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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!

 

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!

Travel Guide

What to do in Taganga

Posted on May 30, 2018
what to do in Taganga, how to get to, what to do in Santa Marta, adventure, tourism, vacations, scuba diving

Taganga, land of the fishermen. I’ve been to this town more times than I care to count, and I’ve enjoyed every stay. This blog post probably even counts as a “What to do in Santa Marta” because I’d always rather stay in the tiny Taganga than the city of Santa Marta. Also, this blog post, even though it’s called “What to do in Taganga,” includes a lot of activities that are outside of Taganga because the area is one of the most beautiful, diverse and well-known in Colombia. So get ready for a whirlwind of things to do and get to planning your adventure on the Caribbean coast of Colombia – in Taganga.

What to do in Taganga

Activities

  1. Scuba Dive. Taganga became a Colombian tourist hot-spot because of the diving. For such a small town, it really has a lot of dive centers. They’re all trustworthy, but I’d recommend Tayrona Dive Center and Scuba Master. Taganga is known for how inexpensive it is to dive, and, though the diving is not the best in the Caribbean (compared to a place like San Andres), I’ve enjoyed most dives and seen turtles, barracudas, sharks, groupers, etc. The further you get from the town towards Tayrona National Park, the better the diving and the clearer the water. My favorite dive spots are Punta Aguja, Salidero and and La Piedra del Medio.
  2. Go to Tayrona National Park. Taganga is kind of the pit stop for people headed to Tayrona Park since it’s on the park’s edge. The entrance to the park is only 40 minutes from Taganga. It is one of Colombia’s most beautiful National Parks and is 150% worth a visit!
  3. North of Taganga, towards Tayrona, there are small islands along the coast that rise to great heights. These are so much fun to hike up because you feel like no one has been where you are at the moment – there are no trails or anything, and it’s probably true that few people have been there. On top of these islands you have an incredible, expansive view of the coast and the water surrounding you. Find someone to take you on a boat and get to hiking! A more accessible way to hike is to go north along the coast towards Playa Grande and the Tayrona. The trail starts right below the Bahia Taganga hotel.
  4. Mountain Bike in the Sierra Nevada. This is one of the best things I’ve done close to Taganga. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has one of Colombia’s few snowy peaks, and is a wonder to bike down. You can contact TayronaTrips, Elemento Outdoor Adventure or Minca Bikes and they’ll hook you up. If you’re in for an adrenaline rush, I recommend you tell them you want to do the downhill biking, although they have lots of other trails to ride.
  5. Hike to Ciudad Perdida. “The Lost City” is a Pre-Columbian town that was discovered in the 1970s deep in the jungles surrounding the northward slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. This is one of Colombia’s most popular multi-day hikes (4-6 days), giving all who venture onto the path a sense of oneness with nature. The Lost City is remote, and so worth it. Some tour companies that can help guide you are: Wiwa Tour, Expotur and many others.
  6. Watch the sunset. Taganga has the most consistently beautiful sunsets of any place I know. That’s probably because it never rains there, which is actually a problem, but at least it gives us a pink, purple, orange and yellow sunset almost every day.

Logistics

  1. Where to stay: I’ll get straight to my favorite hostel – La Casa de Felipe. I’ve stayed there a couple of times and had the time of my life. It’s comfortable, absolutely beautiful, and a little farther from the beach and, thus, the crowds. Some other places to stay that I would recommend are Ballena Azul, Hostel Nirvana, Taganga Dive Inn, and Bahia Taganga.
  2. Most people love beaches. Some love crowded, popular beaches, others desolate, pristine beaches. Here’s a short list of both. Popular: any of the beaches in the Taganga Bay and Playa Grande. Pristine: Playa Chengue, Playa Brava, Playa Cristal and any beach in the Granate Bay. Ask around and any boatman will take you to any of these for a fee! Some of the more desolate beaches are far away, but so worth it.
  3. Where to eat: I’m just going to list my favorite restaurants for you to try them. Bitacora, Baguettes de Maria, the Casa de Felipe Restaurant, the huts by the beach (get a sancocho de pescado there) and the Ballena Azul restaurant.

How to get to Taganga:

The first step is to get to Santa Marta, Colombia by plane, bus or car.

If you arrive in a plane, you can take a bus or a taxi from the airport all the way to Taganga. A taxi from the airport will cost $40,000 Colombian pesos or $14 US dollars. The trip takes about 40 minutes. Taking a bus from the airport is a little more complicated. You’ll have to take a bus to Santa Marta and get off on Carrera 5 (find the map below) and then take a bus to Taganga right there.

If you arrive on a bus, you can take a bus from the terminal to the Historical Center (Carrera 5 on the map below) and then take another one from there to Taganga. Otherwise, take a taxi to Taganga from the bus terminal, which will cost about $15,000 Colombian pesos or about $5 US dollars. (Quick tip: when traveling on a bus in Colombia, make sure you take warm clothes because the air conditioning might freeze you!)

If you arrive in a car, it’ll be best to use a GPS, type in “Taganga” and follow the instructions. If you’re old school, the map is at the end of this post and here are my instructions: get on Carrera 5, which is the second main road away from the beach, going north or with the sea to your left. At the end of this road, take a right. Take a left on Carrera 9a, which will be the second left, going over a train track and then take the next right turn. Stay on this road and it will take you over the mountain along its windy path all the way to Taganga.

Some things to know:

  • Before taking a taxi, settle on the price to Taganga or back to Santa Marta before you get on so that there aren’t any misunderstandings later and so you don’t get cheated.
  • Do your part in taking care of the town, the beaches and the ocean. Taganga is a classic example of what happens to a small town when it is overrun by mass tourism – trash, crowds, crime. So what can you do? Throw your trash away in the trash, don’t buy or sell drugs, say no to plastic and choose ethical tour operators (do your research!).
  • Use water sparsely. Taganga suffers from chronic drought and most people get water from tankers that visit the town every week, so limit your showers, etc. Also, drink bottled water so you don’t get sick.
  • High season is June and July, December and January, and Holy Week.
  • Take cash in Colombian pesos because most of what you will buy or spend will be in places you cannot use your card to pay. There is one ATM in Taganga, right at the entrance.
  • Be safe. There’s a saying in Spanish that goes, “No des papaya.” Literally, it means don’t give papaya (a fruit). What it really means is, don’t do anything that makes you a target, such as going to a sketchy part of any town with all your bling on, your camera hanging from you neck, talking on your phone. Do give papaya!

I hope this will help you plan your adventures! If you’d like to read about a more remote place on the Caribbean coast, read our blog post on Isla Fuerte!

Or if you’re stopping by Bogota, check out this list of places to go on outdoor adventures close to the city!

 

Travel Guide

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

Posted on May 3, 2018
fit, strong, what to do in san andres, adventure edition, scuba diving, beach, ocean, caribbean

I’m so glad San Andres is Colombia. I say this because it is a tiny island that is a full 800 km (500 miles) from mainland Colombia. The island is surrounded by “the sea of seven colors”, a visual effect created by the sea-bottom’s varying depths and huge, expansive coral reefs. Clear, calm waters, beautiful beaches, chill vibes, and great diving make this island a paradisiacal vacation hot-spot. Lala and I had our honeymoon here! I’m going to let you know my favorite way to adventure in San Andres. Read this travel guide if you like doing exercise, enjoying nature and feeling fulfilled! Let’s get into it – this is what to do in San Andres, adventure edition!

If you’re looking to have a classy, super relaxed vacation, read our post “What to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition.”

