A quaint town just about 2 hours south-west of Bogotá, La Mesa is a good place to visit for a day or even to spend a weekend. This town is in the middle of the mountains, in a truly beautiful setting. There’s lots to eat, places to see and trails to hike. We’ll get into that shortly. This is how to get to La Mesa!
If you’re researching outdoor activities close to Bogota, we have the perfect list for you here!
How to get to La Mesa
*Note: the map to get to La Mesa from Bogota is at the end of this post!
In Public Transportation:
- Head over to Bogota‘s Main Bus Terminal (I marked it on the map) and take a bus to La Mesa. A lot of bus companies will have a route there, but the cheapest is San Vicente, at $12,000 Colombian pesos.
In a Car:
With a GPS: enter “La Mesa, Cundinamarca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.
Without a GPS:
- The easiest way to go to La Mesa without crossing Bogota’s traffic-filled south is to start by getting on Av. Boyacá.
- From the Boyacá road, it’ll be easiest for you to head west on Calle 13 towards Mosquera (away from Bogota’s Eastern mountain range). It’ll take you straight to Mosquera.
- When you get to Mosquera, don’t go into town. Stay on the main road (which is Occidente 50) headed left towards Facatativa.
- Shortly after, you’ll see a sign that says “Para La Mesa Tome Carril Derecho.” This means, stay in the right lane for La Mesa. When the road splits right, go right.
- This will lead you to a round-about. Take the third exit, towards La Mesa.
- Stay on the main road and you will arrive at La Mesa.
Read about this cloud forest that’s between La Mesa and Bogota!
What to do at La Mesa:
Salto de las Monjas
If you like rivers and waterfalls, this is the activity for you. A short, easy hike will lead you to a beautiful pool carved out by a waterfall. How to get to Salto de las Monjas: follow the same directions to get to La Mesa from Bogota. Once you’re close to La Mesa, you’ll see a white sign pointing towards “Cachipay” to the right. Go right until you get to the Paraiso Terrenal Hotel. You can park there, ask someone where the trail begins and get started!
Macadamia Adventure Park
This park is right outside La Mesa as you get there following the directions above. It’s kind of a ropes course park on steroids. It has zip lining, walking across valleys on thin metal ropes, and adventurous things like that. One thing I will say is that if you’re used to adrenaline (like, if you rock climb) it won’t be as fun. It wasn’t for us because we’re so used to the excitement of climbing. That being said, if you’re not an adrenaline junky like us, you’re in for a treat!
Go Hiking
There are so many hikes around here. Like I said, La Mesa is in the mountains, so there’s enough rivers, waterfalls, and… well, mountains to get some exercise and fresh air. Trails can be hard to find in Colombia, because we just don’t have very good outdoors infrastructure, but they’re there! Check out this website with a long list of hikes in the area and feel free to ask around for directions when you’re close to the trailhead. You may have to do some research, but definitely do it.
Visit the Main Plaza
As with most Colombian cities and towns, La Mesa has a main plaza and a beautiful cathedral. Head over (I marked it on the map) and enjoy the scenery, people watch a little and eat some local food. It’s a good time.
Bike
Since both Bogota and La Mesa are right in the Andes mountains, the road between them is winding and has some nice, steep slopes. Colombians are really into biking, and it’s common for people to travel between the two places on their bikes for exercise. It’s really hard though, especially the way back to Bogota, since it’s mostly uphill. If you’re hardcore, go ahead and do the trek. If not, no problem! Take your bike to La Mesa and bike around… it’s worth it!
Some things to know:
- La Mesa is warmer than Bogota.
- Make sure you take cash, because a lot of small restaurants, stores, etc. won’t accept debit or credit cards.
- There are lots of hotels here. My only recommendation is more of an observation: the further away from La Mesa you stay, the hotels/hostels revolve more around nature.
I hope this blog post helped you understand how to get to La Mesa and gave you some ideas for what to do at La Mesa.
Now, if you love camping, we know the place just for you. It’s north of Bogota, and it’s amazing. Read about the Neusa Dam here!
