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Travel Guide

How to Get to Refugio la Roca

Posted on July 6, 2021
refugio la roca, the rock refuge, where to climb in colombia, climbing, How to get to La Mojarra, Santander

There’s amazing places to climb everywhere, and there are great places to stay everywhere. But the sheer quality of the climbing and lodging at La Mojarra and Refugio la Roca is just something else. We can, without a doubt, say this is our favorite place to climb because of the entire experience. The climbing itself is on orange South American sandstone (more on the climbing later) and the hostel is a wonderful combination of a modern glamping destination for tourists and a simple, down-to-earth place for climbers to stay at a good price. This is how to get to Refugio la Roca!

There’s a new climbing destination being developed close by – click here to read about it!

How to Get to Refugio la Roca

(See a map to get to Refugio la Roca at the end of this post!)

In Public Transportation:

  1. From Bogota: grab a bus from the Transportation Terminal or North Terminal heading to Bucaramanga (aprox. $75,000 COP). Tell the driver you’re getting off at Los Curos (you may want to remind them about 6 or 7 hours into the drive). After you get off, cross the road and wait for a Flota Cachira or La Culona bus going to Los Santos. Tell the driver you’re getting off at Refugio la Roca, and you’ll be there in about an hour! It will be on your left. All these spots are marked on the map below.
  2. From the Airport/Bucaramanga/Piedecuesta: take a taxi to the bus station of Flota Cachira or La Culona in Piedecuesta (marked on the map below). Tell the driver you’re getting off at Refugio la Roca, which will be on your left. The trip takes about an hour and a half.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Refugio la Roca” and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. From Bogota: exit the city going north. After the first toll, take a right at the bridge to go under it. At the next bridge, go over it while staying in the right lanes. Then follow directions to Zipaquira, Ubate, Susa, Barbosa and San Gil. There really is only one main road, so it isn’t too complicated. After going down Pescadero (the canyon), you’ll drive a while and get to Los Curos. Take a left on this narrow road and drive up all the way through the toll, which you don’t pay headed this way, and to Refugio la Roca (don’t go right towards Piedecuesta when given the option). The whole trip takes 8-9 hours and the roundtrip tolls cost $ 110,000 COP in total. There is ample space for parking at Refugio la Roca.
  2. From Piedecuesta: get on the highway exiting the city towards Pescadero and Bogota. When you see a sign to Mesa de los Santos, go right. Stay on the main road. After a while, it will end at another road, where you’ll want to go right. Pass the toll, which you don’t pay this way, and you’ll be at Refugio la Roca on the left in about 40 minutes. There is ample space for parking there.

Refugio la Roca

This hostel is truly a unique place: it welcomes weekend city tourists and climbers, which are two quite different groups. Right on the edge of a cliff is where Refugio la Roca has its most exclusive lodges. Then there’s a variety of other places to stay, all the way to a more communal lodging style, where climbers tend to stay for long climbing trips (prices go from $490,000 pesos COP a night for the incredible lodges to $35,000 for the dorms). Climbers that stay for more than 5 nights, receive a 10% discount!

I’d say there are three things that we enjoy the most about Refugio la Roca (aside from climbing):

  • Food: of course, if a place has good food, we’re going to love it. The kitchen at Refugio la Roca makes some of the best food I’ve had, and at great prices. We’re usually there on a budget for a climbing trip, but that doesn’t stop us from being able to enjoy. Many of their plates are named after classic climbing routes from the park. There’s not much else to say other than to recommend some food: definitely get the chicken sandwich with added bacon, as well as four-cheese pizza on the weekends. If there’s fresh bread, buy all of it (especially the chocolate bread and cheese bread).
  • Beauty: this hostel really blends into the land where it’s located. There are so many trees, you can’t really tell how much there is or what it is from the road below. Most of the lodges are built as part of the cliff or the land, and there are platforms with amazing views where we love to sit and read. There’s something to be said about simplicity, and how it’s created very mindfully, it’s absolutely beautiful.
  • Work: one of the best trips we’ve had to La Mojarra was out of the blue when Bogota shut down due to Covid and work became virtual for 2 weeks. Refugio la Roca has WiFi, so we were able to work without too many issues. When the WiFi wasn’t good, we used data. Signal is best at the crag, though. We worked half the day and would then climb every day after work. If only every day were like that…

The Rock Climbing

This world-class crag is called “La Mojarra.” The rock here is sandstone. It’s mostly vertical climbing, but there are a few parts of the crag with some really gorgeous, steep sections. This doesn’t speak for everything, but the climbing tends to be between ledges, with a variety of moves in between. If I were to compare La Mojarra to any place, it would be the Obed in Tennessee, USA (not the roofs, but definitely the vertical climbing).

