Choachi is a quaint town in the middle of
the mountains that tower over Bogotá. Only an hour and a half away from the
city, it’s a great place to get away and enjoy a whole lot of outdoors. Though
you can finish touring the town in half a day, the amount of activities to do around
here are more than enough. That includes, rock climbing, bungee jumping,
visiting Colombia’s tallest waterfall and more. This is how to get to Choachi
and what to do there!!
*Note:
the map to get to Choachi from Bogotá is at the end of this post!
In Public Transportation:
Go to Calle 6 with Avenida
Caracas (see on map below) in Bogota
and grab a Transoriente or Cootransfómeque bus. The trip costs $10,500
Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and lasts about an hour and a half. Buses head
out from 5:15 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day.
Just stay on the bus all the
way to the Choachi terminal. If you’re getting off before, make sure you tell
your bus driver where you’re getting off.
Enjoy!
In a Car:
With
a GPS: enter “Choachi” into Google Maps or Waze and
follow the directions.
Without
a GPS:
In Bogota, get on Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and then Avenida Circunvalar headed south.
As you go south, turn left after an Universidad Distrital campus where there’s a sign pointing to Choachi.
After a bit, you’ll get to a sharp U-turn. Do the U-turn staying on the main paved road.
Follow the main road all the way to Choachi. There are no tolls!
This enormous waterfall is so close to Choachi – read more below!
What
to do in Choachi:
Climb
Some Rocks
The climbing close to Choachi is so great – it has so much potential. All you’ll find is sport climbing and some trad, and the routes are long and beautiful. Everything, from the drive in to looking backwards while climbing, is spectacular. You’re in the middle of a Hidden Valley (literally how the place is called), in a semi-alpine setting in the midst of clouds. Definitely worth a visit. Read how to get there here!
Check
out La Chorrera
The park that holds La Chorrera, Colombia’s tallest waterfall, is only about 25 minutes from Choachi. Getting there on a bus involves even more walking, but the entire trail is pretty easy and very rewarding. Somewhere in the middle, you can walk right behind an enormous waterfall called El Chiflón and the trail ends with the grand prize – La Chorrera, a 2,000 foot waterfall. Read our travel guide to this place here!
Bungee
Jumping
There’s a very well-known place to bungee
jump close to Choachi. They’re professional and it’s safe. I marked the place
on the map below, and the phone number on Google Maps is 3112630110!
Hot
Springs
Along one road heading out from Choachi, there
are a number of hotels with hot springs as the main attraction. It’s actually
very, very close to the bungee jumping spot. You can take your pick, but
Termales Santa Monica seems like the quaintest, nicest of the hotels around
there. I marked everything on the map below!
Some
things to know:
There are NO tolls between
Bogotá and Choachi!
People will always refer to
Choachi very broadly. The climbing area is about 30 minutes from town and is
called Valle Escondido (Hidden Valley), but people still just call it Choachi.
Make sure you take cash, because
few places will take credit or debit.
Now that you know how to get to Choachi,
what are you waiting for!? Go explore some.
We’d love to interact with you on social media! Check us out on Instagram and Facebook!
It’s amazing how many epic places there are close to Bogota. I guess that’s what you get when you put a city in the middle of the mountains. When you drive through Bogota’s eastern mountain range, the landscape is absolutely striking! The area is home to one of the tallest waterfalls in the world and, much less known, some of Colombia’s most beautiful climbing areas with the most potential. Something cool about it is that they’re at a really high altitude – about 3,100 meters or 10,000 feet. This is where to climb in Choachi and how to get there!
*Note: the map to get to these areas from Bogotá is at the end of this post!
I recommend visiting these areas with a local on your first time because, I’ll be honest, getting to the climbing can be hard – the paths aren’t obvious at all. There also aren’t any great guide books.
Valle Escondido
The climbing at Valle Escondido (Hidden Valley) is amazing – long routes with overhangs, cracks and a gorgeous backdrop to boot. You can do sport or trad climbing, and a lot of routes are mixed. Since it’s a relatively new area, most climbs are pretty difficult, starting at 5.11 and going up to project-level difficulty. There are a few 5.10s, though. The potential here is outstanding, and there are climbs going up all the time! Please don’t leave trash, be a good citizen and pay your fee so the place doesn’t get closed off to us!
Agua Dulce
This is a newer, smaller area that’s really close to the road. All the climbing is sport, and there aren’t many routes. However, the climbs are absolutely gorgeous and the area isn’t as cold as Valle Escondido. It’s known for long, crimpy vertical routes with cruxes at the top. It’s honestly become one of our favorite climbing areas!
