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camping

Travel Guide

Where to Go Glamping Close to Bogota

Posted on October 26, 2019

glamping close to bogota, where to, cheapest to most expensive

I did the research so you don’t have to. Also, I did the research because I’m looking for a place to go glamping for our honeymoon! We figured it would be nice to lay low and relax a little before traveling, and some glamorous camping fit nicely. Glamping seems to be getting extremely popular, and lots of places have sprung up in Colombia where you can glamp (is that even a word?). So here’s a list to help you choose where to glamp close to Bogota! I’ve arranged them from cheapest to most expensive (-$- to -$$$$$-), but you can be sure these are all the best spots for glamping close to Bogota at each of their price ranges.

Where to go Glamping Close to Bogota

(from cheapest to most expensive)

1. Glamping La Finca – $

Glamping La Finca isn’t quite as close to Bogota as others (about 3 hours), but it’s quite nice for its price. I would say the only thing I don’t love about the place is that the tents are lined up side by side like suburb houses. Each one of them has a hot tub, though, and they look super cozy. On top of everything, if you stay here, you’re in Villa de Leyva, which is one of Colombia’s coolest towns. There’s a ton to do. From eating at great restaurants to sweating outdoors – it’s got it all. Glamping La Finca’s prices range from $200,000 Colombian pesos (about $65 USD) to $320,000 pesos (about $100 USD) per night for 2 people depending on the day of the week and time of year. You can read about Villa de Leyva by clicking here!

2. Bajo el Cielo Glamping – $$

High in the mountains of Colombia, this glamping hostal is close to Guatavita, looking over the Tomine Dam. Their domes are spacious, minimalistic and well-designed, and their areas have everything you need for comfort. Their standard domes with private bathrooms and outdoor space cost $280,000 pesos a night for 2 people (about $87.5 USD). The domes with a Jacuzzi cost $380,000 a night (about $120 USD). These prices include breakfast, and they increase by $100,000 pesos on the weekends. Being close to Guatavita, there’s also lots to do around the area, such as hiking, town visits and even helicopter rides! Bajo el Cielo Glamping is only an hour and a half from Bogota.

3. Glamping Colombia in Guatavita – $$

This place is also close to the beautiful town of Guatavita, an hour and a half from Bogota. Each one of their glamping areas has a wooden platform, a dome with a view of the dam below, and a private bathroom. The domes are nice and spacious. Its location gives you lots to do while you’re there: you can visit lakes, hike, do outdoor sports and go for a helicopter ride. It costs $360,000 Colombian pesos for two people per night (about $110 USD) and that includes no meals. I’m also not completely sure how their prices change during weekends or the high season. I can’t speak for their customer service, but their online, pre-glamping customer service is pretty bad.

4. Niddo Suesca – $$$

Only an hour from Bogota, we’ve heard a lot about Niddo because it’s close to Colombia’s most popular climbing area. Its tents look extremely warm and homely, and are well-designed and spacious. Of all the glamping close to Bogota I’ve researched, it also looks like the most romantic spot for glamping close to Bogota. The tents are nice and far apart, although not as much as I’d like (you don’t feel as much in the middle of nowhere). The cheapest I found was the smaller Niddo at $233,000 (about $72 USD) and the most expensive was the large Niddo at $490,000 (about $150 USD). These prices are per night for two people and don’t include any food. The prices do vary depending on the day of the week and time of the year.

5. La Villa Suiza – $$$

High in the mountains, this “Swiss Village” (the name, translated) looks over one of our favorite camping areas – the Neusa Dam. I’m not exactly sure if it counts as glamping because what they have is some wonderful chalets, but they look so warm and inviting that I had to include them on this list. They have standard chalets and deluxe chalets. Their prices range from at least $350,000 pesos (about $110 USD) to $450,000 pesos (about $140 USD) for two people per night depending on the day of the week and the type of chalet you’d like to experience. If you want one with a hot tub, though, the price spikes up to $550,000 pesos!

6. Kingdome Glamping – $$$

As you may have deduced from this place’s name, they have glamping in domes. What this place boasts is their 2-story domes with internal, private hot tubs. Their spaces are big and beautifully decorated, surrounded by woods. Like 2 other places for glamping close to Bogota, this one is in Guatavita, so there’s lots to do other than glamping as well. Their 2-story domes with hot tubs cost $450,000 pesos (about $140 USD) and their standard dome costs $400,000 pesos (about $125 USD) per night for two people.

7. Terramaga Glamping – $$$$

Terramaga is located in the town of San Francisco, about an hour and a half from Bogota. This place looks like a near-perfect glamping spot – each space is nice and isolated, everything is in the woods, and some of the glamps are even right by a river. It looks super romantic and outdoorsy. That being said, it is one of the most expensive because of how great it is. Each space costs $480,000 pesos (about $150 USD) during low season and $550,000 pesos (about $170 USD) during high season per night for 2 people. They book on AirBnB.

