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Eric Gomez

Travel Guide

How to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs

Posted on October 3, 2018
how to get to the sutatausa bluffs, farallones de sutatausa, where to climb in colombia, climbing, green, andes, outdoor adventures close to bogota

The Farallones de Sutatausa, or the Sutatausa Bluffs or Cliffs (I’ll call them Bluffs from here on out), are an amazing place for a little bit of adventure. It’s a place you can come and go easily in a day and also a place that makes you want to stay a few days. You can rock climb, hike, camp and relax in beautiful hostels. This is how to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs!

You might also be interested in reading “how to get to the Neusa Dam,” for an awesome camping spot nearby Sutatausa.

How to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs

*The map to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. In Bogotá, go to the Portal del Norte, which is Bogota’s North Bus Terminal.
  2. Take a bus to Ubaté, which costs about $10,000 pesos or about US $3.50.
  3. Tell the bus driver you’re going to the entrace to the Farallones de Sutatausa. I recommend you look at the map below in Street View to get an idea of where you need to get off. The road to the bluffs is about 5 minutes from the town of Sutatausa, has a sign that points you towards the bluffs, and has a store right next to it called “Parador las Brisas.” Be watching!
  4. Walk along this unpaved road and you’ll get to a fork in the road. Go right until you get to la tienda de Don Antonio (tienda is a small store in Spanish).
  5. From there, you have three options: (1) go up the mountain to climb or to hike to the top of the bluffs on a trail that starts right in front of the store, (2) hike to the right of the store on a stone trail to climb or to hike to the top of the bluff, or (3) hike to the left towards a hostel, Kamp Nattivo, and to other trails that make it to the top.
  6. For more information on these options, read the “what to do at the Sutatausa Bluffs” section below.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Tienda DON Antonio, Sutatausa, Cundinamarca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. From Bogota, exit the city going north.
  2. Stay on the highway until you get to a bridge after you pass a toll. Don’t go over the bridge. Instead, take the road that goes right, which then curves left and goes under that same bridge.
  3. Stay on this road until the net bridge. Go over it, staying right where it splits in two. Follow this road until you get to a Homecenter on the right. A little later, go right where there’s a sign towards Zipaquirá and Ubaté.
  4. Stay on your left to go over the next bridge, which curves right, following the signs to Ubaté.
  5. Not long afterwards, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit.
  6. Stay on this road all the way to the entrance to the bluffs, which will be on the right. I recommend you look at the map below in Street View to get an idea of where you need to turn right. The road to the bluffs is about 5 minutes from the town of Sutatausa, has a sign that points you towards the bluffs, and has a store right next to it called “Parador las Brisas.”
  7. Get on the unpaved road towards the bluffs and stay right where the road splits in two to get to la tienda de Don Antonio (tienda is a small store in Spanish). You can park there and the cost of parking is to buy something in the store.
  8. From there, you have three options: (1) go up the mountain to climb or to hike to the top of the bluffs on a trail that starts right in front of the store, (2) hike to the right of the store on a stone trail to climb or to hike to the top of the bluff, or (3) drive to the left of the store to a hostel, Kamp Nattivo, and to other trails that make it to the top.
  9. For more information on these options, read the “what to do at the Sutatausa Bluffs” section below.

What to do at the Sutatausa Bluffs:

Climb

One of the best spots to go bouldering in all of Colombia is right underneath the Sutatausa Bluffs. You can find boulders from V0 to V12 and the rock is bomber. You can simply take your crash pad and start climbing (or rent it from Kamp Nattivo), but if you want a guide, you can stop by Kamp Nattivo , which is to the left from Don Antonio’s store, and get one – its not much of a guidebook, more like pieces of paper, but it works. There are boulders right in front of Don Antonio’s store and upwards and to the right of the store in the pine forest you can see from there.

There is also some great sport climbing on the bluffs themselves, up to 5.14a. You can find the routes going right from the store on the stone trail. If you need a guide, you can go to Kamp Nattivo and they’ll get you good to go. If you’re wondering where to climb in Colombia or close to Bogota, this is one of the best options!

Go Hiking

The Sutatausa Bluffs have a lot of trails to get to the top. There are two most well-known hikes. The first one is directly in front of Don Antonio’s Store. The trail is very well developed and is pretty steep. The second one is to the right of the store and starts on an unpaved road that becomes a stone trail that makes it to the top.

You have to hike up to the top! The landscape around the place is incredible, with really uniquely shaped mountains. So make sure you turn around when you rest during the hikes to admire the landscape. Also, take some food to have a picnic, rest and enjoy the view from the top. And don’t forget to hike along the top, since there are some amazing formations there.

Go Camping

You can camp under the stars and surrounded by mountains in lots of places: Quinta de Fragua, which is right to the right of Don Antonio’s store, Kamp Nattivo, which is a few minutes to the left, or up on the mountain with Don Antonio’s permission and only on his property.

Kamp Nattivo is a hostel created by a climber, one of the climbers who most developed this area, and is an incredibly comfortable and beautiful place. It has unique structures in the woods, they have a stellar customer service and if you see photos of the place, you’ll want to go stay there. So go Google Kamp Nattivo and go get to know it!

Take Photos

As always, you have to take photos. This place has a unique, gorgeous landscape. And everyone knows photos are best with action, and what better action than people enjoying, hiking and climbing with an amazing background?

Some things to know:

–          You can rent crash pads to go bouldering at the hostel, Kamp Nattivo.

–          This is a stellar place to go bouldering and sport climbing.

–          To pay for parking at Don Antonio’s store, just buy something in the store.

–          Take cash to pay for the bus, something at the store and for places that won’t accept your card, which is most places.

–          In 1541, the area’s natives collectively committed suicide, preferring it to falling in the hands of Spaniard missionaries.

–          There’s 1 toll on the way to the bluffs and 0 on the way back.

 

I hope this blog post helped you learn how to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs (or Farallones de Sutatausa) and a little more. But mostly, I hope you go climb in this wonderful area.

If you’re looking for another place to climb, check out this blog post about Suesca, the most popular climbing spot close to Bogota!

Travel Guide

How to get to Mongui

Posted on September 14, 2018
how to get to mongui, what to do, laguna negra, black lagoon, oceta paramo, laguna negra, paramo de oceta, hiking

As it turns out, “the world’s most beautiful paramo” (an alpine ecosystem in the Andes) is right next to “Boyaca’s most beautiful town!” Really, the Oceta Paramo and Mongui are known for that, respectively. Just knowing that makes Mongui a place to go, especially in December when the streets light up with millions of Christmas lights. A random fact: 25% of Colombia’s supply of balls comes from Mongui. So if you need a ball and want to travel, Mongui is the perfect place. This is how to get to Mongui.

You might also like: how to get to Isla Fuerte.

How to get to Mongui

*The map to get to Mongui from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In a car

With a GPS (highly recommended): type in “Mongui, Boyaca” in Waze or Google Maps and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota heading north. Stay on the main road, following the signs to Tunja or Sogamoso when the road may split.
  2. Right before Tunja, stay on your left. The road will split in two and the left-side road will take you to Sogamoso instead of straight into the heart of Tunja. There are signs, so be watching for them!
  3. Stay on this road, following signs to Sogamoso. You’ll go straight through Paipa. Stay on the main road.
  4. You will soon get to a round-about where a sign will indicate that you can go towards Tibabosa or Nobsa. Take the second exit, towards Nobsa, and stay on the main road.
  5. The exit to go up the mountain to Mongui will be on your right. The sign is right between the fork in the road, so be watching. It is right after a restaurant with blue windows.
  6. Drive up the windy road. From here on out I suggest you use the map below, because this could get confusing. When you get to the fork in the road with a virgin’s statue in the middle, go right and drive all the way to the Mongui’s main plaza.

On Public Transportation

  1. Go to Bogota’s Bus Terminal (search Terminal de Transporte on Google Maps or Waze) and take a bus from there to Sogamoso. It will cost about $25,000 Colombian pesos or $8.50 USD.
  2. Once you get to Sogamoso’s bus terminal, take a bus from there to Mongui.
  3. The bus drops you off at the main plaza.

What to do in Mongui:

Hike to the Laguna Negra (Black Lagoon) and the Ocetá Paramo:

As I said before, the Oceta Paramo is known as the world’s most beautiful paramo. Now, I haven’t been to all of the world’s paramos, but this one is the most beautiful I’ve seen. You can get there and to the Laguna Negra walking from Mongui or in a car, going around the mountain. We’ve camped 3 nights there and they have been some of the best camping nights in my life. You have to see this place, even if it’s on a day trip. We actually have an entire blog post dedicated to the lagoon. Click here to read how to get to the Laguna Negra!

Buy some balls:

Mongui makes 25% of Colombia’s balls and exports even more. At the main plaza, at least one in every four shops has balls hanging inside and outside the buildings. They’re really good, handmade, and the perfect souvenir with which to remember the town.

Go to Lake Tota:

Lake Tota is Colombia’s biggest lake, so it’s worth giving it a visit on your trip to or from Mongui. My recommendation is you go on the way to or back because it’s a good 50 km (30 miles) from Mongui and it can be a full-day activity. You can have a picnic, eat at a restaurant, walk around, fish, etc. You can also camp there, and let me tell you – the sunsets and sunrises at Lake Tota are dreamy! You have to take your camera.

Relax, walk around, be a tourist:

Other blogs will recommend you just sit back and relax in Mongui. And I would have to agree because it is so calm and quaint. What I disagree with is that there isn’t anything to do. Please, if there are mountains around you there’s lots to do! And relaxing and resting is so much more gratifying after an adventure.

Some things to know:

–          The drive to Mongui takes about 3.5 hours.

–          If you’re going to walk from Mongui to the Laguna Negra, I recommend you hire a guide because they know how to deal with locals who don’t like tourists.

–          Make sure you take cash to pay for the products and services you can’t pay with your card (most things).

–          Mongui’s famous balls are handmade.

–          Lake Tota is about 50 km, or 30 miles, from Mongui.

–          There are 3 tolls from Bogota to Mongui.

 

I hope this has helped you learn how to get to Mongui and that it motivates you to visit this lovely town!

If you’re interested in visiting a fun town close to Bogota, read this blog post on how to get to Suesca.

Travel Guide

How to get to La Chorrera

Posted on September 5, 2018
how to get to la chorrera, sixth tallest waterfall in Latin America, tallest waterfall in Colombia, el chiflon, choachi, hiking, green, beautiful

The sixth tallest waterfall in Latin America, at 590 meters, or 1,953 feet, is only an hour and a half from Bogota!! I had heard of the place, but I had never heard how special it was. But after someone told me La Chorrera was so tall, I went to see for myself the next weekend. What a spectacular place! The hike is beautiful, there’s water everywhere and even the car ride is amazing. The landscape and mountains look like Chiribiquete in the department of Guaviare. You have to go! This is how to get to La Chorrera.

If you like cloud forests, like the once you’ll find at La Chorrera Park, check out our post on Chicaque Park!

How to get to la Chorrera

*The map to get to La Chorrera 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 map below). The trip costs $10,000 Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and it lasts an hour and a half. 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 la Chorrera (“la entrada a la Chorrera”, in Spanish). Be looking for signs on the road anyway because the driver may forget.
  3. The entrance to la Chorrera is 4 kms (2.5 miles) of unpaved road until the actual park entrance. To get there, follow the main road, staying left every time it splits. Either way, there are signs that point your way to the park. If you feel lost, ask someone! Another option is to take a moto-taxi from where the bus drops you off. It costs $5,000 pesos or $2 dollars.
  4. Once you get to the park entrance, which is also the campsite, you’ll have to watch a video and pay $12,000 pesos ($4 dollars) to go to la Chorrera or $8,000 pesos ($3 dollars) to go to el Chiflon (another smaller waterfall). Go to la Chorrera and see both waterfalls… it{s so worth it!
  5. Follow the trail to the waterfalls. It’s impossible to get lost! *You can also pay $32,000 pesos ($11 dollars) to do the trail on horseback.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Aventura la Chorrera Park” in Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions.

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bogotá, take Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes the Circunvalar.
  2. On the Circunvalar, follow the signs that say Choachi is to the left. That left turn comes right after an Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. Shortly afterwards, there’s a confusing U-turn. Stay on the main paved road, don’t keep going straight.
  4. Follow this main road towards Choachi until you see an unpaved road to your left where there’s a little store with a big billboard on top of it.
  5. Turn onto this road and drive 4 kms (2.5 miles) to the Aventura la Chorrera Park entrance. To get there, follow the main road, staying left every time it splits. Either way, there are signs that point your way to the park. If you feel lost, ask someone!
  6. Towards the end of the road, you’ll get to a little store where you can park if your car isn’t ready for the toughest hill of the road. If there’s no problem, go on to the entrance, where you can park and camp.
  7. Pay $12,000 pesos ($4 dollars) to go to la Chorrera or $8,000 pesos ($3 dollars) to go to el Chiflon (another smaller waterfall). Go to la Chorrera and see both waterfalls… its so worth it!
  8. Follow the trail to the waterfalls. It’s impossible to get lost! *You can also pay $32,000 pesos($11 dollars) to do the trail on horseback.

What to do at La Chorrera

Walk to El Chiflón:

El Chiflon is another waterfall in the park that only seems small because la Chorrera is 590 meters tall. El Chiflon is actually quite imposing, since it’s 60 meters (200 feet) tall. The roar the falling water makes is music to my ears. This waterfall is only 15 minutes from the park entrance, and has a trail that goes behind it. You can also rappel from the top of el Chiflon, which means descending next to it attached to a rope with safety equipment. It costs $25,000 pesos or $8.5 dollars.

Get to La Chorrera:

Of course, if you’re going to La Chorrera Park, you have to go to la Chorrera! What’s crazy is that they do have a payment option that includes only going to el Chiflon. El Chiflon is awesome, but nothing like la Chorrera!! Even though the hike is longer (an hour and a half vs. 15 minutes), it’s worth it. Plus, all the best things in life come after having worked hard for them. Go to la Chorrera and you will not be disappointed.

Get to know la Cueva de los Monos (the Monkey Cave):

En route to la Chorrera, you’ll see a sign that point to a steep trail upwards. La Cueva de los Monos is at the end of that trail, about 6 minutes away. One of the park officials told us that, sadly, there are no monkeys. I would say there is no cave either, just a rock roof. I’ll also say, though, that it is beautiful and gives you another view of la Chorrera in the distance. So if your legs are feeling good, go here. If you don’t feel like it, you won’t miss out on much.

Take pictures:

This place, like any cloud forest, has a magical vibe because of the bright greens you see everywhere and the clouds that envelop the landscape. The park is a great place to take bright, happy pictures as well as dark, moody ones. It’s a great spot for a photo shoot.

Camp:

Camping at la Chorrera is amazing. The camping spot is at the park entrance, not the actual waterfall. Even so, you feel in the middle of nowhere and it’s exciting to know such a special waterfall is nearby. The park does not rent any equipment, so you have to take your own tent, sleeping bags, etc. It costs $10,000 pesos ($3.5 dollars) a night per person. The camping area has bathrooms, showers and grilling areas.

Eat a lot:

There are a lot of little shops before and at the park entrance, which is not a bad thing! You can buy snacks, cuajada with melao or blackberry sauce, arepas, empanadas and there’s even a Cuban restaurant with great dishes and mojitos. These are all things you should eat while in Colombia, by the way. Except the Cuban food, it’s not as much of a must.

Go up to the Statue of the Guadalupe Virgin:

On the way to La Chorrera Park, not too far from Bogota, you’ll see a road that goes up and to the right. It goes up to the statue of the Guadalupe Virgin. This statue is the one you can see from Bogota up on the mountain across from Monserrate. It’s a place not many people know and is as good a lookout point as Monserrate. Bogota looks amazing from up there. It’s worth getting up a little earlier to stick this place into the agenda.

Some things to know:

  • Make sure you take cash, especially small bills to pay buses and shops/services that can’t take your card (most places).
  • The Chorrera waterfall is the sixth tallest in Latin America and the tallest in Colombia.
  • The hike that includes everything (el Chiflón, la Cueva de los Monos, and la Chorrera) costs $12,000 pesos or $4 dollars.
  • Camping at the campsite costs $10,000 pesos or $3.5 dollars a night per person.
  • The bus ride to the unpaved road costs $10,000 pesos or $3.5 dollars per person.
  • The moto-taxi from the spot the bus drops you off to the Park entrance costs $5,000 pesos or $2 dollars.
  • The road to the park entrance is unpaved. Smaller cars won’t have trouble until the last hill. I recommend parking below, at a little store, if you have a low or old car. If you have a high car or a 4×4, go on ahead to the entrance!

I hope this blog post helped you learn how to get to La Chorrera and that you go!

 

If you’d like to know another special place close to Bogota, read our blog post on Suesca!

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Travel Guide

How to get to Suesca

Posted on August 29, 2018
outdoor adventures close to Bogota, Suesca Rocks, Rocas de Suesca, Virgin, climbing, colombia, railroad, how to get to Suesca, where to climb in colombia

The reason Suesca has so much tourism, and especially so much adventure tourism, is the Suesca Rocks (Rocas de Suesca in Spanish). The climbing here eventually also attracted mountain bikers and hikers. Then, hostels and restaurants started springing up, and now Suesca is a common weekend getaway for people from Bogota. There is so much to do: if you want adrenaline or nature and relaxation, Suesca’s got it. This is how to get to Suesca. You’ll also find what to do in Suesca and some things to know below!

If you’re in Suesca to climb, you’ll be interested in reading this blog post on Macheta, a less touristy place with steep, 5.12+ climbing!

How to Get to Suesca

*The map to get to Suesca from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. From Bogota, take a bus directly to Suesca. You can take the bus from the Portal Norte, which is Bogota’s Northern Bus Terminal, and anywhere on the Autopista Norte (the main highway going north) after Calle 183.
  2. If you’re going to the town of Suesca, tell the driver and it will be obvious when to get off.
  3. If you’re going to Suesca’s touristy area, or the Suesca Rocks, tell the driver you’re getting off at the entrance to the Suesca Rocks (la entrada a las Rocas de Suesca, in Spanish). Stay alert to when you’re getting there because sometimes the bus driver will forget to tell you you’ve arrived (you’ll see a lot of restaurants, climbing centers and hostels on your right).
  4. You’ll find the entrance to the Suesca Rocks on a corner with a Monodedo store. Go in that road and you’ll get to a railroad.
  5. Follow the railroad left and you’ll get to the Suesca Rocks.

In a Car:

With a GPS: if you’re going to the town of Suesca, enter “Suesca, Cundinamarca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. If you’re going to the Suesca Rocks, enter “Suesca Rocks” and do the same.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota going north and stay on the main road to Tunja, not the one that passes Chia.
  2. Shortly after passing the second toll from Bogota, you’ll see a sign that says Guatavita and Suesca are to the right. Suesca is actually to the left, but you have to turn right after the bridge to take the roundabout, get on the brigde and cross it, and take the other roundabout to get on the road back to Bogota.
  3. About 50 meters (150 feet) from there, you’ll see two roads to the right: an unpaved road that goes through a gas station and then an actual road that’s in terrible condition. Take either of them.
  4. Following this road, you’ll soon get to a fork in the road where you have the option to go left towards Nemocon or right towards Suesca. Go right and you’ll be headed straight to Suesca.
  5. Right before Suesca, there’s a sign that points to the right towards the Cañon de la Lechuza (Owl Canyon). Stay to the left to get all the way to the town of Suesca.
  6. If you’re going to the Suesca Rocks, which is before the town, you can park shortly after you pass the road to Owl Canyon, where you’ll see a bunch of restaurants, climbing centers and hostels on your right. The parking lot is to the left, in a big grassy area.
  7. After parking, walk the way you were driving and you’ll find the entrance to the Suesca Rocks on a corner with a Monodedo store. Go in that road and you’ll get to a railroad.
  8. Follow the railroad left and you’ll get to the Suesca Rocks.

What to do in Suesca

Climbing:

If you’re not a climber, you can find a lot of hostels and tour agencies that offer climbing services. The best ones are on the street before the entrance to the rocks. I’ll warn you now, it can be pricey, but climbing is so worth it. Climbing is an extreme sport, but it is totally safe if the people you’re with know what they’re doing. It is a physical and mental challenge and a beautiful sport.

If you’re a climber, you can buy the guide book to Suesca at the Monodedo store that’s on the corner of the road you take to get to the Suesca Rocks. Other than that, do your thing. The climbing in Suesca is known for being old-school because the park has been developed since the 70s. Nowadays, the park has over 500 routes, with so many left to be opened. It has sport climbing and trad and can have some crazy run-outs. The rock is slick from use, slabby as hell and a 5.9 can be a 5.11. There are multi-pitch routes all along the cliff that you can top out. The climbing is very mental and very vertical. Enjoy!

Where to Stay:

Suesca has an endless amount of places to stay – hotels, hostels and AirBnB’s. But we know the best place! Some friends of ours have a large property right outside Suesca with a beautiful house with big windows all around. That’s without mentioning the huge fireplace, great for a rainy day spent under blankets, and the fountain that murmurs all day long. It’s one of the most comfortable place we’ve ever been. Here’s the link to their AirBnB site – they rent the house out or do it per person, and the property also has a perfect camping area.

Cycling:

Mountain biking in Suesca is almost as popular as the climbing. Suesca has some trails with long, difficult climbs and equally long, much more fun downhill rides. It’s a great place to bike because you can get some good exercise and then walk to the cliff, have a picnic or eat at an amazing restaurant. Here’s a link with a ton of bike trails to can take around Suesca. Get out there on your bicycle and enjoy this place!

Hiking:

  • Laguna de Suesca (Suesca Lagoon): one great place for a hike is the Suesca Lagoon. It is a big lagoon, not too deep, where you can fish. How to get to the Suesca Lagoon: enter Mirador de la Laguna de Suesca” in your GPS and follow the directions. If you don’t have a GPS, stay on the road on which you enter Suesca, which is Carrera 4A. Once outside of the town, where the road splits into three, take the middle road. Follow this road until an intersection where there will be a statue of the virgin mary to your left. Go left. Then take the next left turn and you’ll get to the Suesca Lagoon Lookout Point.
  • Tunnels: there’s a hike where you get to a tunnel that’s part of the Suesca railroad. I haven’t been there but it looks amazing! To get to these tunnels, turn left once you enter Suesca and then take the following right turn to get on Carrera 5. Follow this road out of the town. At the following intersection, turn left. Stay on this road and you’ll arrive at the railroad and tunnels, which will be on you left. Look at the map below to understand how to get there!
  • Cañon de la Lechuza (Owl Canyon): this place is known for the owls you can see during the afternoon and night and the tall cliffs that surround this part of the Bogota river’s riverbed. The best way to get here is to walk from the entrance to the Suesca Rocks, go left and follow the railroad. That way, you’ll see the rocks, the large statue of the virgin Mary, the camping area and Owl Canyon. The other option is to walk above the Suesca Rocks to the canyon. To walk up there, don’t go left with the railroad. Instead, keep going straight up the hill. You can see all this information in the map below!

