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Travel Guide

How to Get to La Valvanera in Chía

Posted on August 12, 2022
how to get to La Valvanera

If you’re looking for a hike that’s a lot like Monserrate, but not as crowded, the hike to La Valvanera Chapel is the one for you. It’s not in Bogota, but in a town right outside the city called Chía. The hike is easy, but nice and steep at some points. There are also two bike trails, one on a road up to the chapel and a mountain biking trail to get down the mountain. This is how to get to La Valvanera.

Check out the map at the bottom of the post for a visual guide!

How to get to La Valvanera in Chía

In Public Transportation (check out the map because getting around Chia can be a little confusing):

  1. If you’re in Bogota, head to Portal Norte (marked on the map below) and take a Flota Chia almost all the way to the Chia Transportation Terminal. This costs $3,500 Colombian pesos.
  2. Get off right before the terminal at Calle 11 – you can tell the driver and they’ll drop you off there.
  3. Walk on Calle 11 all the way until it ends, staying on its weird turns, and passing a bridge that goes over a small but beautiful creek.
  4. If you’re hiking, go left where Calle 11 ends and take the first road to the right. A little to the right of where this new road ends, after some shops where you can buy some treats, you’ll see a big sign, which is the trailhead for the hike up to La Valvanera Chapel.
  5. If you’re biking, go right where Calle 11 ends and take the first road to the left. If you stay on this road, you’re pretty much on the bike route. So keep going straight when you get to an intersection and you’ll start the climb up. At the first definite Y in the road, take a left, and then take the middle road at the middle intersection, where there’s a sign towards the La Valvanera Chapel. This is the longest and least steep bike route.
  6. There are two steeper bike rides coming from the other side of the Chapel, and doing all of them on the same trip is a great idea! I’ve marked all of them on the map below.

In a car: Enter “Parqueadero MTB Chia Valvanera” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. This is where you can park, and the hike starts by the mountainside where you see a big sign.

To read about another hike literally IN Bogota, click here!

What to do at La Valvanera:

  • Like I said before, you can either bike or hike up to the Chapel. Enjoy some wonderful nature while you work those lungs. The hike is half a kilometer long, or about 0.34 miles. There are actually 3 bike routes, from 1 to 2.7 kilometers long, and the shortest one is STEEP. There’s also a gnarly mountain biking descent route.
  • Have a picnic at the top. You can either take some food and eat on the grass by the Chapel or buy some delicious traditional Colombian food at the restaurant at the top.
  • As long as you’re in Chia, I’d like to recommend two of my favorite restaurants: El Galápago Campestre, for some huge burgers or amazing steaks, and La Magola, for some of the best Colombian bread (pandeyuca and almojabana) and a fermented rice drink called masato.

Some things to know:

Is it safe? Definitely, if you go in the morning, and even more so on the weekends, because you’ll be surrounded by other like-minded hikers and bikers. It can be a little more lonesome in the afternoon, but still safe. At night, it may or not be unsafe, like any place in Colombia, so just go in the morning!

Going up to La Valvanera Chapel is free.

This hike is pet-friendly.

Take really good care of this area. Not that this doesn’t apply to everywhere you go, but the area is actually an indigenous reserve. Don’t risk everyone’s access to this gorgeous spot by littering or being disrespectful.

To see the biking and hiking routes beforehand, I suggest you search for them on Strava. I’ll link you to the most popular bike route, which is the 2 km one, to see distance, altitude, height gained, etc.

Thanks for making it this far! I’d really appreciate it if you watched the YouTube video above to get a feel for the hike. Happy exploring!

Travel Guide

How to get to Quebrada la Vieja

Posted on July 6, 2022
how to get to Quebrada la Vieja

The mountains to the east of Bogota are a unique place right outside the big city. You’re close to the city, but the cool air enters your nose like you’re in the backwoods of who-know-where. All the hikes on Bogota’s mountain range were closed for a few years because they were over-used. Thankfully, they reopened in 2022, although with more restrictions. You have to reserve a spot online and have until about 9:30 am to reach the top of the hike. This all makes for a nicer hike with less crowds. And let me tell you – the amount of people you could find here on a Sunday before the restrictions was CRAZY! Find out how to get to Quebrada la Vieja, make your reservation and more by reading on!

How to get to Quebrada la Vieja:

You can find the map to get to Quebrada la Vieja at the bottom of this post!

