how to get to the tatacoita desert

How my feet hurt. That’s what happens when you’re not sure how to get somewhere new on foot. It happened to me getting to the Tatacoita Desert (not to be confused with the well-known Tatacoa Desert).

In fact, my trip to this desert is what motivated me to create this website. I got frustrated looking for how to get there because when I searched for it on Google, I only found company’s websites offering tours. But I don’t like tours. I prefer enjoying nature with a group of friends.

I finally found a page with directions to the Tatacoita Desert, so we followed them. And how my feet hurt! We walked twice as much as it said. So I, being the extremely detailed person I am, thought it would be great to have detailed guides about how to get to relatively unknown places like the Tatacoita Desert.

Still, despite the pain in my feet, I always enjoy an adventure like this one. We had a great time visiting the desert – that’s how awesome it is. It’s a unique landscape.

I hope this and all the guides to come will help you plan your adventures!

How to get to the Tatacoita Desert

*Note: You can find the map to get to the Tatacoita Desert at the bottom of this post!

Without a car:

1. The adventure begins at the Portal Norte (Northern Bus Terminal) in Bogota. Take a bus to Zipaquira. Once in Zipaquira, take a bus to Nemocon.
2. Get off the bus in Nemocon before the bus takes a right, ‘cause you’re going left. From here, you have two options: walk to the park (about three hours) or ask a motorcycle-taxi to take you as far as it will.
   1. Walking: keep going until you get to a fork in the road. In the middle of the fork there are signs that say “Finca la Macarena,” “Sumicol,” and “Las Nubes.” When I went in December there was also a manger-scene. Go left. One kilometer (about .7 miles) later, take a right. Walk along that road until you pass a small bridge. A little after the bridge you’ll see a steep road going upwards to the right. Go that way and when the road forks again, take a right. You’ll arrive at a red door that is the entrance to a farm. There may not be anyone there, so you can call 3102279771 and ask for Juan Jose. Tell him you want to enter the Desierto de la Tatacoita. The entrance fee is $5,000 COP or about $2 dollars.
   2.  In a motorcycle-taxi: ask a moto-taxi (a motorcycle with a compartment behind it that makes it a taxi) to take you to the Desierto de la Tatacoita or as close as it can. If it can’t drive through the last bit of road, which is an unpaved road in bad conditions, it will at least save you 2.5 hours of walking. This service costs $15,000 COP or $5 USD. You’ll arrive at a red door that is the entrance to a farm. There may not be anyone there, so you can call 3102279771 and ask for Juan Jose. Tell him you want to enter the Desierto de la Tatacoita. The entrance fee is $5,000 COP or about $2 dollars.

 In a car:

With GPS: look up “Desierto de la Tatacoita” on Waze or Google Maps and follow the instructions.

*Note: a GPS will take you a way that I am not sure actually exists, so you may want to follow the directions without a GPS below.

Without a GPS:

1. Exit Bogota north. Follow directions to Chia (to the right and under the first car bridge) but don’t enter Chia. Keep going until you get to another bridge and stay to your right on the bridge. This is the road to Zipaquira.
2. When the road divides in two again, get on the bridge, which will take you right towards Zipaquira and Ubate (following the signs). Stay on this road until you reach a round-about and take the second exit.
3. A few minutes later you will run into a stoplight and a sign that indicates Zipaquira is to the left, Ubate is going straight, and Nemocon is to the right. Go right. You’ll get right to Nemocon that way.
4. Again, and not for the last time, you will come to a fork in the road once to get to Nemocon. Go left and stay on that road until you once again get to a fork in the road. In the middle of the fork there are signs that say “Finca la Macarena,” “Sumicol,” and “Las Nubes.” When I went in December there was also a manger-scene. Go left. One kilometer (about .7 miles) later, take a right.
5. Drive along this road until you see a sign that reads “Tienda Santana” and go in. This is where you will park your car if you’re not in a 4×4. You’ll have to walk the rest of the way.
6. If you’re going in a 4×4, ignore step 5 and continue along the road until you reach a small bridge. A little after the bridge you’ll see a steep road going upwards to the right. Go that way and when the road forks again, take a right. That’s where the unpaved road gets really bad.
7. You’ll arrive at a red door that is the entrance to a farm. There may not be anyone there, so you can call 3102279771 and ask for Juan Jose. Tell him you want to enter the Desierto de la Tatacoita. The entrance fee is $5,000 COP or about $2 dollars.

Some things to keep in mind:

Entrance fee: $5,000 COP or about $2 dollars.

Moto-taxi fee: $15,000 COP or about $5 dollars.

There is no parking at the Desierto de la Tatacoita, but ask the man that lets you in where you can leave your car or talk to the folks at “Tienda Santana” and, if they let you, leave your car there.

Bus to Zipaquira: $6,000 COP or about $2 dollars.

Bus to Nemocon: $3,000 COP or about $1 dollars.

What to do in the Desierto de la Tatacoita:

• Camp: I sadly didn’t go camping here, but I have heard that it’s amazing because you feel so far from civilization. It’s also a great place if you love gazing at the stars.
• Ride your bike: there are trails inside the desert that are awesome. If you can’t take your bike in a car, you can get to the Desierto de la Tatacoita on your bike or ask the bus driver if he’ll let you take your bike in the bus’s baggage compartment. The fee for that is usually half to all of your fee.
• Take pictures: the way the earth has eroded in the Desierto de la Tatacoita is beautiful! Take pictures of the huge dunes, the green and orange landscape, and, if you camp, the stars! And post those pictures on your social media so that more people can get to know this desert even if it’s just in photos.

To learn about another beautiful place near Bogotá, read our post about Chingaza National Park!

Here’s a video about our adventure in the Tatacoita Desert: