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outdoor adventures close to bogota

Travel Guide

How to Get to Choachi

Posted on September 5, 2019

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!!

If you’re looking for more outdoorsy things to do close to Bogota, read here!

How to get to Choachi

*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.

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Travel Guide

How to Get to Cerro de Guadalupe

Posted on July 28, 2019

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.

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 Lake Guatavita

Posted on October 4, 2018

Guatavita is a gorgeous town with two well-known bodies of water: the Tominé Dam (Embalse de Tominé), which is right next to the town, and Lake Guatavita (Laguna de Guatavita), which is about 20 minutes away. Lake Guatavita, the topic of this blog post, used to be the central part of an indigenous ritual that occurred when a new Chieftain (Cacique) was put in place. The natives would throw gold statues in the water, making it the site of the El Dorado legend. Because of that, the lake has been a point of interest since olden times, but is now visited because it’s beautiful and has a rich history. This is how to get to Lake Guatavita!

You might also be interested in “How to get to Suesca,” an adventurous town close to Guatavita.

How to get to Lake Guatavita

*The map to get to Lake Guatavita from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

Starting in Bogota, take a bus to Guatavita. You can hop on at the Portal Norte, which is Bogota‘s North Bus Terminal. It costs $9,000 pesos ($3 USD).
Tell the bus driver you’re getting off at the entrance to Lake Guatavita (but don’t say Lake Guatavita, say La Laguna de Guatavita!). Stay attentive to where you are and you’ll see a sign on your left that points towards the lake after you pass Sesquile.
From there, there are 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) to the park, and you have three options: (1) walk, which could take about 2 hours, (2) pay for private transportation, which costs around $60,000 pesos ($20 USD), or (3) start walking and try to hitch-hike your way there.
When you get to the park and pay the entrance fee, which is $12,000 pesos ($4 USD) for Colombians and $17,000 pesos ($6 USD) for foreigners, the guides will wait until there is a big enough group for the 20 minute guided hike to Lake Guatavita.
To get back, you can take a bus where the bus dropped you off before in the opposite direction. Another option is to take the same bus to Guatavita, get to know the town and then take a bus straight to Bogota from there.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Lake Guatavita” in Google Maps or Waze and follow the instructions.

Without a GPS:

Exit the city going north and stay on the road to Tunja, not the road to Chia.
Shortly after passing the second toll from Bogota, you’ll see a sign that says Guatavita and Suesca are to the right. Turn right after the bridge and you’ll get to a round-about. Enter the roundabout and take the following exit following the signs to Guatavita. Stay right.
At the following intersection, turn right to get on the road to Guatavita. Stay on the main road to pass through Sesquile.
Soon, you’ll see the road to Lake Guatavita on your left. Stay on that road all the way to the park entrace, following the signs to the Lake.
Once you get to the park, park your car and pay the entrance fee, which is $12,000 pesos ($4 USD) for Colombians and $17,000 pesos ($6 USD) for foreigners, the guides will wait until there is a big enough group for the 20 minute guided hike to Lake Guatavita.

What to do at Lake Guatavita

Take pictures: Lake Guatavita is one of the most beautiful, unique places close to Bogota. The lakes and all of the landscape around it are too picturesque. You just have to take pictures to remember the place.

Go to Guatavita and the Tominé Dam: Guatavita and the Tominé Dam are also gorgeous and totally worth visiting. The dam is right next to the town and both are just 20 minutes from Lake Guatavita.

Go to Sopó: a great plan for after the day’s adventure is to visit Sopó and eat at Alpina or, if you want some more adventure, you can go to Pionono Park on the mountain right next to Sopó. Click here to read more about this town and park!

Some things to know:

– Make sure you take cash to pay for all of the products and services that don’t take cards (almost everything).

– There are 2 tolls from Bogota to Lake Guatavita and 1 on the way back.

– The park’s schedule is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except the first day of each month.

