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Travel Guide

The Best No-nonsense Playa del Carmen Travel Guide

Posted on July 25, 2021
best no-nonsense playa del carmen travel guide

If I had to describe our trip to Playa del Carmen in one word it would be ‘water,’ but then I’d have to break the rule and to say ‘food’ too. Playa del Carmen was our first trip together outside of Colombia. As you’ll know by now from reading us, we aren’t into the party scene. We travel to enjoy active, different experiences. In Playa del Carmen, we went scuba diving, climbing and more (much more!), so read on for some ideas on what to do in Playa del Carmen, as well as some extremely useful tips! This is THE BEST no-nonsense Playa del Carmen travel guide!

If you love the ocean, you’ll love this destination!

The Best No-nonsense Playa del Carmen Travel Guide

Transportation in and around Playa del Carmen

How to Get to Playa del Carmen from the Airport

Transportation to and from the airport is going to be expensive, but it doesn’t have to feel like you got robbed.

  • On a bus – Purchase an ADO ticket beforehand. This was our preferred transportation method, especially in terms of price. The price between the airport and Playa del Carmen is 216 Mexican pesos, or about 10 dollars. If you want to save some money, its a little cheaper to take a bus from the airport to Cancun and then from Cancun to Playa del Carmen, but you only save about 60 mxn and it can take a lot longer.
  • Taxi – at the airport, the taxi fare to Playa del Carmen goes between 560-800 mxn, and even more if you pay in dollars ($50 or more).  If you need to go to another terminal, taxis will offer you 15 dollar rides between terminals. This is an absolute scam, but some may need to pay it due to luggage and the heat. But just for you to know, the terminals are walking distance apart.
  • Rental Car – renting a car can definitely be an option, but we thought it would be too much of a hassle. You have to find a company you can trust not to charge additional fees and fine you for false intricacies. Then there’s the possibility of getting randomly stopped by the police, which you never want happening in Mexico. Traveling on a bus or taxi is so much more relaxing.

The Art of Negotiation

NEVER get in a taxi without agreeing upon a price to your destination beforehand. The taxis in Playa del Carmen don’t have meters because they have fixed prices between locations. If you want to simply get on a taxi without too must research, just ask the driver if they’ll take you to your destination for 40-60 mxn. Almost all destinations within Playa del Carmen should cost that much.

If you’re in a touristy area or grab a taxi that’s parked outside a bus station or mall, it’ll cost more because there is a tourist fare that applies (it makes rides cost 100-120 mxn). To keep from having to pay this fee, just grab a taxi a little way from the touristy area. Always pay in Mexican pesos. If you try to pay in dollars, the drivers will charge WAY more.

Is Playa del Carmen Safe?

Yes, Playa del Carmen is safe, especially for tourists. However, like most cities in the world, there are places you simply should not go and people looking to take advantage of anyone who may be an easy target. Here are some tips to stay safe in Playa del Carmen:

  • Don’t get in a taxi that stopped for you, especially if its late at night or you’re drunk. Make sure you signaled them down and then negotiate a proper price before getting in and heading to your destination. Also, don’t get in a taxi late at night alone, and especially not in the front seat.
  • Where there are drugs, there are cartels and trouble. So say no to drugs.
  • Always keep an eye on your drink, because spiking happens all too often.
  • The worst time for hurricanes is October and November, so possibly avoid visiting during those months.

What to Do!

Of course, there’s too much to do in Playa del Carmen for a blog post, but this is our take on it!

Visit One of the Xcaret Parks

We chose to visit Xel Ha (pronounced Chel Ha) because their slogan was “all you can eat, drink, and snorkel.” I’ve hardly ever heard a better phrase. Truth be told, I was a bit disappointed when we read we had to snorkel with life jackets on at all times. We still went, and we had a fantastic time – we even saw some enormous sting rays. We were in the water for hours upon hours, and when we weren’t, we enjoyed way to much food and beverages. This was both of our first ever all-inclusive type of experience, and it was a lot of fun.

Snorkel with Whale Sharks

This is a typical activity off of Isla Mujeres, and we won’t hide the fact that there were a lot of people. We would recommend choosing a date at either the beginning or end of whale season, when it isn’t vacation season (whale shark season is May to September, but the peak is July and August). We went with Ocean Tours, and they have a great operation. You only jump in the water when the captain spots a whale shark and they position the boat for the shark to be swimming straight towards you. Then, you swim with the shark a few minutes.

Even though your group will be a max of 10 people, there are many boats on site. Each boat is only allowed one couple in the water at a time. Basic snorkeling skills would be recommended to enjoy this fully. If you’re not familiarized with snorkeling, you’ll be worrying more about breathing, floating and swimming rather than gazing at this majestic creature. We also saw some dolphins, and you can sometimes see manta rays, turtles and marlins if you’re extremely lucky. Despite the amount of people with you and having to wear a life jacket at all times, the activity was worth it.