El Rinconcito
This is the newest, smallest climbing areas. If you’re wondering where to climb in Choachi, I’d recommend this one, especially from December to March, which are the dry seasons. The climbs are astounding, with a great variety of types of sport routes – and a ton of HARD climbing (13+). That I know, of there’s only one 5.10. Plus, the hike to get here and the scenery all day is gorgeous.
How to Get There
In Public Transportation:
Take a Transoriente or Cootransfómeque bus from Bogota. You can grab them on Calle 6 with Avenida Caracas (see on map below). The trip costs about $10,000 Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and lasts about an hour. You can grab the buses between 5:15 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. every day.
For Valle Escondido, tell the driver you’ll be getting off at Valle Escondido or Cafe de los Gatos. After a while on the winding road, you’ll get to a spot where there are cliffs around you. About 30 seconds after you pass a bridge with road bumps before and after it, the entrance will be to your right with a small house and a trail leading up into the mountain. Take the trail up and down to the owner’s house to pay the entrance fee.
For Agua Dulce, tell the driver you’ll be getting off at Cabaña Cuatro Elementos. You pay the entrance fee right in front at a small house, and then take a short hike up to the rocks.
For El Rinconcito, tell the driver you’ll be getting of at Kilometer 11, where you’ll see a U-turn to the right. Walk on the dirt road until you see an obvious hiking path towards the right. Get on it and after that, I hope you’re with a local climber because the path is hard to describe in a blog post!
In a Car:
With a GPS: you can enter “Choachi, Valle Escondido” or “Agua Dulce Climb Zone” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. For El Rinconcito, check out my map below or go with a local climber!
Without
a GPS:
Starting in Bogota, get on Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes Av. Circunvalar South.
Going south, turn left where you see a sign towards Choachi. That left turn comes right after the Universidad Distrital campus.
Not long afterwards, you’ll get to a sharp U-turn. Do the U-turn to stay on the main paved road instead of going straight into some bad neighborhoods.
For Valle Escondido, you’ll eventually pass a bridge with road bumps before and after it. The entrance will be to your right with a small house and a trail leading up into the mountain. Park on either side of the road and take the trail up and down to the owner’s house to pay the entrance fee.
For Agua Dulce, drive a little further down from Valle Escondido to Cabaña Cuatro Elementos. You pay the entrance fee at a small house, where you can also park (its on the map). Then take a short hike up to the rocks.
For El Rinconcito, drive to Kilometer 11, where you’ll see a U-turn to the right. Take the dirt road until you see an obvious hiking path towards the right. You can park a little further on at a woman’s house, for about $6,000 pesos. Walk back to the path and after that, I hope you’re with a local climber because the path is hard to describe in a blog post!
More things to do around Choachi:
Go
to La Chorrera
You can see Colombia’s tallest waterfall only about 10 minutes down the road going towards Choachi. It’s also the 6th tallest in South America and the 60th tallest in the WORLD! Ok, enough bragging about my country. If you want to check it out, read this blog post about the place, it’s totally worth a visit!
Hike
There are tons of trails here, but, as most
in Colombia, they aren’t official at all! They have no signage, and I have no
idea where they may lead, but they’re there! If you’re looking for a great
place to hike, this is definitely it. You can ask Don Sinai for tips or just go
and start walking. The area is beautiful!
Take
Photos
Like I’ve said already, Valle Escondido is
striking. To change it up, I’d describe it as eye-catching, impressive,
memorable and stunning. So yea, definitely take a camera.
Some
things to know:
Choachi is a town that’s very close to the climbing areas. People (and I) will very often refer to the climbing areas as Choachi, but the places actually have their own names.
Pack your trash out… take it back to Bogota! This way we make sure access doesn’t get denied to us!
The fee for Valle Escondido is $7,000 pesos per person, and I think this applies even if you’re only going to hike around. Parking costs about $5,000 per car down at Lucas’ house.
The fee for Agua Dulce is $6,000 pesos per person and 10,000 for parking.
The parking fee for El Rinconcito is $6,000 pesos and entering the climbing area is free, for now.
The best climbing guide is pictures local climbers have taken, so network a little and find yourself some obscure guides.
You’d do well to have a 70 meter rope and about 22 draws to climb without worries.
There are NO tolls between Bogota and any of the climbing!
Well, hopefully this shed some light as to where to climb in Choachi and how to get to Valle Escondido, Agua Dulce and El Rinconcito! Enjoy!
If you’re looking for places to hike, camp and enjoy the outdoors close to Bogota, read this blog post here!