Camping:

If you follow the railroad for about 10 minutes with the cliffs on your right, you’ll come to a large campsite right by the railroad to the left. It’s a great place to camp close to the rocks, but a lot of the people who stay there are there to drink and not to sleep. It’s a fun plan, but not everyone’s thing. It costs $15,000 Colombian pesos (about $5 dollars) a night per person. Another option is to go glamping, which is camping glamourously. NIDDO is a hostel with tent-like rooms that are very comfortable and even more attractive. It’s a cool experience!

Some things to know:

  • You can buy the climbing guide to Suesca at Monodedo, which is indicated in the map below.
  • The climbing here is technical, as much in the climbing style as in gear knowledge and mental strength (leading can be scary).
  • Make sure you take cash in Colombian pesos, especially small bills to pay buses and stores/services that can’t take your card.
  • Camping in the campsite in front of the Suesca Rocks costs $15,000 pesos per person a night.
  • The road right before the entrance to the Suesca Rocks is full of hostels, restaurants, stores and tour agencies that can help you with practically anything.
  • The rainy seasons are from April to June and October to November.

I hope this helped you learn how to get to Suesca and what to do in Suesca! If you’re looking for another place to explore close by, you can check out out blog on the Neusa Dam!

Travel Guide

What to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition

Posted on August 22, 2018
travel couple, what to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition, Johnny Cay, Baywatch

San Andres is a great vacation spot. You can go for an adventuresome time, for one of those experiences that leave you more tired and fulfilled than ever. Or you can go relax, sunbathe and drink coconut water all day long. And why not both? I think adventurers are the best at relaxing. If you want to read the adventure edition, click here, but this is what to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition.

If you like adventure, you can read what to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition here! There, you will also find out how to get to San Andres and some things to know.

Note: you can see the locations of all these places in the map at the end of this post!

What to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition

  1. Scuba Dive or Snorkel.

This activity is also on the list of adventures because, no matter who you are and what you like, you have to scuba dive or snorkel in San Andres. The best thing about San Andres is its sea – they call it the sea of seven colors for a reason. And what better way to enjoy that sea than getting to know it underwater? Scuba diving changes lives. It opens your mind to a new and different world that, once you experience it, is not that frightening.

For scuba diving, I recommend you do it with Sharky Dive Shop, a scuba shop I know and love. If you have the time, I also recommend taking the full course because it certifies you to scuba dive alone anywhere in the world without paying the course again, only the service. On the other hand, if you take a mini-course, you’ll have to take it again the next time you want to scuba dive.

If scuba diving just doesn’t sound like it’s your thing, you can always go snorkeling. Snorkeling is using a mask, snorkel and fins to float on the water looking down. You breathe through the snorkel, which is a tube that sticks out of the water. That way, especially with San Andres’ crystal-clear water, you’ll experience the underwater world from the surface. For guided snorkeling in San Andres, you can contact our friend and guide specialist, Konan. His telephone number is (317) 518-0579 and his e-mail is konanparadise@gmail.com

Just some of what you’ll do!

  1. A Tour of Johnny Cay and the Aquarium.

A very touristy trip that’s worth going on is the full day at Johnny Cay and the Aquarium. Ask your hotel or someone you know about the tour, and they may be able to get you a better deal than if you book the tour directly at the dock. The tour begins at 9:30 a.m. with a boat-ride to Johnny Cay, which is close to San Andres. It has beautiful beaches, good food, good vibes and lots of iguanas. You’ll want to eat there, since the boat heads out to the Aquarium at 2 p.m. At the Aquarium, which is another Cay that’s known for its crystal-clear water and white sand, you can snorkel or just sunbathe. You’ll have to take your equipment to snorkel; the guides only rent out masks for $10,000 Colombian pesos (about $3.5 USD). There is also an activity in which you can feed Sting Rays! Then, all that’s left is the boat ride back to San Andres.

  1. Go Shopping Downtown.

This is probably the most touristy thing you can do in San Andres. Even I do it, and I don’t like shopping. The thing is, everything is cheaper here because there is no import tax or value-added tax. So it’s worth buying things. The most inexpensive deals you can find in San Andres are on perfume, but it’s also worth it to buy candy, alcohol and clothes.

  1. San Andres’ Big Pond.

San Andres has a hill in the middle of the island, where you can go visit a lagoon called the ‘Big Pond.’ The Pond is not a natural spring, it is naturally collected rain water and is surrounded by coconut trees. When you get there, you’ll be assigned a guide. Each guide offers a slightly different tour experience: with Gustavo, we got to know his spectacular house, drink fresh coconut water and feed the caimans. With Ferdinand, we fed the caimans (and touched them!), saw the hermaphrodite tree, ate mangoes and got lizards to bite our ears and hang like earrings. It’s a beautiful natural area, and worth a trip.

  1. Beaches

If you’re wondering what the best beaches in San Andres are, I can help! I recommend you visit Rocky Cay and the San Luis beaches, which are all on the east side of the island. Another popular and beautiful beach is the Spratt Bight beach, which you’ll run into as you enter downtown from the east. There’s a Juan Valdez and el Corral, two classic Colombian restaurants, right by the beach for you to try them out. It’s a great spot!

Finally, I have the best contact for you: a driver who has a big car to transport lots of bags, lots of people or both! His name is Julio Machado and he’s an awesome guy. His contact: (316) 622 8720 or (311) 874 6749.

I hope this blog post helped you learn what to do in San Andres, tourism edition!

If you’re interested in getting to know another amazing spot on the Colombian coast, you can read about Taganga!

Travel Guide

What to do in Medellin, Tourist Edition

Posted on August 21, 2018
what to do in medellin, tourist edition, travel guide, cerro nutibara, pueblito paisa

There’s no city like Medellin in Colombia. The sheer amount of buildings and its impressive infrastructure make Medellin and its metropolitan area unique and friendly. There’s so much to get to know. The tourism in Medellin is awesome. Some people prefer to do less well-known, local activities, but there are so many tourist activities that are worth it. This is a list of the activities I believe are worth it: what to do in Medellin, Tourist Edition!

Note: you can see the locations of all these places in the map at the end of this blog post!

Click here to see the map of Medellin’s metro system.

What to do in Medellin, Tourist Edition

Go to the Casa de la Memoria (Memory House)

This museum is impacting. It’s a house to remember Colombia’s violent history, with an emphasis on the violence that Medellin and the department of Antioquia experienced. The creativity with which the museum shows its content, along with the truth of the stories they tell makes you feel like you’re in the shoes of the people about which you’re learning. This museum is worth visiting because of how much you learn and how you leave the place with new eyes. That’s why it’s first on “what to do in Medellin, tourist edition”.

The Memory House Museum is on Calle 51 #36-66 Parque Bicentenario. To get there, take the metro to the San Antonio station. Once you get there, go down to street level and enter the tramway on the side. Get off at the Bicentenario station and walk 2 blocks north towards downtown (or ask around and people will point you in the right direction).

There’s an app for a museum audio-guide. I recommend you download because it has a guide in English. Entry to the museum is free. The schedule is Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Weekends and Holidays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s closed on Mondays, but if Monday is a holiday, it will be closed that Tuesday.

Have a Blast at the Botanical Garden and at Parque Explora

Medellin’s Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico in Spanish) and Parque Explora are both right outside the Universidad metro station. The Botanical Garden is beautiful. It’s a great place to walk or jog and feel like you’re in the wild, when you’re truly in the middle of the city. What I liked most were the close encounters with iguanas, who are really friendly because they’re used to being fed. The Botanical Garden’s schedule is from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day, and entry is free.