Scuba Dive in the Cenotes

Cenotes, or sinkholes, are one of the things that make Playa del Carmen and the state of Quintana Roo unique. And swimming on their surface or just seeing their beauty from outside is nothing compare to being inside and under them! We have been diving for over 10 years and had never seen anything like this. It’s magical – you can see the different layers of fresh water and salt water, and the illusion it creates is mind blowing. After seeing this, it’s easy to understand how a beach in Bikini Bottom is possible! That’s without mentioning the rays of light that come in from the jungle above (they make the craziest blue and green colors), ‘architecture’ of the caverns, coral fossils and perfectly cool water.

Luis de la Fuente a.k.a. ‘El Nono’ was our Argentinian guide for this trip and he did an amazing job. It was just us two and him, not a big group. He’s fun and, most importantly, made sure we had superbly safe dives. You can see his contact info by clicking here! 

Eat at the Local Taquerías (food tips)

Even though 5ta Avenida (a touristy pedestrian road with restaurants and shops) has amazing restaurants, we really recommend eating at other taquerias around the city. If you see carne al pastor hanging on the outside, you are set for a good meal. I marked a bunch of restaurants, mostly taquerias, on the map below! The small taqueria right on the corner outside of the ADO downtown was amazing!

In terms of food, we’ve hardly ever been happier. One of our motivations to go to Mexico was food! Always looking to stay within our budget, we stayed away from touristy areas, and it actually made the experience better. You can get the same Mexican food only 5 blocks from 5ta Avenida for half or even a third of the price, and it’s much more authentic. Our favorite meals during our trip were tacos (al pastor and chorizo), gringas, queso fundido, mole and mojitos!

What We Missed

  • Visit Chichen Itza. It’s one of the seven wonders of the world. You can go see a very ancient city, which includes a pyramid and the arena where the Maya used to play their ball game. We weren’t able to go, but if you love history and cultural places like this, you won’t want to miss out.
  • We will also be back to discover more climbing at the Cenotes. From some research we did before traveling, we noticed there is some great outdoor bouldering close to Playa del Carmen. Our trip ended up including more diving than climbing, but we will be back (hopefully during the winter) to climb. If you’re interested in this activity, we suggest you reach out and go to the climbing gym in Cancun called Boulder Corp. The only climbing we did was one day at this gym and it was spectacular!

Is this the best no-nonsense Playa del Carmen travel guide or what? But in all seriousness, I hope it was useful, and let us know if you have any other questions. We’d love to help!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Refugio la Roca

Posted on July 6, 2021
refugio la roca, the rock refuge, where to climb in colombia, climbing, How to get to La Mojarra, Santander

There’s amazing places to climb everywhere, and there are great places to stay everywhere. But the sheer quality of the climbing and lodging at La Mojarra and Refugio la Roca is just something else. We can, without a doubt, say this is our favorite place to climb because of the entire experience. The climbing itself is on orange South American sandstone (more on the climbing later) and the hostel is a wonderful combination of a modern glamping destination for tourists and a simple, down-to-earth place for climbers to stay at a good price. This is how to get to Refugio la Roca!

There’s a new climbing destination being developed close by – click here to read about it!

How to Get to Refugio la Roca

(See a map to get to Refugio la Roca at the end of this post!)

In Public Transportation:

  1. From Bogota: grab a bus from the Transportation Terminal or North Terminal heading to Bucaramanga (aprox. $75,000 COP). Tell the driver you’re getting off at Los Curos (you may want to remind them about 6 or 7 hours into the drive). After you get off, cross the road and wait for a Flota Cachira or La Culona bus going to Los Santos. Tell the driver you’re getting off at Refugio la Roca, and you’ll be there in about an hour! It will be on your left. All these spots are marked on the map below.
  2. From the Airport/Bucaramanga/Piedecuesta: take a taxi to the bus station of Flota Cachira or La Culona in Piedecuesta (marked on the map below). Tell the driver you’re getting off at Refugio la Roca, which will be on your left. The trip takes about an hour and a half.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Refugio la Roca” and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. From Bogota: exit the city going north. After the first toll, take a right at the bridge to go under it. At the next bridge, go over it while staying in the right lanes. Then follow directions to Zipaquira, Ubate, Susa, Barbosa and San Gil. There really is only one main road, so it isn’t too complicated. After going down Pescadero (the canyon), you’ll drive a while and get to Los Curos. Take a left on this narrow road and drive up all the way through the toll, which you don’t pay headed this way, and to Refugio la Roca (don’t go right towards Piedecuesta when given the option). The whole trip takes 8-9 hours and the roundtrip tolls cost $ 110,000 COP in total. There is ample space for parking at Refugio la Roca.
  2. From Piedecuesta: get on the highway exiting the city towards Pescadero and Bogota. When you see a sign to Mesa de los Santos, go right. Stay on the main road. After a while, it will end at another road, where you’ll want to go right. Pass the toll, which you don’t pay this way, and you’ll be at Refugio la Roca on the left in about 40 minutes. There is ample space for parking there.