Walking:

  1. Get on a Transmilenio to get to the Calle 72 station and walk straight towards the mountains.
  2. On Calle 72, you’ll find the trailhead with a big sign. You’ll still be among the buildings, but on top of a little creek. Follow the trail.
  3. When the trail puts you back on the pavement, keep walking towards the mountain. When you get to the Circunvalar road, or Carrera 2 Este, you have to cross it underneath through a sketchy-looking tunnel. Exit the tunnel and the real trailhead will be right above.
  4. Start hiking and a few minutes in they’ll ask you for your reservation and point you in the right direction. Eventually, tou’ll get to a large clearing. If you continue on the trail towards the left, you can get to a lookout with a statue of a Virgin. If you continue on the trail towards the right and keep going, you can get to a lookout with a cross.

In a car:

To be honest, it’s best to get to Quebrada la Vieja from the Transmilenio or in an Uber.

If Ubering, type in this address and you’re good: Quebrada La Vieja, Cl. 71, Bogotá.

If you do head over in a car:

  1. The closest parking garage is called Park Elite on Calle 72 close to Carrera 7 (I know, that probably means nothing to you, so it’s marked on the map below).
  2. Walk up Calle 72 towards the mountains, eventually walking along a little creek and through a sketchy tunnel. The trailhead will be there right after the tunnel.
  3. Start hiking and a few minutes in they’ll ask you for your reservation and point you in the right direction. Eventually, you’ll get to a large clearing. If you continue on the trail towards the left, you can get to a lookout with a statue of a Virgin. If you continue on the trail towards the right and keep going, you can get to a lookout with a cross.

Is it safe?

During the hours Quebrada la Vieja is open to the public, there are officials spread out across the hike to help make it safe and a police officer at Claro de la Luna. So yes, it is safe!

Watch this video to see Quebrada la Vieja for yourself! It’s hard to believe this is INSIDE Bogotá..

How to make a reservation:

  1. Go to https://gme.acueducto.com.co/visitas/
  2. Click on any of the Quebrada la Vieja options. I recommend La Virgen or Alto de la Cruz because Claro de la Luna is an intermediate option from where you can go left to La Virgen or right towards Alto de la Cruz. The “Paramo” option is a longer hike but is usually not available.
  3. Fill out the information and you’re good to go! You have to show your reservation when you get there.

Some things to know:

  • There is no entrance fee for the Quebrada la Vieja trail.
  • Pets are not allowed on the trail.
  • The trail is open Tuesday to Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 am and Weekends from 6:00 to 11:00 am. It’s not open on Mondays and, if the Monday is a holiday, it won’t be open on Tuesday.
  • The hike to the Virgin is 1.3 km and 1.7 km to the Cross.
  • You’re only allowed to go to one lookout per visit, so if you want to get to know the Virgin and the Cross, you’ll have to go two separate days.
  • If you have any questions, write to me on Instagram!

What to do at Quebrada la Vieja:

Have a breakfast picnic while you gaze at Bogota from above.

Take care of your surroundings: people sometimes damage beauty while they try to enjoy it; please try not to! One of the amazing things about Quebrada la Vieja is how wild it feels even though you’re literally minutes from one of the world’s most populated cities. Let’s keep it that way.

Take pictures of towering eucalyptus and pine trees, the morning sun rays splitting the air, the cold morning air visibly entering and exiting your lungs, and Bogota, much smaller from above.

Interested in getting to know the outdoors close to Bogota? I recommend you check out Choachi and all there is to do around there!
Travel Guide

How to get to the Neusa Dam

Posted on January 2, 2018
how to get to the Neusa Dam, Camping at the Neusa Dam, Reflection on Water, mountains, andes, sunrise

One of the most popular dams close to Bogota is the Neusa dam. Only an hour and a half away from Bogota, this dam makes for a great spot for outdoor activities and is especially well-known for its camping. What’s best about this place is that it’s so dam big that even though it’s a popular spot, it doesn’t feel saturated with people. Here’s how to get to the Neusa Dam and some things you should know about it!

*Bored of the city? Check out this blog post for a list of places to do outdoor activities close to Bogota!

How to get to the Neusa Dam

You can find the map to get to the Neusa Dam at the bottom of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. In Bogota, make your way to the Portal del Norte, which is a bus station in the north of the city (you can plan your route there from your location on Google Maps).
  2. Take a bus to Zipaquira, which will cost about $5,000 COP ($1.70 USD). Once you’re there, ask for a bus that will take you straight to the Neusa Dam. This one costs about $4,000 COP ($1 USD). Both buses, and actually all buses, will have signs attached to their windshields saying where they are headed.
  3. After climbing up the road to the Neusa Dam, the bus will drop you off at the entrance, where there’s a fork in the road to go left or right. To the left about 1 kilometer, you’ll find the Dam’s administration, where you pay, and then one of the camping areas, called “Chapinero,” with 5 camping spots if you keep going. To the right, you’ll find the other camping area, called “Laureles,” with 7 camping spots. The camping to the right is more popular because of the pine forests. We recommend zone 4 of Laureles.