The Parque Explora (Explore Park) is a science and technology park, an aquarium and a planetarium all in one! It’s a place to have fun and learn with super interactive activities at one of Latin America’s best science museums. It’s very much worth going, especially with kids… although, I’m not a kid and I would go alone.

Journey the Downtown Route

One way to get to know a bunch of tourist destinations in one morning or afternoon is to walk along what I call the Downtown Route. You can see the entire Route in the map below – I’ll just explain the spots here! Begin the journey by getting to the Alpujarra Metro Station and walking to the Barefoot Park (or Parque de los Pies Descalzos). It has water spouts and sand, and is great to visit as a family. From there, walk to a Monument to all the Races (Monumento a la Raza), which is a gigantic, beautiful, elaborate, and actually a little bizarre sculpture. You have to go see it! Across the street you’ll find the Parque de las Luces (Park of Lights), which is also the Plaza Cisneros. Try going there at night, since the forest of light posts turns on beautifully then.

From the Parque de las Luces, I really enjoyed walking down Avenida Carabobo, or Carrera 52, where you can eat grilled corn and some succulent chicken kebabs. The most important thing you have to try is Guarapo. In Medellin, Guarapo is literally squeezed sugar cane juice with lime. It’s even better if you can see it being made. When we bought guarapo, we asked the guy for some and he made it right then and there, squeezing the sugar cane and limes all together in a special machine. Look for a stand in the street – it’s so worth it!

Walking down this road, Carrera 52, you’ll get straight to Plaza Botero, the last stop on our Downtown Route. Botero is a famous Colombian artist who is known for painting and sculpting large, exaggerated (fat) things. Really, he can make a fork look fat! You can take some pictures with Botero’s fat sculptures at the Plaza. Then, walk under the metro, which runs alongside Plaza Botero, to either side towards the San Antonio or Prado station and head home, to your hotel or to your next destination.

Visit Pueblito Paisa

Pueblito Paisa (or Paisa Town – a Paisa is a person from northwest Colombia) is a very popular tourist attraction. It is a town built on Nutibara Hill, which sprouts right out of the ground in the middle of Medellin. Now, Pueblito Paisa is not that amazing, but there are some great things about it! First, if you go up the stairs from Pueblito Paisa, you’ll get to a lookout point from where you get a beautiful panoramic view of the city. Second, and this is my favorite, is that Pueblito Paisa is built on the very top of the Nutibara Hill. The rest of the hill is green nature, and it has walkways and bike paths for mountain-biking. You can also go on an Art trail that goes around the hill. In my opinion, Pueblito Paisa is worth visiting because of the Nutibara Hill’s natural beauty, not Pueblito Paisa itself.

To get to Pueblito Paisa, head over to the Industriales metro station and exit to the left, or towards Nutibara Hill, which you’ll see without a problem. Cross the long bridge, staying on it where it turns right over a second main road. Once you get off the bridge, walk to the right and take the first right turn on Carrera 53. Then, take a left and walk until you see a street that goes up the hill with a big sign that says “Cerro Nutibara.”

Get Awed at Guatapé

Well, of course Guatape has to be on this list! You may have head of the place. It’s an area in Antioquia, only 2 hours from Medellin, that’s known for its beautiful, quaint town, and its photogenic dam. But most of all, it’s know for the Peñol Rock, which is a 220 meter (720 feet) granite monolith. After going up a seemingly eternal staircase, there is a lookout point on top of the rock for viewing the gorgeous landscape. Another option is to rock climb up el Peñol!

Honestly, climbing it might be a good idea, because this place can get really full of people, which make sense… it’s a gigantic rock with a lookout point at its summit, in the middle of a spectacular landscape! But this is my warning: it’s a VERY touristy place. So much so that going up the stairs can take a long while because people get very tired.

Get to Know the Santo Domingo Metro Cable and Arvi Park

Getting to know the Metro and Metrocable in Medellin, especially for us Colombians who aren’t used to infrastructures like Medellin’s, is a must. To do so, I recommend killing three bird with one stone. Ride the metrocable, get to know the Santo Domingo neighborhood, and hike around Arvi Park (Parque Arví). Medellin’s metrocable is complementary to the Metro and provides transportation to the informal neighborhoods on Medellin’s steep valley slopes. To get there, get on the Metro and head to the Acevedo Station. From there, get on line K of the metrocable towards the Santo Domingo station.

In Santo Domingo, you can get to know the neighborhood and it’s street art, eat local food and visit the Parque Biblioteca España (Spain Library Park). This neighborhood, which was once known as Medellin’s most dangerous area is now known as a tourist destination. Even so, don’t take any risks!

From that same metrocable station, you can travel to Arvi Park on the Cable Arvi. Where the line ends, there are buses that will take you to the park. This cable operates 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays and Holidays, but does not open on the first business day of the month. This park is a great place to get out in nature while you’re close to Medellin.

 

I hope this helped you know what to do as a tourist in Medellin! I wrote it from my own experiences.

For some local tips on what to do in Bogota, click here!

Travel Guide

How to get to Macheta

Posted on August 9, 2018
How to get to Macheta, where to climb, climbing in colombia, outdoor adventures close to Bogota

Only 2 hours from Bogota, this little town has a lot to offer, as much for people who want to spend a fun day outside of the city as for visitors staying multiple days. With hot springs, hikes, five-star climbing and more, there is just too much to do. Plus, it’s really easy to get to! This is how to get to Macheta.

For a list of places for outdoor activities close to Bogota, read this blog post!

How to get to Macheta

*The map to get to Macheta from Bogota is at the end of this travel guide!

In Public Transportation:

  1. In Bogota, go to the North Bus Terminal (indicated in the map), which is on Calle 192 on the Autopista Norte (North Highway).
  2. There, take a bus that takes the Macheta-Guateque route. The companies that offer that service are Valle de Tenza or la Macarena. This bus passes by Macheta and goes on to Guateque.
  3. After about 2 hours, get off at Macheta or wherever you are going (make sure to tell the bus driver where you’ll be getting off) and enjoy!

In a car:

With a  GPS: enter “Machetá, Cundinamarca” in Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. From Bogota, leave the city headed north on the Autopista, which is the main highway. Stay on the main road towards Tunja, not towards Chia and Zipaquira. You will pass 2 tolls and the entreances to Suesca and Guatavita.
  2. After a long descent, you will cross the bridge of the Sisga Dam (where you can get off to check out the view).
  3. Shortly after the bridge, on the main road, you will see a sign that directs you to the right towards Guateque. Take that right turn and then take the first exit on the round-about straight ahead.
  4. On this road, you will be straight on your way to the hot springs, the lagoons, the climbing and, finally, Macheta.

What to do in Macheta:

Climb: the climbing in Macheta is amazing. For now, all the climbing here is sport or trad. There are two areas where you can climb:

  Machetá Viejo:

This area is known for its overhangs and high grades (up to 5.14). To get there, check out ‘how to get to Macheta above you have to pass the town and get to the Rocas del Paraiso Hostel, which is 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from Macheta. When you see the sign that says “Rocas del Paraiso” on the main road, you’ll have to go up a path in your car or on foot to get to the hostel. You can park there (for $10,000 pesos or about $3 USD for a full day) and then you have to walk between 15 and 30 minutes up to the cliff. The hike begins behind the hostel.

  Salón de la Justicia:

This area is known for its technicity, since the hike up is long and extremely steep and the routes are long (up to 40 meters or 130 feet) and vertical. There are also a lot of trad routes. It is recommended to take a full rack with repeats, 26 draws and a 70 meter or longer rope. There is a guide book for this area, which you can purchase in the Monodedo store in Bogota or in Suesca.