– The entrance fee to the park is $12,000 pesos ($4 USD) for Colombians and $17,000 pesos ($6 USD) for foreigners.

– The bus to Guatavita costs $9,000 pesos ($3 USD).

– The lake is 3,100 meters (10,170 feet) above sea level.

– Rainy seasons are between April and June and October and November.

I hope this helped you learn how to get to Lake Guatavita, a great place for an outdoor adventure with a history lesson!

Another great place to eat and ride your bike is the Sisga Dam. Click here to learn more about this spot!

Travel Guide

How to get to Macheta

Posted on August 9, 2018

Only 2 hours from Bogota, this little town has a lot to offer, as much for people who want to spend a fun day outside of the city as for visitors staying multiple days. With hot springs, hikes, five-star climbing and more, there is just too much to do. Plus, it’s really easy to get to! This is how to get to Macheta.

For a list of places for outdoor activities close to Bogota, read this blog post!

How to get to Macheta

*The map to get to Macheta from Bogota is at the end of this travel guide!

In Public Transportation:

In Bogota, go to the North Bus Terminal (indicated in the map), which is on Calle 192 on the Autopista Norte (North Highway).
There, take a bus that takes the Macheta-Guateque route. The companies that offer that service are Valle de Tenza or la Macarena. This bus passes by Macheta and goes on to Guateque.
After about 2 hours, get off at Macheta or wherever you are going (make sure to tell the bus driver where you’ll be getting off) and enjoy!

In a car:

With a GPS: enter “Machetá, Cundinamarca” in Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

From Bogota, leave the city headed north on the Autopista, which is the main highway. Stay on the main road towards Tunja, not towards Chia and Zipaquira. You will pass 2 tolls and the entreances to Suesca and Guatavita.
After a long descent, you will cross the bridge of the Sisga Dam (where you can get off to check out the view).
Shortly after the bridge, on the main road, you will see a sign that directs you to the right towards Guateque. Take that right turn and then take the first exit on the round-about straight ahead.
On this road, you will be straight on your way to the hot springs, the lagoons, the climbing and, finally, Macheta.

What to do in Macheta:

Climb: the climbing in Macheta is amazing. For now, all the climbing here is sport or trad. There are two areas where you can climb:

Machetá Viejo:

This area is known for its overhangs and high grades (up to 5.14). To get there, check out ‘how to get to Macheta above you have to pass the town and get to the Rocas del Paraiso Hostel, which is 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from Macheta. When you see the sign that says “Rocas del Paraiso” on the main road, you’ll have to go up a path in your car or on foot to get to the hostel. You can park there (for $10,000 pesos or about $3 USD for a full day) and then you have to walk between 15 and 30 minutes up to the cliff. The hike begins behind the hostel.

Salón de la Justicia:

This area is known for its technicity, since the hike up is long and extremely steep and the routes are long (up to 40 meters or 130 feet) and vertical. There are also a lot of trad routes. It is recommended to take a full rack with repeats, 26 draws and a 70 meter or longer rope. There is a guide book for this area, which you can purchase in the Monodedo store in Bogota or in Suesca.

Hot Springs: its hot springs are probably the most well-known tourist atraction in the Macheta area. They are places to relax and spend time with family, or to recover from a day of hard climbing, although they can get very crowded. There are three hotels/hostels/restaurants where you can enjoy the hot springs: Termales Los Volcanes and Termales Nápoles (termales means hot springs), which are before Macheta, and Paraiso Termal, which is 12.7 km or 7.9 miles from Machetá towards Guateque .

Hike to Laguna el Cerro: this hike ends at a beautiful lake with some of the best views, that is not too far from civilization. You can start in Macheta and end in another town called Manta, or viceversa, or start in one town and turn back the way you went. It is a 30 km or 19 mile hike, during which you gain 900 meters or almost 3,000 feet to get to the lake. Here’s a map of the hike; use it at your own peril. For long and not well-known hikes like this, it’s usually better to hire a local guide to not get lost. But a lot of people prefer to hike solo or without a guide, so here’s the map for you!