One of the best things about climbing at La Mojarra is the sheer amount of climbing. You can get on everything from a 5.8 to a 5.14, and each grade has a ton of climbs to try out (except 5.14 – there’s only one of those, but there are lots of projects). Actually, one thing we recently noticed was the sheer amount of 5-star 5.13a’s. We’ve also had some really enjoyable volume days during which we just climbed 5.10s and 5.11s. It seems like they never end!

The main crag has two entrances – one from Refugio la Roca and the old way from the road. Either way, you get to a “park ranger” hut, where you sign in and out, and the bolted lines begin. From there, you can walk about 30 minutes to the end of the crag, where there’s a via ferrata. If you cross it, there’s even more climbing, although it’s chossier because it’s newer and further away. If you head back towards the Refugio and a little further, you’ll find yet another area (La Reserva) that’s also a little chossier, but very cool. Refugio la Roca usually hosts a competition/festival every January where competitors climb on new routes, so they’re always being developed.

If you’re looking for an amazing place to climb in Colombia, I seriously recommend La Mojarra. The weather is warm, but dry, and it’s quite simply a good time. We’ve gotten to know a lot of great people from all over the world coming to climb here –  it’s part of the awesome experience.

What to Do at Refugio la Roca and Mesa de los Santos (click here)

Some Things to Know

  • There are 8 tolls from Bogota to Refugio la Roca and 8 on the way back – $110,000 COP round trip.
  • If you are driving from Bogota, you should stop just outside of San Gil and try the best chorizos in a restaurant called Doña Eustaquia.
  • The crag is open from 12:00-6:00pm on weekdays and 10:00am to 6:30pm on weekends and holidays. It’s closed on Mondays, but you can climb at La Reserva that day.
  • Climbers get a 10% discount on lodging at Refugio la Roca when staying more than 5 nights.
  • There is an entrance fee of $10,000 Colombian pesos for Rocas la Mojarra, but it’s free if you stay at Refugio la Roca. Other hostels have different deals. A 1-year pass costs $150,000 pesos.
  • All cell phone carriers connect really well at the crag, but the signal for Movistar and Virgin Mobile are best at the hostel.
  • There is a kitchen anyone can use. They also rent kitchen tools!
  • Book here!

Now that you know how to get to Refugio la Roca, let us know how it goes!

Click here to read about the most impressive climbing area in Colombia!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Mangoo Glamping

Posted on March 31, 2021
How to get to Mangoo Glamping

Mangoo Glamping is a quaint little area with lots of tents of different sizes, a pool and land around it for hiking and birdwatching. It’s about 30 minutes from the town of Melgar in what Colombians would call “hot country”… because it’s hot! If you’re looking for warm weather and hours by the pool, this is the place for you. Read on to discover how to get to Mangoo Glamping and what to do while you’re there!

Click here to read about glamping in Colombia!

How to Get to Mangoo Glamping

(See a map to get to Mangoo from Bogotá at the end of this post!)

In Public Transportation:

  1. Grab a bus at Bogota’s Bus terminal (marked on the map below) to Melgar. A one-way trip costs $25,000 to $35,000 Colombian pesos ($8-$10 USD) depending on the quality of the bus.
  2. Once at the bus terminal of Melgar, find the taxis and tell the driver you’re going to Mangoo Glamping in “Vereda Chimbi.” That’s the name of the area.
  3. At Vereda Chimbi, take a left at the intersection where there’s a sign to Mangoo Glamping and a shop called “Tienda La Estrella.” Go until you see another sign and head right. This tiny road will take you to your destination.
  4. A fair price for the taxi ride is $30,000 pesos. They may try to charge more, so the best idea is to settle a price before you get on the taxi. Just tell them the hostel is 5 minutes from the Vereda Chimbi intersection.

In a Car:

With a GPS: look for “Mangoo Glamping.” The problem here is it might take you to a spot right in Melgar. That is wrong. If you can’t find the right Mangoo Glamping, just check use the map below!