Refugio la Roca

This hostel is truly a unique place: it welcomes weekend city tourists and climbers, which are two quite different groups. Right on the edge of a cliff is where Refugio la Roca has its most exclusive lodges. Then there’s a variety of other places to stay, all the way to a more communal lodging style, where climbers tend to stay for long climbing trips (prices go from $490,000 pesos COP a night for the incredible lodges to $35,000 for the dorms). Climbers that stay for more than 5 nights, receive a 10% discount!

I’d say there are three things that we enjoy the most about Refugio la Roca (aside from climbing):

  • Food: of course, if a place has good food, we’re going to love it. The kitchen at Refugio la Roca makes some of the best food I’ve had, and at great prices. We’re usually there on a budget for a climbing trip, but that doesn’t stop us from being able to enjoy. Many of their plates are named after classic climbing routes from the park. There’s not much else to say other than to recommend some food: definitely get the chicken sandwich with added bacon, as well as four-cheese pizza on the weekends. If there’s fresh bread, buy all of it (especially the chocolate bread and cheese bread).
  • Beauty: this hostel really blends into the land where it’s located. There are so many trees, you can’t really tell how much there is or what it is from the road below. Most of the lodges are built as part of the cliff or the land, and there are platforms with amazing views where we love to sit and read. There’s something to be said about simplicity, and how it’s created very mindfully, it’s absolutely beautiful.
  • Work: one of the best trips we’ve had to La Mojarra was out of the blue when Bogota shut down due to Covid and work became virtual for 2 weeks. Refugio la Roca has WiFi, so we were able to work without too many issues. When the WiFi wasn’t good, we used data. Signal is best at the crag, though. We worked half the day and would then climb every day after work. If only every day were like that…

The Rock Climbing

This world-class crag is called “La Mojarra.” The rock here is sandstone. It’s mostly vertical climbing, but there are a few parts of the crag with some really gorgeous, steep sections. This doesn’t speak for everything, but the climbing tends to be between ledges, with a variety of moves in between. If I were to compare La Mojarra to any place, it would be the Obed in Tennessee, USA (not the roofs, but definitely the vertical climbing).

One of the best things about climbing at La Mojarra is the sheer amount of climbing. You can get on everything from a 5.8 to a 5.14, and each grade has a ton of climbs to try out (except 5.14 – there’s only one of those, but there are lots of projects). Actually, one thing we recently noticed was the sheer amount of 5-star 5.13a’s. We’ve also had some really enjoyable volume days during which we just climbed 5.10s and 5.11s. It seems like they never end!

The main crag has two entrances – one from Refugio la Roca and the old way from the road. Either way, you get to a “park ranger” hut, where you sign in and out, and the bolted lines begin. From there, you can walk about 30 minutes to the end of the crag, where there’s a via ferrata. If you cross it, there’s even more climbing, although it’s chossier because it’s newer and further away. If you head back towards the Refugio and a little further, you’ll find yet another area (La Reserva) that’s also a little chossier, but very cool. Refugio la Roca usually hosts a competition/festival every January where competitors climb on new routes, so they’re always being developed.

If you’re looking for an amazing place to climb in Colombia, I seriously recommend La Mojarra. The weather is warm, but dry, and it’s quite simply a good time. We’ve gotten to know a lot of great people from all over the world coming to climb here –  it’s part of the awesome experience.

What to Do at Refugio la Roca and Mesa de los Santos (click here)

Some Things to Know

  • There are 8 tolls from Bogota to Refugio la Roca and 8 on the way back – $110,000 COP round trip.
  • If you are driving from Bogota, you should stop just outside of San Gil and try the best chorizos in a restaurant called Doña Eustaquia.
  • The crag is open from 12:00-6:00pm on weekdays and 10:00am to 6:30pm on weekends and holidays. It’s closed on Mondays, but you can climb at La Reserva that day.
  • Climbers get a 10% discount on lodging at Refugio la Roca when staying more than 5 nights.
  • There is an entrance fee of $10,000 Colombian pesos for Rocas la Mojarra, but it’s free if you stay at Refugio la Roca. Other hostels have different deals. A 1-year pass costs $150,000 pesos.
  • All cell phone carriers connect really well at the crag, but the signal for Movistar and Virgin Mobile are best at the hostel.
  • There is a kitchen anyone can use. They also rent kitchen tools!
  • Book here!