Guasca and Carrilera Music Festival: this festival is one of Macheta’s more popular atractions, where people get together to celebrate Guasca and Carrilera music, which are traditional in Colombia. It happens between May and June, without a specific fixed date. Look for the date on Google starting in April!

Some Things to Know:

The roads around Macheta are really beat up because they are undergoing maintenance… and have been for years. Be careful driving along this road, especially at night.
Parking at the Rocas del Paraiso hostel costs $10,000 pesos or about $3 dollars.
It is recommended to take a full rack with repeats, 26 draws and a 70 meter or longer rope to climb at Salón de la Justicia.
In this area, which includes Choconta and Macheta, there is a huge variety of hikes, many of which end at the hot springs close to Choconta and Macheta. The best way to get information about these hikes is to ask around at the tourism centers of these towns’ mayor’s offices or looking for tourism companies that plan hikes in the area.

I hope you go enjoy the activities the area offers now that you know how to get to Macheta. Real close to Macheta is the Sisga Dam. Read about how to get there and what to do!

Tips

Basic Tips for Car Camping

Posted on June 22, 2018

Given all our blog posts, we’ve seen that you guys like camping. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to help you out with a blog post with basic tips for car camping! Some awesome places to car camp in Colombia are the Black Lagoon and, the best of all, the Neusa Dam. Car camping doesn’t mean sleeping in your car, it just means you have your car near you as you camp, which makes it so that you can take pretty much anything you want to go camp. That’s very, very different to camping in the wilderness, on long hikes, where you usually try to take as little as you can – the bare necessities. Without further ado, these are the basic tips for car camping.

*If you’d like to read how to get to the Neusa Dam, my favorite place for car camping in Colombia, check out this blog on how to get to the Neusa Dam and what to do there!

Basic Tips for Car Camping

The Tent

The truth is, you can take any type of tent to car camp, just because you have your car. For that reason, the issue isn’t getting the smallest possible tent. Instead, it will depend on the number of people you’ll usually be camping with, the quality of the tent and the price. Here are some recommendations regarding tents:

Get a tent made for 1 or 2 more people than you’ll usually be camping with. This is for two reasons: first, more friends might decide to go with you, and the more the merrier. Second, having more space makes everything more comfortable. Everyone has more space to move and you have space to put backpacks, books, flashlights, food and whatever else you want in your tent. True, you don’t need a lot of things in you tent with the car so near to you, but it’s nice to have the option not to have to leave your tent if it’s rainy or cold outside.
Tents are classified by seasons. A 2 season tent is made for good weather and usually has ventilation openings that can’t be closed if it rains. 3 season tents are made to withstand stronger rain and wind. And 4 season tents are made to withstand even snow. So it’s up to you to decide where you’re mostly going to be camping and get your tent based on that. If you’ll be camping everywhere, get yourself a 4 season tent so that you’ll be good wherever you go! If a tent doesn’t specify its season classification, at least make sure its water-proof.

How to Know if its Water-Proof

Even if a tent says it’s water-proof, that doesn’t mean it’s great, and if it’s both water-proof and cheap, the tent isn’t going to be very water-proof. If the brand is well-known, such as The North Face, Hilleberg, REI, MSR or Coleman, the tent will be good. And if the tent comes with a rain-fly, which is a water-proof canvas that goes on top of the tent and must be taut for it not to touch the tent’s body, and a groundsheet or footprint, which goes between the ground and the tent floor to keep humidity out, that tent will be more water-proof.

How to Set Up the Tent:

The way to set up the tent changes depends on the tent, but there are some things that everyone can do to be more comfortable, regardless of the tent. First, camp on the flattest ground you can find to sleep well and so that you don’t roll over and accidentally touch the tent walls, letting water in. Second, camp a ways off from the nearest water source. Some would say up to 150 feet (50 meters) away so that you’re safe from flash floods and don’t contaminate the water in any way. Third, don’t place the tent entrance facing the wind because it could get really cold. Although, if you’re being annoyed by mosquitoes, putting the entrance facing the wind will keep them out.