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota headed south on Autopista Sur/Carrera 30.
  2. Getting to Melgar is pretty simple. It’s popular enough that there are signs towards Melgar from right outside of Bogotá. Just make sure you follow the signs to Melgar/Girardot the whole way.
  3. Once you’re close, you’ll get the option to head to Melgar (right) or Girardot (left). The town names are written on the road, not a sign, and you’ll want to go right towards Melgar.
  4. Once here, it’s best to use a map. Stay on the main road and cut straight through Melgar. Once you’re on the other side, drive until you see a big entrance to an unpaved road on the right.
  5. Take this road for a few minutes and take a left at the intersection where there’s a sign to Mangoo Glamping and a shop called “Tienda La Estrella.” Go until you see another sign and head right. This tiny road will take you to your destination, where there is ample parking.

What to Do at Mangoo Glamping

Birdwatching

I’ll say it straight away, our favorite activity at Mangoo Glamping was birdwatching. You get to go on a beautiful hike under gorgeous trees all the way to a beautiful creek. Actually, when we got to the creek, it was a raging brown river, but it’s usually tiny – the kind of creek in which you walk barefoot on smooth round stones. You can really see bunches of rare species at Mangoo Glamping and Melgar in general, and the hostel will lend you binoculars to see them well. Of course, we preferred birdwatching through a camera lens because we got to capture those memories! If you haven’t watched our video yet, check it out right above.

Pool Times

Melgar is VERY hot, so you’ll want to be in the pool as much as possible, since it really is the only way to escape the heat. Practices some dives, have a drink and enjoy, because the pool is definitely the main attraction here.

Stargazing

One of the activities the hostel has is stargazing with a high-tech telescope. Sadly, it was cloudy while we were there, but they said the activity is incredible when the sky is even partially clear. It includes a more academic part before the actual gazing, which might not be for everyone. We did learn new things, though, so it was definitely worth it.

Some Things to Know

  • There are three types of tents, from tents for 2 people to family sized tents, ranging in prices from $280,000 to $450,000 pesos, depending on the tent and time of the year. All paid nights include breakfast.
  • The restaurant serves great food with main dishes that cost between $14,000 and $30,000 pesos.
  • Activities like birdwatching and stargazing cost $20,000 pesos per child and $40,000 per adult.
  • There are two tolls from Bogota to Melgar.
  • We would consider Mangoo Glamping a great, unique place to go with your family. It’s the sort of place we would go when we were kids – lots of nature and a pool – but with the added allure of glamping. That being said, we wouldn’t quite recommend it for a romantic getaway, unless you love hot weather.
  • Check them out on instagram here.

If you end up going to Mangoo Glamping, let us know how it went!

To read about an amazing glamping spot for a romantic getaway, click here!

Travel Guide

THIS is Where to Climb in Choachi

Posted on August 29, 2019
where to climb in Choachi, how to get to Valle Escondido, climbing in Colombia, rock climbing close to Bogota, high altitude, hiking, hidden valley

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!

If you’re looking to climb a lot in Colombia, we have a list of areas here!

Where to Climb in Choachi

*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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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:

  1. Starting in Bogota, get on Calle 26 going East (towards the mountains) and follow it until it becomes Av. Circunvalar South.
  2. Going south, turn left where you see a sign towards Choachi. That left turn comes right after the Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Cerro de Guadalupe

Posted on July 28, 2019
how to get to Cerro de Guadalupe, Bogota, monserrate, the road less traveled, guadalupe hill

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. When you get off, a long, steep walk up to the mountain peak and statue awaits you.
  4. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. Headed south, turn left where you see a sign towards Choachi. That left turn comes right after the Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. 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.
  4. Follow this main road towards Choachi until you see a sign pointing to the right towards Cerro de Guadalupe.
  5. 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.

Click here for a list of outdoor adventures close to Bogotá!

What to do at Cerro de Guadalupe

Eat typical Colombian food:

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!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Parque Embalse el Hato

Posted on June 21, 2019
how to get to Parque Embalse el Hato, close to bogota, outdoors, camping

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. 

Find out how to get to the Neusa Dam here!

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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:

  1. In Bogota, exit the city headed north.
  2. Stay on the highway following the signs to Chia. Shortly after a toll, you’ll head right to go under a bridge.
  3. 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.
  4. Stay left to cross the next bridge, following signs to Ubate.
  5. 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.
  6. When you’re right outside of Ubate, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit towards downtown Ubate.
  7. 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.
  8. Go until you cross a bridge, where the road ends, and turn left again.
  9. 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!

If you’re bored of the city, here’s a list of outdoor activities to do close to Bogota!

What to do at Embalse el Hato:

Camp

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!

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