Now that you know how to get to Refugio la Roca, let us know how it goes!

Click here to read about the most impressive climbing area in Colombia!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Mangoo Glamping

Posted on March 31, 2021
How to get to Mangoo Glamping

Mangoo Glamping is a quaint little area with lots of tents of different sizes, a pool and land around it for hiking and birdwatching. It’s about 30 minutes from the town of Melgar in what Colombians would call “hot country”… because it’s hot! If you’re looking for warm weather and hours by the pool, this is the place for you. Read on to discover how to get to Mangoo Glamping and what to do while you’re there!

Click here to read about glamping in Colombia!

How to Get to Mangoo Glamping

(See a map to get to Mangoo from Bogotá at the end of this post!)

In Public Transportation:

  1. Grab a bus at Bogota’s Bus terminal (marked on the map below) to Melgar. A one-way trip costs $25,000 to $35,000 Colombian pesos ($8-$10 USD) depending on the quality of the bus.
  2. Once at the bus terminal of Melgar, find the taxis and tell the driver you’re going to Mangoo Glamping in “Vereda Chimbi.” That’s the name of the area.
  3. At Vereda Chimbi, take a left at the intersection where there’s a sign to Mangoo Glamping and a shop called “Tienda La Estrella.” Go until you see another sign and head right. This tiny road will take you to your destination.
  4. A fair price for the taxi ride is $30,000 pesos. They may try to charge more, so the best idea is to settle a price before you get on the taxi. Just tell them the hostel is 5 minutes from the Vereda Chimbi intersection.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Mangoo Glamping.” The problem here is it might take you to a spot right in Melgar. That is wrong. If you can’t find the right Mangoo Glamping, just check use the map below!

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota headed south on Autopista Sur/Carrera 30.
  2. Getting to Melgar is pretty simple. It’s popular enough that there are signs towards Melgar from right outside of Bogotá. Just make sure you follow the signs to Melgar/Girardot the whole way.
  3. Once you’re close, you’ll get the option to head to Melgar (right) or Girardot (left). The town names are written on the road, not a sign, and you’ll want to go right towards Melgar.
  4. Once here, it’s best to use a map. Stay on the main road and cut straight through Melgar. Once you’re on the other side, drive until you see a big entrance to an unpaved road on the right.
  5. Take this road for a few minutes and take a left at the intersection where there’s a sign to Mangoo Glamping and a shop called “Tienda La Estrella.” Go until you see another sign and head right. This tiny road will take you to your destination, where there is ample parking.

What to Do at Mangoo Glamping

Birdwatching

I’ll say it straight away, our favorite activity at Mangoo Glamping was birdwatching. You get to go on a beautiful hike under gorgeous trees all the way to a beautiful creek. Actually, when we got to the creek, it was a raging brown river, but it’s usually tiny – the kind of creek in which you walk barefoot on smooth round stones. You can really see bunches of rare species at Mangoo Glamping and Melgar in general, and the hostel will lend you binoculars to see them well. Of course, we preferred birdwatching through a camera lens because we got to capture those memories! If you haven’t watched our video yet, check it out right above.

Pool Times

Melgar is VERY hot, so you’ll want to be in the pool as much as possible, since it really is the only way to escape the heat. Practices some dives, have a drink and enjoy, because the pool is definitely the main attraction here.

Stargazing

One of the activities the hostel has is stargazing with a high-tech telescope. Sadly, it was cloudy while we were there, but they said the activity is incredible when the sky is even partially clear. It includes a more academic part before the actual gazing, which might not be for everyone. We did learn new things, though, so it was definitely worth it.

Some Things to Know

  • There are three types of tents, from tents for 2 people to family sized tents, ranging in prices from $280,000 to $450,000 pesos, depending on the tent and time of the year. All paid nights include breakfast.
  • The restaurant serves great food with main dishes that cost between $14,000 and $30,000 pesos.
  • Activities like birdwatching and stargazing cost $20,000 pesos per child and $40,000 per adult.
  • There are two tolls from Bogota to Melgar.
  • We would consider Mangoo Glamping a great, unique place to go with your family. It’s the sort of place we would go when we were kids – lots of nature and a pool – but with the added allure of glamping. That being said, we wouldn’t quite recommend it for a romantic getaway, unless you love hot weather.
  • Check them out on instagram here.

If you end up going to Mangoo Glamping, let us know how it went!