Have you heard of Monserrate? It’s a church
on top of the mountains that overlook Bogota. EVERYONE goes there. And you
should too! But if you’ve been there, I’m sure you’ve seen the enormous statue
on the mountain peak across from Monserrate. This place is called Cerro de Guadalupe
(Guadalupe Hill) or Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Parish of our
Lady of Guadalupe). It has a road all the way to the top and, in my opinion,
has a better view of the entire city of Bogota! To use a cliché, this place is
the road less traveled. If you want to get to know a place not even very many
Colombians know, this is definitely the spot. This is how to get to Cerro de
Guadalupe!
How to get to Cerro de Guadalupe
*The
map to get to Cerro de Guadalupe 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 the map below). The trip should cost less than $10,000
Colombian pesos ($3.5 dollars) and last about 45 minutes. 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 Cerro de Guadalupe (“la entrada al Cerro de Guadalupe,”
in Spanish). Be looking for signs on the road anyway because the driver may
forget.
When you get off, a long, steep
walk up to the mountain peak and statue awaits you.
If you’re going on a Sunday,
which is when the place gets really crowded for catholic mass, you can take a
bus all the way up for $2,000 pesos. Grab the bus at Carrera 10 with Calle 6 (I
marked it on the map below).
In a Car:
With
a GPS: enter “Cerro de Guadalupe” in Google Maps or
Waze and follow the instructions. I recommend using a map because getting out
of downtown Bogota can be confusing!
Without
a GPS:
In Bogota, get on Calle 26 East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes the Av. Circunvalar. The Circunvalar is a road that snakes along the outer edge of Bogota by the mountains.
Headed south, turn left where you see a sign towards Choachi. That left turn comes right after the Universidad Distrital campus.
After a few minutes, there will be a sharp U-turn. Do the U-turn to stay on the main paved road instead of continuing straight.
Follow this main road towards Choachi until you see a sign pointing to the right towards Cerro de Guadalupe.
Drive up the very steep road all the way to an informal parking lot, and then walk the remainder of the way through some restaurants and up to the statue and parish.
Don’t expect an all-out restaurant up here.
What you can expect is a bunch of different stands that sell a huge variety of
typical Colombian food. I’ll give you a list of things you can ask for: arepa,
almojabana, hen (I know, that’s a little weird), agua de panela, pony malta and
tomato chips. The list could go on, but with this, you’ll at least get a good
taste of all my favorite typical treats (except hen – I included it because
it’s different and worth trying).
Bike:
Yes, I did say the road up to the Statue is
extremely steep. I also did just say you should bike up here. So many
Colombians are so good at biking, that hundreds of people bike up to Cerro de
Guadalupe every weekend to do some exercise, get a good view and, if they’re
about it, go to church. If you’re a really good cyclist, I encourage you to try
it out and understand why Colombians do so well in mountain stages in cycling
races like the Tour de France.
Take
pictures:
Like I said, I think Cerro de Guadalupe has
a better view of the entire city of Bogota than Monserrate. That being said,
it’s hard not to take out a camera and start snapping shots. Panoramic shots
are amazing, as you can capture entire cumulus cloud filtering rays of light
onto the city. A portrait shoot up here would be great too, actually!
Some
things to know:
Security at Cerro de Guadalupe
used to be a concern, but not so much anymore. Still, the place can be lonely,
so be wise, don’t show off expensive things and be wary of suspicious people.
Make sure you take cash,
especially small bills to pay buses and shops/services that can’t take your
card (most places).
The bus ride from Calle 6 with
Avenida Caracas will cost less than $10,000 pesos or $3.5 dollars per person.
On Sundays, the ride from Carrera 10 with Calle 6 costs $2,000 pesos, or 65
cents.
The road up to the Statue and
parish is VERY steep.
Sundays are very crowded for
mass at 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 noon. On the first Sunday of each
month, mass is at 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
Number of tolls between Bogota
and Cerro de Guadalupe: none!
I hope this blog post helped you learn how
to get to Cerro Guadalupe, or Guadalupe Hill!
Colombia’s tallest waterfall is further down the road, passing Cerro de Guadalupe towards Choachi. Read about La Chorrera here!
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.
*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!
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!
Kalymnos in Colombia. It has a nice ring to
it. Florian is a small town in Santander, Colombia. 3 kilometers into the
jungle is an enormous cave with a river flowing through it (it really rushes
during the rainy season) and some stellar climbing inside of it. Though there’s
only 1 cave with rock climbing, this place is known for its many caves carved into
the side of the mountain. That’s why it’s called the Ventanas de Tisquizoque (Tisquizoque
Windows). People come here just to camp, hike and climb. There’s also a number
of other climbing areas further down the mountain, but of course the cave is
the main attraction. You climb on some great limestone, stalactites and the
weirdest-shaped holds. The place is worth a visit, it’s kind of mind blowing!