Our Favorite Place to Car Camp Yet!

If you’re itching to get outside, read this post on outdoor adventures close to Bogota!

Sleeping Bags

Sleeping bags are usually rated by temperatures: 35°F and higher (2°C and higher), 35 to 10°F (2° to -12°C) and 10°F and lower (12°C and lower). This means sleeping bags are made to warm you are those temperatures, although it varies per person and brand.

Get your sleeping bag based on the temperatures you’ll mostly be camping in. If you’ll probably going to be camping in deserts, get a 35°F and higher (2°C and higher) sleeping bad, but if you’ll be camping in the snow a lot, you’ll definitely want to get a 10°F and lower (12°C and lower) sleeping bag.

One great option for couples that are car-camping is to get a 2 person sleeping bag. While hiking and backpacking, it would never make sense to have one. But with a car to carry all your things, it’s a luxury you can definitely afford.

Sleeping Pad

Sleeping pads are really important for camping, but they’re not only for comfort. Sleeping pads’ main function is to keep the ground from sucking all the warmth from your body. You can get inflatable pads or closed-cell foam pads.

Take any kind of sleeping pad when you’re car camping because you have the space in your car; you might even be able to take any old one you have at home. But if you’re about to buy a sleeping pad, it’s important to think of what you’ll mostly be using it for. If you’ll be car camping a lot, by all means, buy a big and comfortable pad. If you’ll only be car camping every once in a while, but will backpack a lot, it’s better to get a small, inflatable sleeping pad. Some good brands are Neo Equipment, Therm-A-Rest and, as always, Coleman.

Pillow

It makes no sense to carry a pillow when you’re backpacking because they’re so bulky, unless you were to find a small inflatable one. But when car camping, I recommend taking one with you to sleep as well as you can, since you have the car to carry it for you!

To Build a Fire

Of course, the most important thing to have is a lighter or some matches. Then there’s also the wood. You can buy as much wood as you want, since you have the car with you, or you can scavenge for it at your campsite. Scavenging for it feels much more adventuresome. If you’re buying wood, try to do so close to your campsite to help the locals out. Helping out where you can is cool.

This is the best way to start a fire:

Put kindling, such as dry leaves, in the middle of where you’re about to start the fire.
Put sticks and bigger and bigger wood around the kindling in a teepee (or cone) shape, with the point facing up. Heat rises, so this teepee shape will make sure the heat efficiently lights the bigger wood.
Put a flame to the kindling in the middle from the bottom for it all to burn, blowing softly to motivate the flames.
Watch how your fire starts, adding small sticks and maybe even some more kindling if the fire needs some help.

I hope this helps you figure out how to build a fire. The best way to learn is to get outdoors, try, fail, try and learn! Make sure you don’t light a fire under a tree!

Foldable Chairs or a Blanket

When you’re camping, staying outside at night is the best because of the stars, the sounds of the night and sitting by the fire. The first two times I went car camping, I had to sit on the ground outside and my butt was extremely cold the entire time. So something important is to take foldable chairs or a blanket to sit on at night.

Food

The first question to ask yourself is: do you want warm or cold food? Then you just buy it and go camping!

If you’ll only be out one night, I recommend just taking cold food or food you can toast over your fire (for example, a sausage cooked on a stick). Personally, I also recommend you take a big thermos of a hot beverage, coffee for me, because nothing feels better than a hot drink on a cold night or morning.

If you decide to cook or will stay more than a night, in which case you’ll probably want some hot food, get a Coleman stove. They can be bulky, but it doesn’t matter because you’ll be car camping!

Leave no Trace

Everything you take camping should leave with you, even the toilet paper you use to wipe your butt.

