When a place is described as Cloud Forest, you go there because it is called Cloud Forest. It’s hard for me to think of two more attractive words.
Lala and I have been to Chicaque Natural Park a number of times: we went with a group of friends the first time, then we went with Kyle, from The Dive Wagon, Lala and I went once on our own, and the last time we went was to shoot an engagement at a beautiful lookout.
And we can’t wait to get back. We’ll probably be there soon to make a video to show you guys!
Anyway, getting there can be kind of a hassle, so I’m going to let you know how to get to Chicaque. I hope you get out there and enjoy the hike!
(If you’re just looking for outdoor activities to do in Bogota, check out our list of recommended places here!)
How to get to Chicaque Natural Park
In Public Transportation:
- Make your way to the Portal 80 Transmilenio station (you can plan your route from your location on Google Maps).
- There, take a bus to Mosquera and get off the bus at the main plaza of the town. Then take a Coomofú bus (it’s black and white) that says Soacha and tell the bus driver to drop you off at Chicaque. Both buses, and all buses for that matter, will have signs attached to their windshields saying where they are headed.
- Once you get off on a bend where there’s the beginning of a dirt road, you’ll have to walk along that dirt road for 3 kilometers (or 1.8 miles).
- At the end of the dirt road you’ll get to the Chicaque Natural Park Entrance and just keep walking!
In a Chicaque Van (only available on weekends):
- Make your way to the “Terreros/Hospital” Transmilenio station (you can plan your route from your location on Google Maps).
- When you exit the bus at that station, go right (which is south) and then go right again to cross the street across the bridge. You’ll see a gigantic home goods store called “Hogar y Construcción: Easy.” Go the OTHER way.
- The bridge will leave you at a little plaza. Look for some vans on a corner with small stores that has a sign that reads: “Terreros Droguería.” There will be one or two vans there, which head out to the park once they’re full.
- Pick-up times at this spot are Weekends at 7:00 am, 8:00 am, 9:00 am, and 11:00 am. They will get you straight to the Chicaque entrance. These vans will take you back to the “Terreros/Hospital” Transmilenio station on Weekends at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:30 pm.
In a Car:
You can find the map to get to Chicaque Natural Park in a car at the bottom of this post!
If you have a Google Maps or Waze, just type in “Chicaque Natural Park” and follow the directions. If you don’t, here are the directions (good luck!):
- In Bogota, drive to Calle 80. You’ll take this road west (away from the mountains) and take a left at the first roundabout. You should be following signs to Mosquera or La Mesa.
- Stay on this road, pass the Mondoñedo toll, and take a left turn soon afterwards, where there’s a sign that points to Soacha.
- Shortly after that, to the right, there’ll be the beginning of a dirt road that has a sign pointing towards Chicaque. Get on the dirt road and drive along it, which ends in an incline into the park.
- Then, get ready to walk a good bit!
Some things to know:
Make sure you have cash, especially small bills for buses.
The entrance fee for Chicaque Natural Park is $15,000 COP ($5 USD) during low season and $15,500 COP ($5.20 USD) during high season.
The vans to get to or from Chicaque cost $6,000 COP ($2 USD) one way.
If you take buses to get to the park, they cost between $1,800 and $3,000 COP ($0.50 – $1.00 USD)
Chicaque Natural Park opens every day at 8 am. If you are a day-hiker, the latest you may enter the park is at 3 pm. If you are camping, the latest you can enter the park is 5:30 pm. Ask about what time you should be leaving, because it changes depending on the conditions.
The Park offers a bunch of services, from really nice rooms in which to stay, to restaurants, to zip lining. Check out their full list of services here!
The walk through Chicaque is downwards all the way to the end, which means… yep, the entire way back is up, and I mean UP. So be ready to sweat.
What to do at Chicaque Natural Park:
The challenge: try to see every feature and lookout in one day. It’s possible, I promise!
Camp: this place is so wild and so deep in its little part of the world that the nighttime at Chicaque Natural Park is something you need to experience. Stay up to see the stars, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t see them, since it’s a Cloud Forest after all – the best time to see the clouds because of cloud cover is usually 2-4 am.
Get engaged: this place is pretty magical, and we shot an engagement here once. It was a great spot (Eagle’s Peak or Pico del Aguila, if any of you guys are interested).
Take pictures: as usual! There are some amazing lookouts, the hostels blend beautifully with the landscape, and the unique ecosystem make for some awesome shots.
I hope knowing how to get to Chicaque Natural Park makes you go! Another great place to hike, just as amazing as this one is Chingaza. Check out how to get there!
