to the right. Walk on the dirt road until you see an obvious hiking path towards the right. Get on it and after that, I hope you’re with a local climber because the path is hard to describe in a blog post!

In a Car:

With a GPS: you can enter “Choachi, Valle Escondido” or “Agua Dulce Climb Zone” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. For El Rinconcito, check out my map below or go with a local climber!

Without a GPS:

  1. Starting in Bogota, get on Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes Av. Circunvalar South.
  2. Going south, turn left where you see a sign towards Choachi. That left turn comes right after the Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. Not long afterwards, you’ll get to a sharp U-turn. Do the U-turn to stay on the main paved road instead of going straight into some bad neighborhoods.
  4. For Valle Escondido, you’ll eventually pass a bridge with road bumps before and after it. The entrance will be to your right with a small house and a trail leading up into the mountain. Park on either side of the road and take the trail up and down to the owner’s house to pay the entrance fee.
  5. For Agua Dulce, drive a little further down from Valle Escondido to Cabaña Cuatro Elementos. You pay the entrance fee at a small house, where you can also park (its on the map). Then take a short hike up to the rocks.
  6. For El Rinconcito, drive to Kilometer 11, where you’ll see a U-turn to the right. Take the dirt road until you see an obvious hiking path towards the right. You can park a little further on at a woman’s house, for about $6,000 pesos. Walk back to the path and after that, I hope you’re with a local climber because the path is hard to describe in a blog post!

More things to do around Choachi:

Go to La Chorrera

You can see Colombia’s tallest waterfall only about 10 minutes down the road going towards Choachi. It’s also the 6th tallest in South America and the 60th tallest in the WORLD! Ok, enough bragging about my country. If you want to check it out, read this blog post about the place, it’s totally worth a visit!

Hike

There are tons of trails here, but, as most in Colombia, they aren’t official at all! They have no signage, and I have no idea where they may lead, but they’re there! If you’re looking for a great place to hike, this is definitely it. You can ask Don Sinai for tips or just go and start walking. The area is beautiful!

Take Photos

Like I’ve said already, Valle Escondido is striking. To change it up, I’d describe it as eye-catching, impressive, memorable and stunning. So yea, definitely take a camera.

Some things to know:

  • Choachi is a town that’s very close to the climbing areas. People (and I) will very often refer to the climbing areas as Choachi, but the places actually have their own names.
  • Pack your trash out… take it back to Bogota! This way we make sure access doesn’t get denied to us!
  • The fee for Valle Escondido is $7,000 pesos per person, and I think this applies even if you’re only going to hike around. Parking costs about $5,000 per car down at Lucas’ house.
  • The fee for Agua Dulce is $6,000 pesos per person and 10,000 for parking.
  • The parking fee for El Rinconcito is $6,000 pesos and entering the climbing area is free, for now.
  • The best climbing guide is pictures local climbers have taken, so network a little and find yourself some obscure guides.
  • You’d do well to have a 70 meter rope and about 22 draws to climb without worries.
  • There are NO tolls between Bogota and any of the climbing!

Well, hopefully this shed some light as to where to climb in Choachi and how to get to Valle Escondido, Agua Dulce and El Rinconcito! Enjoy!

If you’re looking for places to hike, camp and enjoy the outdoors close to Bogota, read this blog post here!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Cerro de Guadalupe

Posted on July 28, 2019
how to get to Cerro de Guadalupe, Bogota, monserrate, the road less traveled, guadalupe hill

Have you heard of Monserrate? It’s a church on top of the mountains that overlook Bogota. EVERYONE goes there. And you should too! But if you’ve been there, I’m sure you’ve seen the enormous statue on the mountain peak across from Monserrate. This place is called Cerro de Guadalupe (Guadalupe Hill) or Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Parish of our Lady of Guadalupe). It has a road all the way to the top and, in my opinion, has a better view of the entire city of Bogota! To use a cliché, this place is the road less traveled. If you want to get to know a place not even very many Colombians know, this is definitely the spot. This is how to get to Cerro de Guadalupe!