Music

This is a sensitive subject, and a lot of people will probably scold me for including music on this list, but a lot of people need their music! It’s a sensitive subject because a lot of people prefer only hearing the sounds of nature while camping and others can be very disrespectful with their music. In my opinion, there should be no problem as long as the person with music is respectful, keeping it at a reasonable volume.

So yes, I recommend taking a speaker on your car camping trip or, even better, a guitar or a friend with a guitar if you don’t play.

And that, plus all of the things on this list, will help you have an amazing time while car camping. I hope these basic tips for car camping helped!

Click here to read about another gorgeous dam, how to get there and what to do!

Travel Guide

How to get to the Laguna Verde de Tausa

Posted on April 9, 2018

Lala and I had a blast with 3 other couples at the Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon in English). We called the trip a quadruple date. It was awesome. Now, the Laguna Verde is an aquifer that actually creates the river that feeds the Neusa Dam! When I was camping at the Neusa Dam, I felt very deep in nature even though I was still close to civilization, so you can just imagine how wild the Laguna Verde feels. You get see thousands of frailejones (probably my favorite plant) and other alpine plants and a beautiful, pristine lake on a trail that, though it isn’t well known or highly hiked, is really well preserved. We met the guy who owns the property – a ginormous property that includes the lake. He keeps the trail preserved and is really cool about letting people in. He didn’t charge us anything! And he gave us his phone number, so you can call him before going, just for him to know. I totally recommend you go to this wonderful, off-the-beaten-track spot! This is how to get to the Laguna Verde de Tausa (Tausa is the closest town).

Misiades Salazar’s (the owner) phone number: (571) 312 4938840

How to get to the Laguna Verde de Tausa

*The map to get to the Laguna Verde from Bogota is at the bottom of this post!

In a car

With a GPS (highly recommended): type in “Laguna Verde Tausa” in Waze or Google Maps. Make sure you picked the one in Tausa, Cundinamarca, Colombia and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

*Some tips before you read: (1) this will all make more sense if you can see it, and Google Maps has Street View all the way to step 8, so use it to get your bearings, and (2) you’re probably going to have to ask locals for directions as you go, so brush up on your Spanish!

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.
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.
Stay on this road until you get to yet another bridge. Stay on your left to go over the bridge, which will take you to the right, following the sign to Ubate.
Shortly afterwards, you’ll run into a round-about. Take the third exit, staying on the main road.
From here on out, having a GPS is best because you’re going to take a left on a corner where you’ll see two stores named ‘Viejo Mao’ and ‘Alejo 2.’ There are no signs to Cogua or the Laguna Verde.
Stay on this main road, and you’ll get to Cogua. Where the road seems to end, take a right and then immediately take the next left. Then, still in Cogua, stay left where three roads intersect.
Soon enough, you’ll get to an obvious fork in the road. Go left. If you take a right, you’ll see a sign that says LA PAZUELA 2, and you’ve gone the wrong way. Stay on the road to the left.
After you pass the Rio Borracho (Drunk River), take a right on a downward sloping dirt road to the right. Drive down to a house at a small intersection before the beginning of the trail and park there. The house is at the very bottom, where everywhere else you go is up.
Walk to a fork in the road. To the left, it goes up, and to the right, it goes down. Take the road to the left, go through a gate, and begin the hike! It’ll last about an hour.

On public transportation

You can get on a bus that says ‘San Cayetano’ at Bogota’s Bus Terminal (Terminal de Transporte) or at the North Bus Terminal (Terminal Satélite Del Norte).
Take this bus for a while, passing Cogua. Tell the bus driver you’re getting off at the entrance after the Drunk River to go to the Laguna Verde. He probably won’t know English, so say: “Voy para la entrada a la Laguna Verde después del Rio Borracho.” Good luck!
You’ll be dropped off at a downward sloping dirt road to the right. Walk a good 15-20 minutes to the beginning of the trail, following the main road.
You’ll get to a fork in the road. To the left, it goes up, and to the right, it goes down. Take the road to the left, go through a gate, and begin the hike! It’ll last about an hour.