To read about an amazing glamping spot for a romantic getaway, click here!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Zipaquirá and the Salt Cathedral

Posted on February 9, 2021
how to get to zipaquirá, cómo llegar a zipaquirá

Zipaquirá is a town north of Bogotá known for its Salt Cathedral (more on that below!). We also know it as a great place to climb and bike! If you want to walk around and get to know the place or just do activities nearby, a visit is surely worth your while. This is how to get to Zipaquirá!

Click here to read our latest blog post!

How to Get to Zipaquirá

(See a map to get to Zipaquirá from Bogotá at the end of this post!)

In Public Transportation:

  1. First off, you need to get to Portal del Norte, where a lot of buses exit the city towards smaller towns to the north. It’s right on the Autopista (main highway), so you can get there on a taxi or on a Transmilenio (take pretty much any ‘B’ route, but especially B74, B75 and B13).
  2. Take a bus straight to Zipaquirá at Platform 2, South zone. Look for buses that say “Zipa.” The ride takes about 1 hour.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Zipaquira” on Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota headed north. Keep going, passing a toll, until you get to a bridge.
  2. Once at the bridge, do not cross the bridge. Keep right to go under it towards Chia.
  3. Right before Chia, you’ll get to another bridge. Go up the bridge, staying on the right to begin heading to Zipaquirá, and keep going that way.
  4. When you see a Homecenter, you’ll soon see a sign saying Zipaquirá is to the right. Go right shortly afterwards.
  5. When you get to yet another bridge, stay right following the signs to Zipaquirá and you’ll be there within a few minutes.

What to Do at Zipaquirá

Visit the Salt Cathedral

You may be asking yourself, “Is this a Cathedral made of salt?” Well, no. The Salt Cathedral is a Cathedral deep inside a salt mine right outside of Zipaquirá. Actually, it’s a very touristy attraction, but it is absolutely worth it. You get started walking into the dark salt mine, and it’s a treat from the start. My favorite part of walking inside is looking down into enormous black pits where you can spot workers continuing to mine salt in the most magnificent caverns I’ve ever seen. Of course, there’s also the Cathedral, which is pretty cool, but the real attraction is simply being inside such a huge, ancient mine. You can book tours here. There’s also a climbing wall right outside the mine! That takes us to the next point.

Climb

There’s a cliffside close to Zipaquirá that’s perfect for climbers of all levels! Access to Rocas del Abra is extremely easy and it has enough routes for a whole lot of sport climbing. I marked the spot on the map below. Make sure you pay before you enter and take care of the place. Access here has been blocked before by locals, so please make sure you don’t ruin everyone’s fun.

Bike

Zipaquirá is very hilly, one might even say mountainous, so it has cycling routes in every direction. Our favorite goes up to Páramo de Guerrero, and it’s a gorgeous ride the whole way. You can read about that ride here. Otherwise, we encourage you to explore Zipaquirá and its surrounding towns on a bike!

Walk around Town

If you’ve been to cities and towns in Colombia, you’ve probably realized every one of them has one, if not multiple plazas. Zipaquirá is one of those with multiple plazas. Walking through Zipaquirá is a lot of fun. You can see all the plazas, eat a whole bunch of typical food and visit museums (or so we’ve heard – we don’t love museums).

Some Things to Know

  • There is one toll from Bogota to Zipaquirá and none on the way back.

Now that you know how to get to Zipaquirá, definitely do so! There’s lots to do in the town and close by!

If you’d like to read about an amazing camping spot close to Zipaquirá, click here!

Travel Guide

No Roads, No Worries: How to Get to Capurganá

Posted on January 22, 2021
how to get to capurgana, what to do

For some reason, spending a vacation at a destination with no road access is utterly exciting. When it comes to Capurganá, you get that feeling of being isolated from the world in an exotic area while having the accomodations you’d expect from an area that receives a good few tourists. Do keep in mind, Capurganá is not a luxurious destination, but will get you the rest you need. This is one of Colombia’s most special destinations, so I’m here to let you know how to get to Capurganá and what to do while you’re there!

If you’re searching for adventure on the coast of Colombia, check out this post about Isla Fuerte, one of our favorite places ever!

How to Get to Capurganá (From Quickest to Most Adventurous)

See a map of the area at the end of this post!

1. Medellín – Capurganá

First, get to Medellín and head to Aeropuerto Olaya Herrera, which is the small airport in the middle of the city, not the international airport up in the mountains. From there, you’ll have to hire a charter service to fly to your destination: Searca or Tac.

2. Medellín – Acandí – Capurganá

From the Olaya Herrera Airport, ride a plane (usually a Grupo San Germán service, and about COP $330,000 or USD $100) to Acandí. From there, you’ll have to ride a boat for half an hour to your destination. The boat leaves at about 1 p.m. and the ride costs COP $20,000.