In a Car:

With a GPS: type in “Embalse Neusa Park” on Waze or Google Maps and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bogota, drive north on the Autopista and leave the city. Keep heading north until you reach the first bridge. Don’t go over it. Follow directions to Chia, taking a road to the right, which will then curve to the left, under the bridge.
  2. Stay on this road until the next bridge. Go over this bridge, staying on the right. Continue on this road until you see a Homecenter on your right. Shortly after, you’ll take a right where there’s a sign for Zipaquira and Ubate.
  3. Stay on this road until you get to a bridge. Stay on your left to go over the bridge, which will take you to the right, following the sign to Ubate.
  4. Shortly afterwards, you’ll run into a round-about. Take the second exit. This road is adjacent to the main road, but much quicker. When it runs back into the main road, get on it to the right.
  5. Soon, you’ll see a sign that says “Embalse del Neusa 14km.” There, get on the left and do a U-turn where the road allows it (in Spanish it’s a retorno). The entrance to go up to the Neusa Dam is the first entrance to the right after the U-turn.
  6. From there, just follow the main road and you’ll reach the main entrance of the Neusa Dam!
  7. At the entrance, there’s a fork in the road to go left or right. To the left about 1 kilometer, you’ll find the Dam’s administration, where you pay, and then one of the camping areas, called “Chapinero,” with 5 camping spots if you keep going. To the right, you’ll find the other camping area, called “Laureles,” with 7 camping spots. The camping to the right is more popular because of the pine forests.
  8. Find a picnic, or camping spot and park right next to it!

Click here to read some of our tips on car camping!

Prices

Camping at the Neusa Dam costs $60,000 pesos (15 USD) per person, and you can stay up to 3 nights with this. If you’re camping, you don’t have to pay an additional entrance fee. Don’t throw away your receipt, since park authorities will ask for it every night.

The entrance fee to the park for day-trips costs $6,000 pesos ($1.5 USD) for Colombians and $13,500 pesos ($4 USD) for foreigners.

To see all the prices for everything (cabins, fishing, grill, etc.), go to this link.

Some things to know:

  • Make sure you have cash, especially small bills for buses.
  • The Neusa Dam is open from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm for people going just for the day. Service hours for camping are from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm. The dam is open every day except Monday, or Tuesday if Monday is a holiday, to allow the environment a day to recover from the crowds.
  • This park is pet friendly.
  • If you have a boat or kayak, and a license to use it at the Neusa Dam, which you can get for free at the Ministry of Transport in Bogota, you can use it and go fishing in the dam. Each day of boat-use costs $26,500 COP ($9 USD).
  • The rainiest seasons are April to June and October to November.

What to do at the Neusa Dam:

The challenge: take a bike with you and bike around the dam! There’s a road that goes the whole way around the dam. Whichever way you go (left or right when you get to the dam), you’ll bike along an unpaved road until you enter Tausa, a nearby town, and then make your way to the unpaved road on the other side of the dam to continue your trek and make it back. If you’re up for the challenge of challenges, ride your bike from Bogota, ride around the dam, and then ride back!

Camp: the Neusa Dam is most well-known for its camping. That’s because in a country where there is a tiny amount of infrastructure for outdoor activities, this place is a breath of fresh air. The roads, though unpaved, are easy to drive along, and you don’t have to hike to your camping spot – you can park your car right next to your tent, only 15 meters from the water’s edge. It’s comfortable but still adventuresome, which means it draws crowds.

Pack for comfort: I say this because my brother and I didn’t do it right. We had little food, no fire, no warm place to sit while still outside of the tent, BUT we did have a thermos full of hot coffee. We’re used to camping simply, hours from the car. But we realized you can take a lot of things with you when you’re right next to your car. Take anything you need, such as to make a big fire, two foldable chairs, a guitar, a harmonica, TWO thermoses of hot coffee and lots of food.

Take pictures: especially at dawn. The place is beautiful, but at dawn there’s fog over the water, birds flying around, and the water is so still that everything is almost perfectly reflected.

Another ridiculously beautiful place, where you can also camp, is La Chorrera. This place is a must, since it houses Colombia’s tallest waterfall. It’s also only an hour and a half from Bogota!

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