Check out our video!

What to do at the Laguna Verde:

Camp: the friend we made, the man who owns the property that includes the Laguna Verde told us to give him a call if we ever want to camp, for two reasons. First, just to let him know so he can make sure everything is good and second, because he offered to rent us a small house there is on the property. The house is in really bad conditions, though, so I would just camp outdoors… right next to the lake. Much better, huh?

Breathe fresh air: I only mention this because I think it’s important to do it consciously!

Have a long picnic: there’s a few really nice spots quite close to the lake to have a picnic and enjoy the view for a good long time. Bring your choice of food and enjoy! The ground will probably be soggy, because this ecosystem is just very wet, so bring a blanket or jacket to sit on or just get your bum wet, it won’t hurt!

Go on a double, triple or quadruple date: seriously, there’s no better way to enjoy nature than with friends. So grab some people you love and go on this adventure!

Take pictures: of course! Pick up your camera and capture some earthy, wet, moody, beautiful shots in this gorgeous place.

Some things to know:

Though our friend, who owns this property, will let you in for free, the township of Cogua doesn’t really love people going to the Laguna Verde because it’s such an important body of water (it feeds the Neusa Dam and 17 towns). Please take care of this wonderful place – don’t leave your trash, try to stay on the trail – so that it doesn’t get taken from us. It’s true, this place should be pristine because of its importance, but I also think it’s important for people to enjoy special outdoor places like this one. Both can be true. Let’s keep it that way.
Call Misiades Salazar at (571) 312 4938840 just to let him know you’ll be going!
Like I said, everything is free: entrance to the property and parking at a farmer’s house, but give the people some money as thanks. They aren’t obliged to help us out, but they do.
A car can make it all the way to where the trail begins in good conditions, but definitely not if the road is wet. If it’s been raining, you’ll have to park further up the road or be in a car with 4-wheel drive.

Now that you know how to get to the Laguna Verde, make sure you go! So recommended. Let us know how it went!

If you saw a big lake on your way to Laguna Verda, it was actually a dam. The Neusa Dam! Click here to find out how to get there.. or click here to see a list of places to have outdoor adventures close to Bogota!

Travel Guide

How to get to the Sisga Dam

Posted on March 29, 2018

Any person in Bogota who’s left the city going north has more than likely seen the Sisga Dam, only being 55 kilometers (34 miles) away. The truth is that few people have gotten to know it or, if they have, they’ve only been to the Refugio del Sisga, a beautiful restaurant close to the shore that’s well known as a rest area for people going to Tunja, Villa de Leyva, or other towns northward. We’ve gotten to know this place because we love riding our bicycles, and the Sisga Dam has a road that goes all the way around the dam – 26 kilometers (16 miles) of unpaved road with lots of uphill and downhill biking (you gain a total of 385 meters or 1,263 feet). We’ve done this ride about 5 times now, and we always love it. On top of that, the Dam has a lot more to offer. And the best part of it all: whatever you do, you always have an amazing landscape to look at. Here’s how to get to the Sisga Dam!

How to get to the Sisga Dam

*The map to get to the Sisga Dam from Bogota is at the end of this guide!

In a car

With a GPS: Look for “El Refugio del Sisga” on Waze or Google Maps and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

Leave Bogota going north and stay on the main road going towards Tunja, not the one that passes Chia. On the way to the dam, you’ll pass the entrances to Suesca and Guatavita.
After 55 kilometers (34 miles) along the highway, you’ll get to a long downwards section, after which you’ll cross a bridge that rises over the dam (you can get off right before the bridge to check out the view).
A little after the bridge, the dam’s main entrance will be to the right, which is one of the dam’s few public entrances. The Refugio del Sisga is also right there, where you can eat great food (it’s a restaurant only, not a hotel).
You can park right next to the restaurant or get down closer to the water on another entrance just before the Refugio’s parking lot and enjoy the view!