Hot Springs: its hot springs are probably the most well-known tourist atraction in the Macheta area. They are places to relax and spend time with family, or to recover from a day of hard climbing, although they can get very crowded. There are three hotels/hostels/restaurants where you can enjoy the hot springs: Termales Los Volcanes and Termales Nápoles (termales means hot springs), which are before Macheta, and Paraiso Termal, which is 12.7 km or 7.9 miles from Machetá towards Guateque .

Hike to Laguna el Cerro: this hike ends at a beautiful lake with some of the best views, that is not too far from civilization. You can start in Macheta and end in another town called Manta, or viceversa, or start in one town and turn back the way you went. It is a 30 km or 19 mile hike, during which you gain 900 meters or almost 3,000 feet to get to the lake. Here’s a map of the hike; use it at your own peril. For long and not well-known hikes like this, it’s usually better to hire a local guide to not get lost. But a lot of people prefer to hike solo or without a guide, so here’s the map for you!

Guasca and Carrilera Music Festival: this festival is one of Macheta’s more popular atractions, where people get together to celebrate Guasca and Carrilera music, which are traditional in Colombia. It happens between May and June, without a specific fixed date. Look for the date on Google starting in April!

Some Things to Know:

  • The roads around Macheta are really beat up because they are undergoing maintenance… and have been for years. Be careful driving along this road, especially at night.
  • Parking at the Rocas del Paraiso hostel costs $10,000 pesos or about $3 dollars.
  • It is recommended to take a full rack with repeats, 26 draws and a 70 meter or longer rope to climb at Salón de la Justicia.
  • In this area, which includes Choconta and Macheta, there is a huge variety of hikes, many of which end at the hot springs close to Choconta and Macheta. The best way to get information about these hikes is to ask around at the tourism centers of these towns’ mayor’s offices or looking for tourism companies that plan hikes in the area.

I hope you go enjoy the activities the area offers now that you know how to get to Macheta. Real close to Macheta is the Sisga Dam. Read about how to get there and what to do!

 

Tips

Basic Tips for Car Camping

Posted on June 22, 2018
basic tips for car camping, camping neusa, how to get to the neusa dam

Given all our blog posts, we’ve seen that you guys like camping. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to help you out with a blog post with basic tips for car camping! Some awesome places to car camp in Colombia are the Black Lagoon and, the best of all, the Neusa Dam. Car camping doesn’t mean sleeping in your car, it just means you have your car near you as you camp, which makes it so that you can take pretty much anything you want to go camp. That’s very, very different to camping in the wilderness, on long hikes, where you usually try to take as little as you can – the bare necessities. Without further ado, these are the basic tips for car camping.

*If you’d like to read how to get to the Neusa Dam, my favorite place for car camping in Colombia, check out this blog on how to get to the Neusa Dam and what to do there!

Basic Tips for Car Camping

The Tent

The truth is, you can take any type of tent to car camp, just because you have your car. For that reason, the issue isn’t getting the smallest possible tent. Instead, it will depend on the number of people you’ll usually be camping with, the quality of the tent and the price. Here are some recommendations regarding tents:

  1. Get a tent made for 1 or 2 more people than you’ll usually be camping with. This is for two reasons: first, more friends might decide to go with you, and the more the merrier. Second, having more space makes everything more comfortable. Everyone has more space to move and you have space to put backpacks, books, flashlights, food and whatever else you want in your tent. True, you don’t need a lot of things in you tent with the car so near to you, but it’s nice to have the option not to have to leave your tent if it’s rainy or cold outside.
  2. Tents are classified by seasons. A 2 season tent is made for good weather and usually has ventilation openings that can’t be closed if it rains. 3 season tents are made to withstand stronger rain and wind. And 4 season tents are made to withstand even snow. So it’s up to you to decide where you’re mostly going to be camping and get your tent based on that. If you’ll be camping everywhere, get yourself a 4 season tent so that you’ll be good wherever you go! If a tent doesn’t specify its season classification, at least make sure its water-proof.

How to Know if its Water-Proof

  1. Even if a tent says it’s water-proof, that doesn’t mean it’s great, and if it’s both water-proof and cheap, the tent isn’t going to be very water-proof. If the brand is well-known, such as The North Face, Hilleberg, REI, MSR or Coleman, the tent will be good. And if the tent comes with a rain-fly, which is a water-proof canvas that goes on top of the tent and must be taut for it not to touch the tent’s body, and a groundsheet or footprint, which goes between the ground and the tent floor to keep humidity out, that tent will be more water-proof.

How to Set Up the Tent:

  1. The way to set up the tent changes depends on the tent, but there are some things that everyone can do to be more comfortable, regardless of the tent. First, camp on the flattest ground you can find to sleep well and so that you don’t roll over and accidentally touch the tent walls, letting water in. Second, camp a ways off from the nearest water source. Some would say up to 150 feet (50 meters) away so that you’re safe from flash floods and don’t contaminate the water in any way. Third, don’t place the tent entrance facing the wind because it could get really cold. Although, if you’re being annoyed by mosquitoes, putting the entrance facing the wind will keep them out.

Our Favorite Place to Car Camp Yet!

If you’re itching to get outside, read this post on outdoor adventures close to Bogota!

Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags are usually rated by temperatures: 35°F and higher (2°C and higher), 35 to 10°F (2° to -12°C) and 10°F and lower (12°C and lower). This means sleeping bags are made to warm you are those temperatures, although it varies per person and brand.

Get your sleeping bag based on the temperatures you’ll mostly be camping in. If you’ll probably going to be camping in deserts, get a 35°F and higher (2°C and higher) sleeping bad, but if you’ll be camping in the snow a lot, you’ll definitely want to get a 10°F and lower (12°C and lower) sleeping bag.

One great option for couples that are car-camping is to get a 2 person sleeping bag. While hiking and backpacking, it would never make sense to have one. But with a car to carry all your things, it’s a luxury you can definitely afford.

Sleeping Pad

Sleeping pads are really important for camping, but they’re not only for comfort. Sleeping pads’ main function is to keep the ground from sucking all the warmth from your body. You can get inflatable pads or closed-cell foam pads.

Take any kind of sleeping pad when you’re car camping because you have the space in your car; you might even be able to take any old one you have at home. But if you’re about to buy a sleeping pad, it’s important to think of what you’ll mostly be using it for. If you’ll be car camping a lot, by all means, buy a big and comfortable pad. If you’ll only be car camping every once in a while, but will backpack a lot, it’s better to get a small, inflatable sleeping pad. Some good brands are Neo Equipment, Therm-A-Rest and, as always, Coleman.

Pillow

It makes no sense to carry a pillow when you’re backpacking because they’re so bulky, unless you were to find a small inflatable one. But when car camping, I recommend taking one with you to sleep as well as you can, since you have the car to carry it for you!

To Build a Fire

Of course, the most important thing to have is a lighter or some matches. Then there’s also the wood. You can buy as much wood as you want, since you have the car with you, or you can scavenge for it at your campsite. Scavenging for it feels much more adventuresome. If you’re buying wood, try to do so close to your campsite to help the locals out. Helping out where you can is cool.

This is the best way to start a fire:

  1. Put kindling, such as dry leaves, in the middle of where you’re about to start the fire.
  2. Put sticks and bigger and bigger wood around the kindling in a teepee (or cone) shape, with the point facing up. Heat rises, so this teepee shape will make sure the heat efficiently lights the bigger wood.
  3. Put a flame to the kindling in the middle from the bottom for it all to burn, blowing softly to motivate the flames.
  4. Watch how your fire starts, adding small sticks and maybe even some more kindling if the fire needs some help.

I hope this helps you figure out how to build a fire. The best way to learn is to get outdoors, try, fail, try and learn! Make sure you don’t light a fire under a tree!

