Cycling has become more and more of a trend in Colombia, and it’s no surprise. The country is full of gorgeous scenery, and Bogota is no exception with its plains and mountains. Whatever you want to ride, you got it! We delved into biking a bit during the coronavirus pandemic and want to let you know what we consider are the best cycling routes close to Bogota! We saved the best for last, so read on!
Click here for the best cycling climbs close to Bogota!
The Best Cycling Routes Close to Bogota
5. Patios
Patios is probably the most crowded route because it’s not much of a route, it’s just a climb – an amazing one at that. So I suppose the route includes getting to the intersection of Calle 85 and Carrera 7 from wherever you are in Bogota and then heading on up. The reason this route is so famous is because you get a 6 km climb right out of Bogota. If you keep going after Patios, you can complete VALS the other way around (it’s a little harder that way).
4. VALS
This is probably the most legendary cycling route, and is for sure one of the most enjoyable. VALS stands for Vuelta a la Sabana or “Lap around the Savannah.” You exit Bogota going north, complete the route to Briceño, take a right towards Sopó and finish off heading back towards Bogota through the mountains. It has a little bit of everything and finishes off with a few climbs and a 4 km climb before Bogotá. Doing it this way, you get to Patios from the back side.
3. Alto del Águila + Páramo Guerrero
This biking route isn’t as well-known as the others on this list (which may be the reason we enjoyed it so much), but it is amazing. First, you have to get to Zipaquirá, a town to the north of Bogotá. From there, you climb for about 6 km to Alto del Águila and then have about 11 km of ups and downs. The area is absolutely beautiful!
2. Yerbabuena
We love this route because it’s close to us and ends with a difficult 4 km climb up to Yerbabuena. You can get it all done in about 2 hours and get a great workout. Plus, if you want to go for a little longer ride, you can always head to Briceño (keeping north and a great, flat 50 km ride) before or after the climb.
1. El Verjon
This route will take you through Bogota, all the way downtown and then up an 11 km climb, which you can extend another 5 km of ups and downs. It’s Lala’s favorite cycling climb close to Bogota, which makes the trip through the city worthwhile. Traffic gets worse the later it gets, though, so definitely try to aim for an early start! The scenery is beautiful from the get-go and you feel outside of the city and civilization almost immediately.
Whether you’re an amateur or experienced cyclist, there’s routes for your all around Bogotá, and we can’t even begin to list them all or all their variations! But right here is a list of the best cycling routes close to Bogota for you to enjoy. All of these are best on road bikes, but we’ve done them on mountain bikes because that’s what we have, and we’ve loved them. Hope this helps!
If you’d like to read about adventures to be had close to Bogota, click here!