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

  1. Rent bikes.

The best way to move around in San Andres is on a bike. When we go to San Andres, we bike all the time—to the city, the lagoon, the beach, you name it! San Andres isn’t nearly as small as the other paradisiacal islands surrounding it, but biking is the best way to get to know the place and get some great exercise while you’re at it. You can park them practically anywhere you go. There once was a study that showed cyclists are the happiest athletes. And who isn’t happy vacationing on an island? Biking is a must. Our friend Konan, whose contact info is below, can get you what you need, but so can hundreds of other companies and people!

  1. Scuba dive.

Because you can’t go to an island in the Caribbean and NOT scuba dive!! This place has incredibly clear water, and the underwater world is as colorful as it gets. San Andres’ main attraction is the sea itself. No, scratch that, it’s a DESTINATION! Here’s my view on diving: it may sound scary before doing it, since the ocean is enormous and unknown. But scuba diving is the most relaxing and impacting thing you can do on the island. We’ve gone diving with Sharky Dive Shop or Karibik Diver, and we’ve enjoyed both experienced a ton!

  1. Snorkel.

Because if you don’t want to scuba dive, at least you can go snorkeling in crystal clear water. Actually, when we’re not diving, we’re snorkeling. The depths (or shall I say shallows?) of San Andres are something everyone needs to experience. What I love about San Andres is that the visibility is so perfect, the water so clear, that you can literally float, look down, and see the world beneath you without a problem. If you have your gear, get in the water anywhere and enjoy the reefs! You can see tons of colorful fish, and there’s large sting rays and sharks if you’re lucky. Our contact Konan is a snorkeling pro, and any dive shop will rent you some gear or guide you on a trip.

  1. Go to the Rocky Cay Wreck.

Rocky Cay is a Cay that is about 100 meters (300 feet) from the San Luis beaches. It’s a small islet with a few trees and clear water. Even though it’s pretty far from the shore, you can walk to the cay because the water never gets above your neck. Further on from the cay is and enormous, decomposed wreck where the water is 20 to 30 feet deep. You used to be able to jump from the top of the wreck into the sea, but a few hurricanes hit recently and made it pretty dangerous. I was thankfully able to do it beforehand, though!

  1. Find Lodging far from Downtown.

San Andres looks like this: the Northern tip is the touristic downtown, much like any other downtown: loud music everywhere, restaurants, hotels, and crowds. Though it can be awesome, we honestly prefer being able to choose when we want all of that – and we like sleeping well. The western or south side of the island are best for being away from the party tourism. There are some great hotels and hostels that feel secluded and outdoorsy. We’ve stayed at the Sunset Hotel, and its great. The only problem on the western or south side is that there are few sand beaches: it goes from spiky coral beaches to the ocean. It makes for great snorkeling and diving, though!

The eastern side of the island is where most locals live, in the city of San Luis. There are some great AirBnBs, and you don’t get crowds quite like you do in the north. Also, there are some great beaches on the eastern side, and the ocean has a lot larger waves. Our recommendation is to find a hostel on the western side or the eastern side. That way, you’re close enough to everything to bike everywhere, but also far enough away from crowds and partying to have peace and quiet.

  1. Surf.

You can surf in San Andres if you travel between November and February or June and September (hurricane season). San Andres is perfect for beginner or amateur surfers because the water is calm and the waves are generally small. Some surf spots are El Paraíso, Yelllow Moon (La Perla Bar), and Punta Sur. Most of the surfing is over coral reefs, except Punta Sur, which has a sandy bottom, so that’s the best place to learn. That being said, it is very expensive.

  1. If You’re Going Shopping…

Do it right! Go the day you’re leaving; maybe even after dropping off your bags at the airport! There’s a room at the airport where you can leave your bags if you can’t check them yet – the perfect solution if you have to check out of your hotel way before your flight. The airport is only a few blocks from the downtown area. San Andres has some really good products to offer, and it’s known for having great prices because of reduced taxes. Fun fact: there are malls called San Andresito in Bogota named after the island and its great prices. What is cheaper in San Andres is perfumes and alcohol.