Foldable Chairs or a Blanket

When you’re camping, staying outside at night is the best because of the stars, the sounds of the night and sitting by the fire. The first two times I went car camping, I had to sit on the ground outside and my butt was extremely cold the entire time. So something important is to take foldable chairs or a blanket to sit on at night.

Food

The first question to ask yourself is: do you want warm or cold food? Then you just buy it and go camping!

If you’ll only be out one night, I recommend just taking cold food or food you can toast over your fire (for example, a sausage cooked on a stick). Personally, I also recommend you take a big thermos of a hot beverage, coffee for me, because nothing feels better than a hot drink on a cold night or morning.

If you decide to cook or will stay more than a night, in which case you’ll probably want some hot food, get a Coleman stove. They can be bulky, but it doesn’t matter because you’ll be car camping!

Leave no Trace

Everything you take camping should leave with you, even the toilet paper you use to wipe your butt.

Music

This is a sensitive subject, and a lot of people will probably scold me for including music on this list, but a lot of people need their music! It’s a sensitive subject because a lot of people prefer only hearing the sounds of nature while camping and others can be very disrespectful with their music. In my opinion, there should be no problem as long as the person with music is respectful, keeping it at a reasonable volume.

So yes, I recommend taking a speaker on your car camping trip or, even better, a guitar or a friend with a guitar if you don’t play.

And that, plus all of the things on this list, will help you have an amazing time while car camping. I hope these basic tips for car camping helped!

Click here to read about another gorgeous dam, how to get there and what to do!

Travel Guide

What to do on a Day-trip to Tayrona Park

Posted on June 13, 2018
what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park, hiking, beaches, adventure, caribbean

If you’re wondering what to do for a day on the coast of Colombia, my answer is that you need to go to Tayrona National Natural Park. It’s one of Colombia’s most popular, most beautiful parks. The landscape is amazing; standing on the beach you can see the landscape switch from ocean to beach to mangrove to jungle to mountains. It is one of the most diverse, unique places I have been, and it was bunches of fun even though it was just for a day! So here’s what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park.

What to do on a Day-trip to Tayrona Park

There’s a TON to do here, and you can browse activities here! These are some of our favorite things to do in Tayrona Park:

  1. Hike from the park’s entrance to Cabo San Juan. This hike will take you through some of the most beautiful coastal landscapes you’ve ever seen. It takes about 2.5 hours, although that can vary depending on the person hiking. Get to the “El Zaino” entrance (more info on how below), where you pay the entrance fee, find the trail to Cabo San Juan and just start hiking.
  2. Once you get to Cabo San Juan all sweaty and tired from hiking in the baking sun, the best thing to do is to get right in the water. Now, if you’re down for some adventure, there’s a pretty large rock in the bay that is perfect for diving. The rock is out a ways from the beach right where you get to Cabo San Juan. You have to swim there, do a little bit of easy scrambling to get on top of the rock and then jump the six feet down into the ocean below. I marked the spot on the map below so you can find it easily, and if you want to see it beforehand to recognize this diving rock when you go to Tayrona Park, check out our Youtube video below!
  3. Yet another activity you can do at Cabo San Juan is snorkel. The crystal clear, calm water makes for a great time enjoying the underwater world. This does mean you’ll have to carry your own mask and fins or rent them in Santa Marta or Taganga because there is no snorkeling service in Tayrona Park.
  4. Hike to Pueblito Chairama. At the far end of the Cabo San Juan campground, towards the mainland, you’ll find a trail that will take you on a mini-Ciudad Perdida hike (one of Colombia’s most popular multi-day hikes) to an abandoned, historical Tayrona tribe town. The hike is uphill and takes about 1.5 hours, which may vary. *Doing this hike along with everything else listed here might jam pack your day, making you rush from one activity to another, so if you were to discard any of the activities in this list I’d recommend discarding this one. Still, the hike is awesome, so do it if you can!
  5. When it comes to food, the one restaurant in Cabo San Juan can have long lines and low quality food and can sometimes run out of certain dishes because of the crowds during high season. At the same time, if you take food, you have to carry it and it’s rarely as good as a cooked meal. What I prefer, just for simplicity’s sake, is to brave the line at the restaurant.
  6. Unless you have your car with you, head back on a boat! After a long day hiking, diving, snorkeling, eating and relaxing on the beach, it might be hard to feel motivated to take the long hike back. I find that the most enjoyable way to get back is on a boat. It leaves from Cabo San Juan at the end of the day and you get to see the sun set in front of you as you ride to Taganga. You can buy tickets for the boat at Cabo San Juan. Buy them as soon as you get there! To buy them ahead of time, there’s a travel agency called Tayrona Taganga Express right when you enter Taganga where you can buy your boat ride ticket from Cabo San Lucas to Taganga or vice versa. I marked the spot on the map below! More info on prices later.
  7. And don’t forget to just relax on the beach, maybe take a nap in the shade! Enjoy!

How to get to Tayrona National Natural Park:

This blog post, what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park, is based on entering the park through the El Zaino entrance and then getting to Cabo San Juan. This is how you do that!

Get to the Entrance:

On a bus, you have two options. The first is to take a bus going to La Guajira from Santa Marta’s bus terminal (search for “Terminal de Transportes de Santa Marta” in Google Maps or Waze) and tell the bus driver to drop you off at the El Zaino entrance to Tayrona Park. Just say “Déjeme en la entrada el Zaino del Parque Tayrona.” It costs $12,000 pesos ($4 dollars). The second option is to get your hotel or hostel to set you up with transportation. This will cost a little more, but involves less planning.

In a car, you’ll want to get on the Troncal del Caribe road, which is the main road that crosses the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Follow the signs to La Guajira, which will be east. The Zaino entrance is the last one going west to east, so it will be about a 50 minute drive there from Santa Marta. There are no signs until you’re right at the entrance, so be watching for it on your left. In addition to the entrance fee (info on that below), you’ll have to pay $13,000 COP ($5 USD) for the car and $9,000 COP ($3 USD) for a motorcycle.

Get to Cabo San Juan:

From the El Zaino entrance, you have 4 options.

  1. If you’re renting a car, follow the road until you reach the parking lot. A day of parking costs $9,500 COP ($3.25 USD) for a car and $7,500 COP ($2.50 USD) for a motorcycle. From the parking lot, find the trail with the ocean on your right and start hiking! (You can hire someone to get you to Tayrona Park here.)
  2. Then, you can take a small bus owned by the park from the entrance all the way to where the road ends. The bus costs $3,000 pesos or $1 dollar. Find the trail from wherever it drops you off with the ocean on your right and start hiking!
  3. You can also ride a horse all the way to Cabo San Juan for $40,000 pesos ($14 dollars). This way, you get a guide to explain things as you ride and get to enjoy the hike while sitting down. It’s a pretty awesome deal!
  4. Walk from the entrance all the way to your destination. Walking to Cabo San Juan takes about 2.5 hours. The trails are amazing, easily identifiable and include some of the most beautiful hiking I’ve ever done.

Here’s the map to get there from Santa Marta – I indicated three spots on the map too: Pueblito, the Diving Rock and the travel agency, Tayrona Taganga Express!

Some things to know:

  • You’ll most likely see monkeys and, if you’re lucky, alligators!
  • The times between which you can enter and exit the park are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
  • Some beaches along the trail have signs that prohibit getting in the water. This isn’t just to protect the area environmentally. Since those beaches are not bays, there are currents in the water that can sweep you away from the mainland into the vast ocean in a matter of seconds. So don’t get in the water at those beaches!
  • Get your yellow fever shot at least 10 days before going to Tayrona National Natural Park. If you’ll be in Bogota beforehand, you can get the shot for free at the airport.