8. Yuva Glamping – $$$$$

Yuva Glamping is probably the most expensive glamping spot close to Bogota, but also one of the most amazing I found. Each dome’s individual area is huge and nicely far apart. One of them (maybe more) is right by the river, and I can just imagine falling asleep to its gentle lull. Also, all of the glamping areas have Jacuzzis. It’s about an hour and a half from Bogota in the town of San Francisco. Two of their glamping spaces cost $530,000 pesos (about $165 USD) per night for two people and the other two cost $630,000 pesos (about $200 USD). Those prices include breakfast and they increase by $100,000 pesos during the high season.

Well, that’s that for the best places to go glamping close to Bogota! I hope this list helps you narrow down your options for a super fun experience.

If you’re looking for outdoorsy things to do close to Bogota, click here to read our blog post!

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Travel Guide

How to Get to Parque Embalse el Hato

Posted on June 21, 2019

Very close to the Neusa Dam is another smaller dam that is also great for camping, walking, fishing and simply enjoying nature. It’s called the Parque Embalse el Hato, or Hato Dam Park. This place is a little further from Bogota (about 2 hours). However, since it’s small, it can feel more crowded even though there aren’t that many people. It also seems to attract a different crowd than the Neusa Dam. During our experience, there was loud music until 1 am and drunken singing until 3 am. This is based on one visit, and I try not to judge, but I would still recommend the Neusa Dam over this place. Despite that, we’ll always remember the Hato Dam dearly because Lala and I GOT ENGAGED HERE!! There’s also lots to do around Ubate, the closest town. This is how to get to Parque Embalse el Hato.

Find out how to get to the Neusa Dam here!

How to get to Parque Embalse el Hato

*Note: the map to get to Embalse el Hato from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

Go to Bogota’s Terminal de Transporte (Main Bus Terminal) and take a bus to Ubate. The bus companies that have a route there are Expreso Gaviota, Flota San Vicente and Rápido El Carmen.
Once you get to Ubate, ask around at the bus terminal for transportation to Parque Embalse el Hato. If that doesn’t work, go to Ubate’s main plaza, find the government building or a tourism company and get them to help you out. You could also walk to the dam, but it would take 1 to 1.5 hours.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Parque Embalse el Hato” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

In Bogota, exit the city headed north.
Stay on the highway following the signs to Chia. Shortly after a toll, you’ll head right to go under a bridge.
At the next bridge, stay right on the bridge and follow this road until you see a Homecenter on the right. Then, turn right where you see a sign to Zipaquira and Ubate.
Stay left to cross the next bridge, following signs to Ubate.
Not long afterwards, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit and stay on this road, which will take you through Sutatausa, all the way to Ubate.
When you’re right outside of Ubate, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit towards downtown Ubate.
When you get to a fork in the road, go left on the road that doesn’t have a stoplight. Stay on that road until Calle 5 and turn left onto it, where there’s a red store called Almacen Montevideo.
Go until you cross a bridge, where the road ends, and turn left again.
From here, stay on the main road until you see a white sign that points to Embalse el Hato to the left. Head left and you’ll arrive in a few minutes!

If you’re bored of the city, here’s a list of outdoor activities to do close to Bogota!

What to do at Embalse el Hato:

Camp

Just like the Neusa Dam, most people come here to camp with friends and family. Camping costs $21,500 Colombian pesos or about $7 dollars. This fee covers up to 3 consecutive nights of camping! The area is pretty new, but has a good bit of amenities. There’s actually a bathroom with toilet paper! Also, starting random campfires is prohibited. If you want fire and warmth, you have to use a kind of grill structure they rent out to people. I listed the prices of everything below, but you can also find prices at this link (which is in Spanish, though), where you can also rent a cabin room if you’d rather not camp.

Colfrance

My family has a tradition while we’re traveling back from Villa de Leyva of stopping at Colfrance. Ubate is known for its milk, and Colfrance is known for everything that has to do with dairy. And it’s French. We always get a glass of milk and a pandeyuca, and people look at us funny. You can also get sausages, coffee, cheese, desserts and lots of typical Colombian foods. It’s right outside of Ubate and worth a visit! I marked it on the map below.

Cerro de Chegua

A whole lot of hikes in Colombia and around the world end with a cross at the summit. One summit close to Embalse el Hato has an actual church, or sanctuary, on top of it, and it’s a very significant landmark of Ubate. You can get pretty close to it in a car and then you have to hike about half a kilometer. The sanctuary is nice, but the view is what’s truly beautiful.