3. Monteria – Necoclí – Capurganá

Take a flight to Monteria and, from there, take a taxi to Necoclí for COP $30,000 per person (possibly more depending on the amount of people in the taxi).The ride is about 2.5 hours. Afterwards, you’ll have to ride a boat from Necoclí to Capurgana, which leaves every day at 8 a.m., costs $70,000 COP and takes 1.5 hours.

4. Panama City – Puerto Obaldia – Capurganá

Fly from Panama City to Puerto Obaldia via Air Panama. From Puerto Obaldia, take a 30 minute boat ride straight to Capurgana for USD $20.

5. Bogotá – Apartado – Turbo – Capurganá

Fly on Satena to Apartado from Bogotá. In Apartado, take a taxi (1 hour, COP $40,000 one way) to Turbo. From Turbo, take a 2.5 hour boat ride for COP $75,000. The boat leaves in the morning, between 8 and 9 a.m.

6. Medellín – Turbo – Capurganá

Take a bus from the Northern Bus Terminal of Medellin to Turbo (an 8 hour ride for COP $60,000 one way). From Turbo, take a 2.5 hour boat ride for COP $75,000. The boat leaves in the morning, between 8 and 9 a.m.

What to Do in Capurganá:

Get Lost in Nature

Well, don’t actually get lost, but definitely visit the parks and reserves in the area! Right out of Capurganá, you can walk to Reserva Natural El Cielo, which is a Natural Reserve with some majestic hikes to water falls. Heading towards Sapzurro and further towards Panama, you can also hike 45 minutes to “Pool of the Gods” and La Coquerita, two areas with natural pools right by the ocean.

See Baby Sea Turtles

During April and May, sea turtles crawl onto the beaches to lay their eggs, which hatch in September. If you’re lucky, you can witness either of these beautiful events. It’s a privilege to watch!

Scuba Dive

Capurganá’s waters are home to a spectacular, practically untouched coral reef. There are 24 dive sites in the area, which means more than enough for one wee vacation. Give scuba diving a try! The best dive center in Capurganá is Dive and Green.

Sail to the San Blas Islands

These islands are one of Panama’s golden destinations. It’s actually a group of 365 islands, of which only a few are populated. Needless to say, they are absolutely gorgeous. I recommend, if you want to go from Capurgana, hiring a tour so your entry into Panama goes totally smoothly, since they’ll know the ins and outs of getting tourists to San Blas Islands.

Where to Stay:

I’ll let you do most of the research, but I recommend you check out Los Robles Capurganá, Oleajes Capurganá, Bahia Lodge, Hotel Calypso Capurganá and the many options there are on AirBnB.

Some Things to Know:

  • Take cash, because there are no banks or ATMs in Capurganá.
  • The best time of the year to travel here is April to November.

Now that you know how to get to Capurganá, well, enjoy! Read about Tayrona National Park here, a super unique destination on the Colombian coast!

Travel Guide

The Best Cycling Routes Close to Bogota

Posted on January 15, 2021
best cycling routes close to bogota

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!

Travel Guide

The Most Enjoyable Cycling Climbs Close to Bogotá

Posted on November 13, 2020
most enjoyable cycling climbs close to Bogotá

If you follow cycling at all, you’ll know Colombians are famous for being the best climbers. If you didn’t, now you know! It’s honestly no surprise with the amount of mountains we have here. It’s hard to go out for a ride and keep away from steep hills. Now, we’re no pros, but we’ve been on our fair share of extremely fun rides with really enjoyable climbs. These are our favorite and the most enjoyable cycling climbs close to Bogotá! Read to the end for our favorite! I marked all their starting points on the map below.

If you’d like to read about outdoor adventures close to Bogota, click here!

The Most Enjoyable Cycling Climbs Close to Bogotá

Club de la Montaña

If you really don’t want to leave the city, this is the climb for you! It is pretty far north (Calle 183), but it’s truly ideal. After entering a pretty nice neighborhood, you get to an unpaved road. The first two curves are the hardest, and then it’s up and up. The climb is a total of 1.1 kilometers at an 8% gradient. It’s not long, so it’s a good way to start biking or start acclimatizing to Bogota’s altitude. We enjoy going when there isn’t much time and do the climb 3 or 4 times.

Alto el Vino

As you head west from Bogotá on Calle 80, it’s mostly flat… for a little while. If you can withstand the traffic getting out of the city, a beautiful climb awaits you about an hour and a half out. The uphill section is 3.9 kilometers at an average 5.5% gradient. Not super tough, but a nice way to cap off the ride! BONUS: now, from the top of Alto del Vino, you can ride down the windy road to La Vega. Quite good cyclists do this, because the climb up back from there is 29 kilometers at a 5.7% average gradient.