A video for you to SEE what there is to do!

How to get to San Andres:

The only way to get to San Andres is to fly from Colombia, Panama or Costa Rica. There’s also a direct flight from Miami!

You can sail there, of course, but no one does because of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Seriously though, there’s pirates.

Some things to know:

–          You need to get a tourist card that costs $108.974 Colombian pesos, or $38 USD, before flying to San Andres. Get it at the airport before flying to San Andres. You have to show it when you enter and leave the island, so keep it safe. Children below the age of 7 don’t have to pay it, as well as if you’re going to be on the island for less than 24 hours.

–          We know a great driver who has a big car and is extremely trustworthy. His name is Julio Machado. His telephone number is  (316) 622 8720 or (311) 874 6749.

–          Konan can take you snorkeling and can rent bikes and golf carts. Go ahead and contact him at +578 (317) 518-0579 or at konanparadise@gmail.com.

–          The North side of the island has buildings, more crowds, more restaurants and hotels, and calmer water. The South side of the island is less populated, there are less crowds, and the water can tend to be a little rougher (but in San Andres it’s never really rough!)

–          Take extreme care of your surroundings. San Andres is suffering overpopulation and pollution, and they’re connected. So please do YOUR part and throw your trash away, even returning with the trash you can take back to the mainland. Clear, perfect water will be worth nothing if it becomes a plastic grave for everything that lives in it.

I hope this has helped you know what kind of adventures you can have in San Andres!

Would you like to visit another Colombian island on the Caribbean? Check out our blog post about Isla Fuerte!

Travel Guide

How to get to the Laguna Verde de Tausa

Posted on April 9, 2018
camping, hiking, Green Lagoon, how to get to the Laguna verde de Tausa, outdoor adventures close to Bogota

Lala and I had a blast with 3 other couples at the Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon in English). We called the trip a quadruple date. It was awesome. Now, the Laguna Verde is an aquifer that actually creates the river that feeds the Neusa Dam! When I was camping at the Neusa Dam, I felt very deep in nature even though I was still close to civilization, so you can just imagine how wild the Laguna Verde feels. You get see thousands of frailejones (probably my favorite plant) and other alpine plants and a beautiful, pristine lake on a trail that, though it isn’t well known or highly hiked, is really well preserved. We met the guy who owns the property – a ginormous property that includes the lake. He keeps the trail preserved and is really cool about letting people in. He didn’t charge us anything! And he gave us his phone number, so you can call him before going, just for him to know. I totally recommend you go to this wonderful, off-the-beaten-track spot! This is how to get to the Laguna Verde de Tausa (Tausa is the closest town).

Misiades Salazar’s (the owner) phone number: (571) 312 4938840

How to get to the Laguna Verde de Tausa

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

In a car

With a GPS (highly recommended): type in “Laguna Verde Tausa” in Waze or Google Maps. Make sure you picked the one in Tausa, Cundinamarca, Colombia and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

*Some tips before you read: (1) this will all make more sense if you can see it, and Google Maps has Street View all the way to step 8, so use it to get your bearings, and (2) you’re probably going to have to ask locals for directions as you go, so brush up on your Spanish!