How to get to Cerro de Guadalupe

*The map to get to Cerro de Guadalupe from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. In Bogota, take a Transoriente or Cootransfómeque bus on Calle 6 with Avenida Caracas (see on the map below). The trip should cost less than $10,000 Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and last about 45 minutes. Buses leave between 5:15 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. every day.
  2. Tell the bus driver you’re going to the entrance to Cerro de Guadalupe (“la entrada al Cerro de Guadalupe,” in Spanish). Be looking for signs on the road anyway because the driver may forget.
  3. When you get off, a long, steep walk up to the mountain peak and statue awaits you.
  4. If you’re going on a Sunday, which is when the place gets really crowded for catholic mass, you can take a bus all the way up for $2,000 pesos. Grab the bus at Carrera 10 with Calle 6 (I marked it on the map below).

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Cerro de Guadalupe” in Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions. I recommend using a map because getting out of downtown Bogota can be confusing!

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bogota, get on Calle 26 East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes the Av. Circunvalar. The Circunvalar is a road that snakes along the outer edge of Bogota by the mountains.
  2. Headed south, turn left where you see a sign towards Choachi. That left turn comes right after the Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. After a few minutes, there will be a sharp U-turn. Do the U-turn to stay on the main paved road instead of continuing straight.
  4. Follow this main road towards Choachi until you see a sign pointing to the right towards Cerro de Guadalupe.
  5. Drive up the very steep road all the way to an informal parking lot, and then walk the remainder of the way through some restaurants and up to the statue and parish.

Click here for a list of outdoor adventures close to Bogotá!

What to do at Cerro de Guadalupe

Eat typical Colombian food:

Don’t expect an all-out restaurant up here. What you can expect is a bunch of different stands that sell a huge variety of typical Colombian food. I’ll give you a list of things you can ask for: arepa, almojabana, hen (I know, that’s a little weird), agua de panela, pony malta and tomato chips. The list could go on, but with this, you’ll at least get a good taste of all my favorite typical treats (except hen – I included it because it’s different and worth trying).

Bike:

Yes, I did say the road up to the Statue is extremely steep. I also did just say you should bike up here. So many Colombians are so good at biking, that hundreds of people bike up to Cerro de Guadalupe every weekend to do some exercise, get a good view and, if they’re about it, go to church. If you’re a really good cyclist, I encourage you to try it out and understand why Colombians do so well in mountain stages in cycling races like the Tour de France.

Take pictures:

Like I said, I think Cerro de Guadalupe has a better view of the entire city of Bogota than Monserrate. That being said, it’s hard not to take out a camera and start snapping shots. Panoramic shots are amazing, as you can capture entire cumulus cloud filtering rays of light onto the city. A portrait shoot up here would be great too, actually!

Some things to know:

  • Security at Cerro de Guadalupe used to be a concern, but not so much anymore. Still, the place can be lonely, so be wise, don’t show off expensive things and be wary of suspicious people.
  • Make sure you take cash, especially small bills to pay buses and shops/services that can’t take your card (most places).
  • The bus ride from Calle 6 with Avenida Caracas will cost less than $10,000 pesos or $3.5 dollars per person. On Sundays, the ride from Carrera 10 with Calle 6 costs $2,000 pesos, or 65 cents.
  • The road up to the Statue and parish is VERY steep.
  • Sundays are very crowded for mass at 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon. On the first Sunday of each month, mass is at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
  • Number of tolls between Bogota and Cerro de Guadalupe: none!

I hope this blog post helped you learn how to get to Cerro Guadalupe, or Guadalupe Hill!

Colombia’s tallest waterfall is further down the road, passing Cerro de Guadalupe towards Choachi. Read about La Chorrera here!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Parque Embalse el Hato

Posted on June 21, 2019
how to get to Parque Embalse el Hato, close to bogota, outdoors, camping

Very close to the Neusa Dam is another smaller dam that is also great for camping, walking, fishing and simply enjoying nature. It’s called the Parque Embalse el Hato, or Hato Dam Park. This place is a little further from Bogota (about 2 hours). However, since it’s small, it can feel more crowded even though there aren’t that many people. It also seems to attract a different crowd than the Neusa Dam. During our experience, there was loud music until 1 am and drunken singing until 3 am. This is based on one visit, and I try not to judge, but I would still recommend the Neusa Dam over this place. Despite that, we’ll always remember the Hato Dam dearly because Lala and I GOT ENGAGED HERE!! There’s also lots to do around Ubate, the closest town. This is how to get to Parque Embalse el Hato. 