Patios

This is probably the best-known cycling climb close to Bogota because it is literally in Bogota. You start right in the middle of the city, on the intersection between Calle 85 and Carrera 7 (I marked it on the map below). The climb is 6.5 kilometers at an average 7% gradient. This road gets really crowded, and it’s shared with cars, so I suggest getting up very early for it (starting the climb at 6 a.m.).

La Valvanera

This climb is in Chia, a town right outside of Bogota headed north. It’s absolutely beautiful, and makes for great exercise. It’s a 3.6 kilometer slope at a 5.4% gradient. What’s great about riding here is the amount of gorgeous routes that connect to each other, like La Valvanera does. If you’re going to do this climb, I suggest you get on Strava or a similar app and make up a route. Do note there are indigenous communities who sometimes block the roads around Chia. If this is the case, simply turn around!

Pionono

Let it be known, this is by far the hardest climb we’ve done yet. At one point, it has a 32% gradient!! It’s incredible though! You have to get to Sopó, a town known for Alpina and being a weekend getaway. Then, you get an insane hill right off the start, and it doesn’t ease up all that much until you get to the Pionono Ecological Park. All in all, it’s about 4 kilometers at an average 14.7% gradient. Not for the faint of heart, but SO worth it!

El Verjón

This is one of the most enjoyable cycling climbs close to Bogota! Actually, it’s Lala’s favorite. It starts off in downtown Bogota, right next to the ticket office to go up to Monserrate. What’s great about this ride is you immediately feel like you’re in nature because, well, you really are. This cycling climb is longer, but not quite as tough: 16 kilometers at a 4% gradient. You can choose to ride another 4 kilometers to Col 86, with some ups and downs, which is where the road down to Choachí begins. BONUS: if you ride all the way down to Choachí to ride back up, you’re in for a treat. That climb is very difficult, at 22.5 kilometers and a 6% gradient, but is truly breathtaking!

Yerbabuena

Now this is my favorite place to ride uphill on a bike close to Bogota! It’s just barely outside of the city headed north, and we enjoy it so much because it’s never as crowded as other popular spots and is simply very green. At just 3.5 kilometers and a 9% gradient, it’s just perfect for a quick ride, or you can pair it with a bunch of other routes north of the city!

Don’t hesitate to do these enjoyable cycling climbs close to Bogota! They’re tough, but with a little bit of grit, anyone can do them. Biking is an incredible way to burn a bunch of calories and get to know new places while you’re at it.

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Travel Guide

How to Get to Monserrate Post-COVID-19

Posted on November 9, 2020
how to get to Monserrate post-COVID-19

If you’ve looked into what to do in Bogota, you’ve surely heard of Monserrate. From downtown Bogota, just look up to the mountains and it’ll be there with its imposing cathedral. Monserrate is a very well-known destination, and it is easy to reach! There have been some changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but everything is now open to the public. Keep reading to learn how to get to Monserrate post-COVID-19.

There is a giant statue on another peak across from Monserrate. That is Cerro de Guadalupe… it’s less touristy and you can read how to get there here!

How to Get to Monserrate Post-COVID-19

*The map to get to Monserrate is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

(we recommend you arrive in public transportation because finding parking can be complicated)

  1. First, get to the Las Aguas Transmilenio Station. The routes that pass through this station are J23, J70 and J74.
  2. Exit the station headed north (with the mountains on your right) and then walk towards the mountains of Calle 21 or 22. You’ll pass Universidad de los Andes and Quinta de Bolivar.
  3. Once you get to the Ticket Office for the Funicular and Cable Cars, you have three options to get up to the cathedral – walking or on the Funicular or Cable Car. If you’re going to walk, the path is a little to the left (north) of the ticket office. Entry is free.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Taquilla Funicular Monserrate, Bogotá” on Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions. You can park in front of the building or in the area.

Without a GPS:

  1. What is important here is getting to the Circunvalar, the road that borders Bogota’s eastern mountains. You can get on this road lots of ways, but the easiest is Calle 26. Once on the road, head south until you hit Calle 21, where you’ll find the ticket office for Monserrate.
  2. You can park in front of the ticket office or in other parking lots close to downtown.
  3. From the ticket office, you can get up to Monserrate walking or on the funicular or cable car. The trailhead in less than a block north from the ticket office.

Click here to read about some more outdoor adventures close to Bogota!

What to Do at Monserrate

Eat Typical Colombian Food:

There are 2 restaurants on the mountain top. Eating up there on Monserrate is definitely a fun experience. Both restaurants serve delicious Colombian and international food starting at about $25,000 Colombian pesos ($10 dollars). Currently, since the coronavirus pandemic, you need to make a reservation to eat here. Make your reservation here!