Payment

  • Colombians or foreign residents below the age of 25 pay $10,000 Colombian pesos or $4 US dollars ($11,000 or $4.40 during high season) to enter the park.
  • Colombians and foreign residents above the age of 25 pay $17,500 pesos or $6 USD ($19,500 or $6.50 during high season) to enter the park.
  • Non-resident foreigners pay $44,000 pesos or $15 USD ($48,500 or $17 USD during high season) to enter the park.
  • High season is December 15 to January 30, June 15 to July 30, Holy Week and all Holidays.
  • Students get discounts, so take your student ID!
  • Make sure you take cash, because you can’t pay for anything with a card at Tayrona Park, and that it is in Colombian pesos.
  • The boat ride costs between $35,000-$45,000 pesos ($12-$15 USD). If you’re not staying in Taganga, take a bus (less than $2,000 Colombian pesos or 0.75 US dollars) or a taxi (about $40,000 Colombian pesos or $13 US dollars) to Santa Marta.

I hope this helps you figure out what to do on a day-trip to Tayrona Park! If you’re staying in Taganga or Santa Marta, check out this blog post about what to do while you’re there and some things that are good to know!

Another place you have to visit on the Colombian coast is Isla Fuerte. This island vacation spot isn’t as well-known as Tayrona or that part of the coast, but it is a totally unique, remote and gorgeous destination. Read about Isla Fuerte here!

Travel Guide

How to get to the Laguna Negra

Posted on June 6, 2018
how to get to the Laguna Negra, mongua, boyaca, colombia, hiking, remote, paramo

The most beautiful paramo in the world. At least that’s what locals call the Oceta Paramo, and I’d have to agree it was one of the more spectacular sights I’ve seen (a paramo is an alpine ecosystem that exists almost solely in South America). And in the middle of this gorgeous paramo, between towering mountains and sheer rock faces lies the Laguna Negra (Black Lagoon). With its two waterfalls and nicely placed camping spots, it makes for quite the view. We camped under the stars one night and in the rain the next, hiking, eating and playing throughout the day. You need to come here! This is how to get to the Laguna Negra in Mongua, Boyaca!

How to get to the Laguna Negra

*The map to get to the Laguna Negra from Bogota is at the bottom of this post!

In a car

With a GPS (highly recommended): type in “Laguna Negra, Mongua, Boyaca” in Waze or Google Maps and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota to the North. Stay on the main road, always following the signs to Tunja or Sogamoso when the road may split.
  2. Right before Tunja, stay on your left. The road will split in two and the left-side road will take you to Sogamoso instead of straight into the heart of Tunja. There are signs, so be watching for them!
  3. Stay on this road, following signs to Sogamoso. You’ll go straight through Paipa. Stay on the main road.
  4. You will soon get to a round-about where a sign will indicate that you can go towards Tibabosa or Nobsa. Take the second exit, towards Nobsa and stay on the main road.
  5. The exit to go up the mountain to Mongua will be on your right. The sign is right between the fork in the road, so be watching. It is right after a restaurant with blue-ish windows.
  6. Drive up the windy road. From here on out I suggest you use the map below, because this could get confusing. When you get to the fork in the road with a virgin’s statue in the middle, take a left towards Topaga. If you’re going to Mongui, take a right and drive all the way to the town.
  7. You’ll go through Topaga. Go around the plaza, exiting it from the opposite side you entered. The easiest way to “stay on the main road” is to only drive on the paved road. If it’s cobbled, you’ve gone the wrong way.
  8. Once you get to the very beginning of Mongua, take a left on a small road (last I knew, where there is a tiny wall right before you turn with the name ‘Gustavo Puentes Diaz’ painted on it). Drive down this road until it ends, then take a left, and then take the very first right turn.
  9. On this road, drive until you reach a U-turn to the right, going up. From here on out you’re home free all the way to Laguna Negra. Park where the road ends.

On public transportation

  1. Call Mongui Travels or write to Mongui Travels to coordinate someone to pick you up from Mongui or Mongua and take you to the Laguna Negra, since no public transportation makes it all the way there.
  2. Go to Bogota’s Bus Terminal (search Terminal de Transporte on Google Maps or Waze) and take a bus from there to Sogamoso. It will cost about $25,000 Colombian pesos or $8.50 USD.
  3. Once you get to Sogamoso’s bus terminal, take a bus from there to Mongua or Mongui.
  4. In Mongua or Mongui, get on your pre-scheduled ride to the Laguna Negra!
  5. If you did not pre-schedule a ride, your best bet is to get to Mongui, go to the Mongui Travels shop that’s right by the plaza and get them to help you out with transportation. If they’re not there, talk to the people in the ice-cream/juice shop next door. They’re extremely nice and make amazing juices.

What to do at the Laguna Negra:

When you get to the Lagoon, unless it’s a cloudy day, you’ll be able to see the sheer cliffs rising above you. One of the best activities is to hike up over those cliffs. The trail is kind of hard to find, which makes the adventure way more fulfilling. The trail is where you see a small house, not the tiny stone shack below it. It goes up the valley by the cliffs’ side until you can climb up on top of them. Two things: (1) use the map in the next point to get there, starting from the Laguna Negra, and (2) be careful with the locals (more info on that in “Some things to know”).

Hike from Mongui. Here’s a map for how to get to the Laguna Negra by the trail. This hike is really tough because it’s uphill most of the time, but it’s one of the most beautiful you’ll ever hike. I recommend getting a guide because it’s really hard to find and then follow the trail and because a guide will know how to deal with the locals (again, more info on that below).

Walk to the third waterfall. That’s right! THREE! As if the two waterfalls that feed the lagoon weren’t enough, there’s another one further up-river. A trail that starts right before the second waterfall will lead you up and above the lagoon. You’ll see a waterfall to your left at the top and you can walk most of the way there on a trail.

Get in the first waterfall. Need I say more? Nothing refreshes a human body like painfully cold water! I hope you take extra clothes and a towel with you.

Go fish. If you look at the water, you’ll see a LOT of movement on and under it. Fishing is allowed at the Laguna Negra!

If it’s not raining at night, make sure you stay up to look at the stars for a while. It’s quite a sight to behold and a rarity because it almost always rains at night in the paramo.

Some things to know:

  • As I said before, be careful with the locals. Now, this is a touchy subject because these “locals” are just an old couple that claims that the Oceta Paramo belongs to them. If you haven’t given them something, they approach you with rocks in their hands and demand payment. They may have more dangerous weapons, but it’s not likely. At least that’s what happened to my group when we walked from the Laguna Negra to the paramo above the cliffs. This old couple is annoying because it stains the experience of being in a place few people have seen. But don’t let it stop you from hiking. Either take a guide with you to deal with them nicely or take something to pay them with. We thought they wanted a lot, that they wanted to take advantage of us, but they were happy with food. That was humbling.
  • If you’re hiking from Mongui, I recommend getting a guide from Mongui Travels. Here’s their website with their contact information.
  • There aren’t very many flat spots to camp on, and whatever place you will find will probably be quite bumpy. Just to let you know, the camping infrastructure isn’t great, kind of like the Laguna Verde de Tausa’s. You’re pretty much just in the wilderness.
  • Fires are supposedly not allowed, but I say go for it. Forest rangers walked by our fires and said hi without saying anything about the fire. It’s so cold here, you almost need it, and the paramo is so wet that you’d have a hard time trying to start a forest fire. You’d need Napalm or something. Do be ethical and use fire pits that are already there and don’t make a fire under a tree.
  • 85% of Colombia’s water comes from its paramos, which make up 1.6% of its surface area. All that to say, it’s wet up there, so pack accordingly.

I hope this blog post helps you get out to this wonderful place! If you’re interested in going to a really nice, comfortable place to camp that’s really close to Bogota, check out this blog post about the Neusa Dam!

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