Find out how to get to the Neusa Dam here!

How to get to Parque Embalse el Hato

*Note: the map to get to Embalse el Hato from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. Go to Bogota’s Terminal de Transporte (Main Bus Terminal) and take a bus to Ubate. The bus companies that have a route there are Expreso Gaviota, Flota San Vicente and Rápido El Carmen.
  2. Once you get to Ubate, ask around at the bus terminal for transportation to Parque Embalse el Hato. If that doesn’t work, go to Ubate’s main plaza, find the government building or a tourism company and get them to help you out. You could also walk to the dam, but it would take 1 to 1.5 hours.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Parque Embalse el Hato” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bogota, exit the city headed north.
  2. Stay on the highway following the signs to Chia. Shortly after a toll, you’ll head right to go under a bridge.
  3. At the next bridge, stay right on the bridge and follow this road until you see a Homecenter on the right. Then, turn right where you see a sign to Zipaquira and Ubate.
  4. Stay left to cross the next bridge, following signs to Ubate.
  5. Not long afterwards, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit and stay on this road, which will take you through Sutatausa, all the way to Ubate.
  6. When you’re right outside of Ubate, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit towards downtown Ubate.
  7. When you get to a fork in the road, go left on the road that doesn’t have a stoplight. Stay on that road until Calle 5 and turn left onto it, where there’s a red store called Almacen Montevideo.
  8. Go until you cross a bridge, where the road ends, and turn left again.
  9. From here, stay on the main road until you see a white sign that points to Embalse el Hato to the left. Head left and you’ll arrive in a few minutes!

If you’re bored of the city, here’s a list of outdoor activities to do close to Bogota!

What to do at Embalse el Hato:

Camp

Just like the Neusa Dam, most people come here to camp with friends and family. Camping costs $21,500 Colombian pesos or about $7 dollars. This fee covers up to 3 consecutive nights of camping! The area is pretty new, but has a good bit of amenities. There’s actually a bathroom with toilet paper! Also, starting random campfires is prohibited. If you want fire and warmth, you have to use a kind of grill structure they rent out to people. I listed the prices of everything below, but you can also find prices at this link (which is in Spanish, though), where you can also rent a cabin room if you’d rather not camp.

Colfrance

My family has a tradition while we’re traveling back from Villa de Leyva of stopping at Colfrance. Ubate is known for its milk, and Colfrance is known for everything that has to do with dairy. And it’s French. We always get a glass of milk and a pandeyuca, and people look at us funny. You can also get sausages, coffee, cheese, desserts and lots of typical Colombian foods. It’s right outside of Ubate and worth a visit! I marked it on the map below.

Cerro de Chegua

A whole lot of hikes in Colombia and around the world end with a cross at the summit. One summit close to Embalse el Hato has an actual church, or sanctuary, on top of it, and it’s a very significant landmark of Ubate. You can get pretty close to it in a car and then you have to hike about half a kilometer. The sanctuary is nice, but the view is what’s truly beautiful.

Some Things to Know:

  • Towards the end of the trip, the road towards Embalse el Hato becomes unpaved, but is in good enough conditions for any car.
  • Take cash, because very few restaurants, stores, etc. will take your credit or debit card!
  • You’ll pay 3 tolls on your trip: two on the way there and one on the way back to Bogota.
  • The park is closed on the first business day of every week.
  • Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. You can arrive to camp until 6:00 PM Tuesday to Thursday and until 9:00 PM Friday to Sunday and Holidays.
  • It costs $5,500 pesos ($2 dollars) for citizens to enter the park and $10,500 pesos ($4 dollars) for foreigners.
  • Camping costs $21,500 Colombian pesos ($7 dollars) and pays for 3 successive nights of camping. If you pay for camping, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee.
  • Parking costs $3,000 pesos for cars and $2,000 pesos for motorcycles (about $1 and $0.75) , only if you’re there for the day. If you’re camping, there is no parking fee.
  • Renting a grill structure costs $5,000 pesos ($1.5 dollars).

We hope this helps you find out how to get to Parque Embalse el Hato, and that it motivates you to go!

Another place that’s pretty close to Ubate, and is actually closer to Bogota, is Sutatausa. There, you can rock climb, hike and camp. Read about how to get to Sutatausa here!