  1. In Bogota, drive north on the Autopista and leave the city. Keep heading north until you reach the first bridge. Don’t go over it. Follow directions to Chia, taking a road to the right, which will then curve to the left, under the bridge.
  2. Stay on this road until the next bridge. Go over this bridge, staying on the right. Continue on this road until you see a Homecenter on your right. Shortly after, you’ll take a right where there’s a sign for Zipaquira and Ubate.
  3. Stay on this road until you get to yet another bridge. Stay on your left to go over the bridge, which will take you to the right, following the sign to Ubate.
  4. Shortly afterwards, you’ll run into a round-about. Take the third exit, staying on the main road.
  5. From here on out, having a GPS is best because you’re going to take a left on a corner where you’ll see two stores named ‘Viejo Mao’ and ‘Alejo 2.’ There are no signs to Cogua or the Laguna Verde.
  6. Stay on this main road, and you’ll get to Cogua. Where the road seems to end, take a right and then immediately take the next left. Then, still in Cogua, stay left where three roads intersect.
  7. Soon enough, you’ll get to an obvious fork in the road. Go left. If you take a right, you’ll see a sign that says LA PAZUELA 2, and you’ve gone the wrong way. Stay on the road to the left.
  8. After you pass the Rio Borracho (Drunk River), take a right on a downward sloping dirt road to the right. Drive down to a house at a small intersection before the beginning of the trail and park there. The house is at the very bottom, where everywhere else you go is up.
  9. Walk to a fork in the road. To the left, it goes up, and to the right, it goes down. Take the road to the left, go through a gate, and begin the hike! It’ll last about an hour.

On public transportation

  1. You can get on a bus that says ‘San Cayetano’ at Bogota’s Bus Terminal (Terminal de Transporte) or at the North Bus Terminal (Terminal Satélite Del Norte).
  2. Take this bus for a while, passing Cogua. Tell the bus driver you’re getting off at the entrance after the Drunk River to go to the Laguna Verde. He probably won’t know English, so say: “Voy para la entrada a la Laguna Verde después del Rio Borracho.” Good luck!
  3. You’ll be dropped off at a downward sloping dirt road to the right. Walk a good 15-20 minutes to the beginning of the trail, following the main road.
  4. You’ll get to a fork in the road. To the left, it goes up, and to the right, it goes down. Take the road to the left, go through a gate, and begin the hike! It’ll last about an hour.

Check out our video!

What to do at the Laguna Verde:

Camp: the friend we made, the man who owns the property that includes the Laguna Verde told us to give him a call if we ever want to camp, for two reasons. First, just to let him know so he can make sure everything is good and second, because he offered to rent us a small house there is on the property. The house is in really bad conditions, though, so I would just camp outdoors… right next to the lake. Much better, huh?

Breathe fresh air: I only mention this because I think it’s important to do it consciously!

Have a long picnic: there’s a few really nice spots quite close to the lake to have a picnic and enjoy the view for a good long time. Bring your choice of food and enjoy! The ground will probably be soggy, because this ecosystem is just very wet, so bring a blanket or jacket to sit on or just get your bum wet, it won’t hurt!

Go on a double, triple or quadruple date: seriously, there’s no better way to enjoy nature than with friends. So grab some people you love and go on this adventure!

Take pictures: of course! Pick up your camera and capture some earthy, wet, moody, beautiful shots in this gorgeous place.

Some things to know:

  • Though our friend, who owns this property, will let you in for free, the township of Cogua doesn’t really love people going to the Laguna Verde because it’s such an important body of water (it feeds the Neusa Dam and 17 towns). Please take care of this wonderful place – don’t leave your trash, try to stay on the trail – so that it doesn’t get taken from us. It’s true, this place should be pristine because of its importance, but I also think it’s important for people to enjoy special outdoor places like this one. Both can be true. Let’s keep it that way.
  • Call Misiades Salazar at (571) 312 4938840 just to let him know you’ll be going!
  • Like I said, everything is free: entrance to the property and parking at a farmer’s house, but give the people some money as thanks. They aren’t obliged to help us out, but they do.
  • A car can make it all the way to where the trail begins in good conditions, but definitely not if the road is wet. If it’s been raining, you’ll have to park further up the road or be in a car with 4-wheel drive.

Now that you know how to get to the Laguna Verde, make sure you go! So recommended. Let us know how it went!

If you saw a big lake on your way to Laguna Verda, it was actually a dam. The Neusa Dam! Click here to find out how to get there.. or click here to see a list of places to have outdoor adventures close to Bogota!

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