Hike

We definitely recommend hiking up to Cerro de Monserrate. You can enjoy the landscape all the way up and get some good exercise done. Then, it’s definitely worth heading down on the funicular or cable car, since they’re also fun experiences. Before hiking, officials will have you fill out a form, and access to the trail is free. You can start the hike from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Cable Cars and Funicular

If the 1-hour walk doesn’t sound like fun, you can take the cable cars or funicular. These comfortable trips are fun because you can watch Bogota get smaller and smaller as you slowly rise hundreds of meters. From Monday to Saturday, a one-way trip costs $13,000 pesos and round-trip costs $22,000 (about US $4 and $6). On Sundays, one way costs $7,500 and round-trip is $13,000 pesos (about US $2.5 and $4).

Watch the Sunset

The best part about Monserrate is the landscape! Truth is, people may visit it to see the cathedral or for the restaurants, but we’ve been there for the views. The sun just so happens to set right over Bogota as you watch from Monserrate, giving tourists a unique experience. The best way to do it is watch the sunset and then see the city light up with life and color. It’s actually a very beautiful experience!

Some Things to Know:

  • Monserrate’s hours are as follows: Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Tuesday closed, Thursday to Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sundays from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Monserrate will be closed on Tuesdays for maintenance.
  • All of Monserrate’s services are currently available after the COVID pandemic, although with social distancing measures and rules. It’s actually much more organized than before.
  • It’s no longer mandatory to wear a mask!
  • Pets are not allowed.
  • If you plan on paying with cash, the rule is you need to pay the exact amount.

Now that you know how to get to Monserrate post-COVID-19, there’s no use waiting anymore. Let us know how it goes!

Would you like to discover Bogota as a local? Click here to read our suggestions!

Travel Guide

The Best Way to Get to Páramo de Santurbán

Posted on October 29, 2020
best way to get to páramo de santurbán

The Páramo de Santurbán is a massif. I love that word because it makes me think of massive, and that is exactly what this páramo is. (What is a páramo?) Its rocky formations are astounding. Off the start, I’ll encourage you to visit Páramo de Santurbán without a guide or with a local guide. I think that’s the best way to get to Páramo de Santurbán and truly enjoy your time. More on that below!

Click here to read about a new climbing area close by!

How to Get to Páramo de Santurbán

(See a map to get to Páramo de Santurbán from Bucaramanga at the end of this post!)

In Public Transportation:

  1. Take a Flota Cáchira bus at carrera 16 #24-50 in Bucaramanga. It costs $22,000 pesos and takes you straight to Vetas, a town in the middle of the páramo.
  2. This place is so large that you’ll find entrances to lots of paths to the páramo and its lagoons before and after Vetas.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Vetas, Santander” on Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions.

Without a GPS:

  1. Beginning at Megamall, exit Bucaramanga headed towards Cúcuta. When you reach the roundabout, take the first exit towards Berlin.
  2. Once you get to Berlin, take a left when you see the Berlin Police Station. This road will take you straight to Vetas, which happens to be right next to California! Go figure… Berlin and California. The road is unpaved.

What to Do at Páramo de Santurbán

Visit its Lagoons

What the Páramo de Santurbán has is lagoons! You can see lagoons everywhere just looking at the area on Google Maps, and a lot of them are quite close to the road. The easiest ones to get to are Laguna Pajarito and Laguna Las Calles, only 3 kilometers from Vetas, and Laguna Negra, which I marked on the map below. No guide is necessary for the hike to Laguna Negra, since there are red rocks marking the path to the lagoon. And that’s just 3 of 57 lagoons you can visit!

¿Access with or without a Guide?

There are some long hikes unknown to tourists, as well as short, easily hikable trails, like the hike to Laguna Negra. For this reason, I would say definitely try to visit without a guide if you’re there for a day trip, or at least hire completely local guides. If you do need a guide or simply need information, you can contact the following agencies from the region:

Some Things to Know

  • There are a lot of access points to different hikes within the Páramo de Santurban. Each one may have different owners, so be aware you may have to pay various entry fees depending on where you go (usually about $3 USD).
  • The road to Vetas may be difficult for low or old cars.
  • Vetas is the highest municipality above sea level in Colombia!
  • Some areas, such as the Laguna Negra, have a limit of people allowed inside in a day.
  • Carry cash, since few places will accept card payments and getting cash is extremely complicated in the area.
  • The cell service that connects best is Claro.

This is the best way to get to Páramo de Santurbán: with local guides or alone, ready to hike a lot and get to know new places! It’s definitely an amazing ecosystem!

If you want to read about what there is to do close to Tona and Vetas, click here!

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!

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