Travel Guide

How to get to La Mesa

Posted on June 17, 2019
how to get to La Mesa, what to do, main plaza

A quaint town just about 2 hours south-west of Bogotá, La Mesa is a good place to visit for a day or even to spend a weekend. This town is in the middle of the mountains, in a truly beautiful setting. There’s lots to eat, places to see and trails to hike. We’ll get into that shortly. This is how to get to La Mesa!

If you’re researching outdoor activities close to Bogota, we have the perfect list for you here!

How to get to La Mesa

*Note: the map to get to La Mesa from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. Head over to Bogota‘s Main Bus Terminal (I marked it on the map) and take a bus to La Mesa. A lot of bus companies will have a route there, but the cheapest is San Vicente, at $12,000 Colombian pesos.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “La Mesa, Cundinamarca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. The easiest way to go to La Mesa without crossing Bogota’s traffic-filled south is to start by getting on Av. Boyacá.
  2. From the Boyacá road, it’ll be easiest for you to head west on Calle 13 towards Mosquera (away from Bogota’s Eastern mountain range). It’ll take you straight to Mosquera.
  3. When you get to Mosquera, don’t go into town. Stay on the main road (which is Occidente 50) headed left towards Facatativa.
  4. Shortly after, you’ll see a sign that says “Para La Mesa Tome Carril Derecho.” This means, stay in the right lane for La Mesa. When the road splits right, go right.
  5. This will lead you to a round-about. Take the third exit, towards La Mesa.
  6. Stay on the main road and you will arrive at La Mesa.

Read about this cloud forest that’s between La Mesa and Bogota!

What to do at La Mesa:

Salto de las Monjas

  • how to get to La Mesa, cathedral, santa barbara de la mesa
  • how to get to La Mesa, beautiful architecture
  • how to get to La Mesa, nature, outdoors, sunset

If you like rivers and waterfalls, this is the activity for you. A short, easy hike will lead you to a beautiful pool carved out by a waterfall. How to get to Salto de las Monjas: follow the same directions to get to La Mesa from Bogota. Once you’re close to La Mesa, you’ll see a white sign pointing towards “Cachipay” to the right. Go right until you get to the Paraiso Terrenal Hotel. You can park there, ask someone where the trail begins and get started!

Macadamia Adventure Park

This park is right outside La Mesa as you get there following the directions above. It’s kind of a ropes course park on steroids. It has zip lining, walking across valleys on thin metal ropes, and adventurous things like that. One thing I will say is that if you’re used to adrenaline (like, if you rock climb) it won’t be as fun. It wasn’t for us because we’re so used to the excitement of climbing. That being said, if you’re not an adrenaline junky like us, you’re in for a treat!

Go Hiking

There are so many hikes around here. Like I said, La Mesa is in the mountains, so there’s enough rivers, waterfalls, and… well, mountains to get some exercise and fresh air. Trails can be hard to find in Colombia, because we just don’t have very good outdoors infrastructure, but they’re there! Check out this website with a long list of hikes in the area and feel free to ask around for directions when you’re close to the trailhead. You may have to do some research, but definitely do it.

Visit the Main Plaza

As with most Colombian cities and towns, La Mesa has a main plaza and a beautiful cathedral. Head over (I marked it on the map) and enjoy the scenery, people watch a little and eat some local food. It’s a good time.

Bike

Since both Bogota and La Mesa are right in the Andes mountains, the road between them is winding and has some nice, steep slopes. Colombians are really into biking, and it’s common for people to travel between the two places on their bikes for exercise. It’s really hard though, especially the way back to Bogota, since it’s mostly uphill. If you’re hardcore, go ahead and do the trek. If not, no problem! Take your bike to La Mesa and bike around… it’s worth it!

Some things to know:

  • La Mesa is warmer than Bogota.
  • Make sure you take cash, because a lot of small restaurants, stores, etc. won’t accept debit or credit cards.
  • There are lots of hotels here. My only recommendation is more of an observation: the further away from La Mesa you stay, the hotels/hostels revolve more around nature.

I hope this blog post helped you understand how to get to La Mesa and gave you some ideas for what to do at La Mesa.

Now, if you love camping, we know the place just for you. It’s north of Bogota, and it’s amazing. Read about the Neusa Dam here!

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