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:
- In Bogota, go to the North Bus Terminal (indicated in the map), which is on Calle 192 on the Autopista Norte (North Highway).
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- After a long descent, you will cross the bridge of the Sisga Dam (where you can get off to check out the view).
- 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.
- 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!