Some Things to Know:

Towards the end of the trip, the road towards Embalse el Hato becomes unpaved, but is in good enough conditions for any car.
Take cash, because very few restaurants, stores, etc. will take your credit or debit card!
You’ll pay 3 tolls on your trip: two on the way there and one on the way back to Bogota.
The park is closed on the first business day of every week.
Schedule: Tuesday to Sunday 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. You can arrive to camp until 6:00 PM Tuesday to Thursday and until 9:00 PM Friday to Sunday and Holidays.
It costs $5,500 pesos ($2 dollars) for citizens to enter the park and $10,500 pesos ($4 dollars) for foreigners.
Camping costs $21,500 Colombian pesos ($7 dollars) and pays for 3 successive nights of camping. If you pay for camping, you don’t have to pay the entrance fee.
Parking costs $3,000 pesos for cars and $2,000 pesos for motorcycles (about $1 and $0.75) , only if you’re there for the day. If you’re camping, there is no parking fee.
Renting a grill structure costs $5,000 pesos ($1.5 dollars).

We hope this helps you find out how to get to Parque Embalse el Hato, and that it motivates you to go!

Another place that’s pretty close to Ubate, and is actually closer to Bogota, is Sutatausa. There, you can rock climb, hike and camp. Read about how to get to Sutatausa here!

Travel Guide

How to get to Mongui

Posted on September 14, 2018

As it turns out, “the world’s most beautiful paramo” (an alpine ecosystem in the Andes) is right next to “Boyaca’s most beautiful town!” Really, the Oceta Paramo and Mongui are known for that, respectively. Just knowing that makes Mongui a place to go, especially in December when the streets light up with millions of Christmas lights. A random fact: 25% of Colombia’s supply of balls comes from Mongui. So if you need a ball and want to travel, Mongui is the perfect place. This is how to get to Mongui.

You might also like: how to get to Isla Fuerte.

How to get to Mongui

*The map to get to Mongui from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In a car

With a GPS (highly recommended): type in “Mongui, Boyaca” in Waze or Google Maps and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

Exit Bogota heading north. Stay on the main road, following the signs to Tunja or Sogamoso when the road may split.
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!
Stay on this road, following signs to Sogamoso. You’ll go straight through Paipa. Stay on the main road.
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.
The exit to go up the mountain to Mongui 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 windows.
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, go right and drive all the way to the Mongui’s main plaza.

On Public Transportation

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.
Once you get to Sogamoso’s bus terminal, take a bus from there to Mongui.
The bus drops you off at the main plaza.

What to do in Mongui:

Hike to the Laguna Negra (Black Lagoon) and the Ocetá Paramo:

As I said before, the Oceta Paramo is known as the world’s most beautiful paramo. Now, I haven’t been to all of the world’s paramos, but this one is the most beautiful I’ve seen. You can get there and to the Laguna Negra walking from Mongui or in a car, going around the mountain. We’ve camped 3 nights there and they have been some of the best camping nights in my life. You have to see this place, even if it’s on a day trip. We actually have an entire blog post dedicated to the lagoon. Click here to read how to get to the Laguna Negra!

Buy some balls:

Mongui makes 25% of Colombia’s balls and exports even more. At the main plaza, at least one in every four shops has balls hanging inside and outside the buildings. They’re really good, handmade, and the perfect souvenir with which to remember the town.

Go to Lake Tota:

Lake Tota is Colombia’s biggest lake, so it’s worth giving it a visit on your trip to or from Mongui. My recommendation is you go on the way to or back because it’s a good 50 km (30 miles) from Mongui and it can be a full-day activity. You can have a picnic, eat at a restaurant, walk around, fish, etc. You can also camp there, and let me tell you – the sunsets and sunrises at Lake Tota are dreamy! You have to take your camera.

Relax, walk around, be a tourist:

Other blogs will recommend you just sit back and relax in Mongui. And I would have to agree because it is so calm and quaint. What I disagree with is that there isn’t anything to do. Please, if there are mountains around you there’s lots to do! And relaxing and resting is so much more gratifying after an adventure.

Some things to know:

– The drive to Mongui takes about 3.5 hours.

– If you’re going to walk from Mongui to the Laguna Negra, I recommend you hire a guide because they know how to deal with locals who don’t like tourists.

– Make sure you take cash to pay for the products and services you can’t pay with your card (most things).

– Mongui’s famous balls are handmade.

– Lake Tota is about 50 km, or 30 miles, from Mongui.

– There are 3 tolls from Bogota to Mongui.

I hope this has helped you learn how to get to Mongui and that it motivates you to visit this lovely town!

If you’re interested in visiting a fun town close to Bogota, read this blog post on how to get to Suesca.

Travel Guide

How to get to La Chorrera

Posted on September 5, 2018

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:

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.
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.
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.
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!
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:

In Bogotá, take Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes the Circunvalar.
On the Circunvalar, follow the signs that say Choachi is to the left. That left turn comes right after an Universidad Distrital campus.
Shortly afterwards, there’s a confusing U-turn. Stay on the main paved road, don’t keep going straight.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!