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Travel Guide

How to Get to Florian

Posted on June 7, 2019
how to get to florian, ventanas de tisquizoque, what to do, climbing in colombia, jungle

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.

If you’re researching climbing areas in Colombia, we have the perfect list for you here!

How to get to Florian

*Note: the map to get to Florian from Bogotá is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. 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.
  2. 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):

  1. In Bogota, drive north out of the city. Follow directions to Chia.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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!
  7. 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.
  • You can also get more information about Florian and the climbing, by messaging this Facebook page or contact Refugio Munay here!
  • 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.

BUT, if you liked reading about this place, or went and loved it, you might like to know about our favorite climbing area in Colombia: La Mojarra!

Travel Guide

How to get to La Chorrera

Posted on September 5, 2018
how to get to la chorrera, sixth tallest waterfall in Latin America, tallest waterfall in Colombia, el chiflon, choachi, hiking, green, beautiful

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
  5. 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:

  1. In Bogotá, take Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes the Circunvalar.
  2. On the Circunvalar, follow the signs that say Choachi is to the left. That left turn comes right after an Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. Shortly afterwards, there’s a confusing U-turn. Stay on the main paved road, don’t keep going straight.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!
  6. 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.
  7. 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!
  8. 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!

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