This is how to get to Florian and the Tisquizoque Windows.
*Note:
the map to get to Florian from Bogotá is at the end of this post!
In Public Transportation:
Go to Bogota’s main Bus
Terminal or Northern Terminal and take a bus to Puente Nacional. One of the
companies that offers the trip is “Reina.” If you’re not in Bogota, any main
city will offer bus rides here or close to it.
Once you’re in Puente Nacional,
you’ll take a bus or car that will drop you off in Florian. They leave Puente
Nacional from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. every 2 hours (but don’t count on them being
punctual). They can drop you off at Florian or at the hostel on the way, which
I’ll talk more about later.
In a Car:
With a GPS: enter “Florian, Santander” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. Make sure your map sends you through Puente Nacional (as in the map below). There’s a shorter way, but it’s a terrible road.
Without
a GPS (I really recommend having a GPS or a map to look at):
In Bogota, drive north out of
the city. Follow directions to Chia.
After passing a big university
on your left, stay right on the bridge right before entering Chia. After to see
a Homecenter on your right, go right where there’s a sign towards Zipaquira and
Ubate.
Keep driving until you get to
yet another bridge. Stay left and get on the bridge, which will take you to the
right, following the sign to Ubate.
Soon, you’ll get to a
round-about. Take the second exit. It will end eventually, connecting to
another road. Stay on this road, following signs towards Chiquinquira and
Puente Nacional.
Next, you have to go through
Puente Nacional’s main plaza and head to the tiny town of Jesus Maria. From
there, you turn at a really random left turn (marked on the map below) and it’s
a straight shot to Florian on a mostly unpaved road.
Again, I really recommend
having a GPS because after Puente Nacional because there are barely any signs
to help you get to your destination. What’s amazing is that Google has street
view all the way to Florian!
If you’re headed to the climber
hostel, its 4 km before Florian when you see a red house on your right and a
white one on your left.
If you’re looking places to hike, camp and enjoy the outdoors close to Bogota, read this blog post here!
Where
to Stay
The best place to stay while you’re here is Refugio Munay, although there are some hostels in Florian. Refugio Munay was built very recently by climbers we know, for all kinds of travelers. There are some rooms with beds, but most people will be camping. The camping facilities have community bathrooms and a kitchen. Most importantly, the place is gorgeous. You camp in the middle of the mountains. This place is only 4 kilometers from Florian as you follow the instructions above!
What
to do at Florian:
Climb
Obviously! The only reason you’re reading this is probably because you’re a climber! Anyway, the climbing here is all limestone, and everything used to be quite hard. Now that there’s been more development, there are more easy climbs, ranging from 5.9 to 5.14a. The climbing style here tends to be very overhung, pumpy and physical, especially in the cave. The newer zones are outside, on the side of the mountain, and are more vertical. There are a number of different areas, but the most popular is the large cave. Here’s a list of the zones:
El portón : 14 climbs from 5.10a – 5.13a
La guaca: 13 climbs from 5.11c -5.13b
La cueva del indio: 7 climbs from 5.11b – to projects.
Bike
Mountain biking around here, whether on the
unpaved roads between tiny towns or on mountain trails, is spectacular. The
views are gorgeous and the air is fresh and alpine-ish (Florian is 1800 meters,
or 5,900 feet above sea level).
Waterfall
Hopping
If you’re only here for the climbing,
you’ll still get to see enough waterfalls. But if you’re into hiking and visiting
beautiful spots, there are definitely enough waterfalls to visit. Get some
exercise, have a picnic, and enjoy. Ask around at your hostels or around town
for trails and waterfalls worth visiting!
Take
Photos
Florian and its surroundings are extremely
photogenic. It doesn’t take much to get some great shots!
Go
Pond Hopping
Where there are waterfalls, there are
ponds. Two great ponds for a nice swim are Charco Paila and Charco Azul. Even better,
getting to them involves some pretty nice hikes. Ask around at the links I
included right below to find out how to get there! Or you can just get the info
or a guide while you’re there.
Some
things to know:
One of Florian’s main men is named Miguel Angel Garcia, and this place is his baby. You can contact him if you’re thinking of heading to climb or do some tourism. His phone number is 3118709992.
There are various climbing areas in Florian that are owned by individuals. Because of that, there are rules in some places, such as leaving before 6 pm, etc. Before you head over, talk to someone who knows the place to get your do’s and don’ts.
The road to Florian is mostly unpaved, but pretty much any car can make it when it’s dry. It’ll just be very bumpy. You can call Miguel Angel or Refugio Munay to ask about the road conditions.
So why go to Kalymnos now that you know how
to get to Florian?! Ok, don’t answer that.