On a bus

Get to the Portal del Norte (North Portal, a mini-terminal where you can get on buses to towns north of Bogota) and take a bus to Choconta.
Tell the bus driver to drop you off at the Represa del Sisga or the Refugio del Sisga. Still, be watching to stand up when you cross the bridge over the Sisga dam just in case the bus driver forgets.
A little after the bridge, the dam’s main entrance will be to the right, which is one of the dam’s few public entrances.
You can eat right there and also go down to the water’s edge to enjoy the view!

What to do at the Sisga Dam:

Ride your bike: for us, this is the best thing you can do at the Sisga Dam. As I said before, there aren’t many public entrances to the dam. Going around it on a bike, although you never get right on the water’s edge, you get to see its landscape from every angle. There’s no better way to enjoy the dam: you see it all and get to do some great exercise.
Eat a lot: The Refugio del Sisga has delicious food at good prices. They sell traditional meals from the region, as well as others, and it’s a great place to get warm. My favorite dish: agua-panela with cheese (the cheese goes in the agua-panela) and an arepa, but only in the morning! The other option is to eat by the water’s edge. That’s what we always do after biking. It’s so great.
Camp: I’ll be honest with you. The Sisga Dam is not the best place to camp if you’re going to do it at the main entrance because it’s really close to the highway, and there’ll be a lot of noise. Still, you can camp right there below the Refugio and it’s free, although they might charge you for taking care of you and your car! The other option is to befriend a local with property by the water and ask for permission to camp.
Fish: you can fish here for free!
Rent an Airbnb with your friends: I’ve seen there are some absolutely gorgeous houses for rent on Airbnb with amazing views towards the Sisga Dam. They’re a little pricey, but if you’re coming with dollars or euros or go with a group of friends it won’t even be an issue. Check these awesome places out!

I hope you now know how to get to the Sisga Dam and go! Now, if you’re looking for another dam good time, check out this post on the Neusa Dam! If you’re just looking for outdoor activities close to Bogota, we’ve got you covered too!

Travel Guide

How to get to the Neusa Dam

Posted on January 2, 2018

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:

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).
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From there, just follow the main road and you’ll reach the main entrance of the Neusa Dam!
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.
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!

Travel Guide

How to get to Chicaque Natural Park

Posted on December 14, 2017

When a place is described as Cloud Forest, you go there because it is called Cloud Forest. It’s hard for me to think of two more attractive words.

Lala and I have been to Chicaque Natural Park a number of times: we went with a group of friends the first time, then we went with Kyle, from The Dive Wagon, Lala and I went once on our own, and the last time we went was to shoot an engagement at a beautiful lookout.

And we can’t wait to get back. We’ll probably be there soon to make a video to show you guys!

Anyway, getting there can be kind of a hassle, so I’m going to let you know how to get to Chicaque. I hope you get out there and enjoy the hike!

(If you’re just looking for outdoor activities to do in Bogota, check out our list of recommended places here!)

How to get to Chicaque Natural Park

In Public Transportation:

Make your way to the Portal 80 Transmilenio station (you can plan your route from your location on Google Maps).
There, take a bus to Mosquera and get off the bus at the main plaza of the town. Then take a Coomofú bus (it’s black and white) that says Soacha and tell the bus driver to drop you off at Chicaque. Both buses, and all buses for that matter, will have signs attached to their windshields saying where they are headed.
Once you get off on a bend where there’s the beginning of a dirt road, you’ll have to walk along that dirt road for 3 kilometers (or 1.8 miles).
At the end of the dirt road you’ll get to the Chicaque Natural Park Entrance and just keep walking!

In a Chicaque Van (only available on weekends):

Make your way to the “Terreros/Hospital” Transmilenio station (you can plan your route from your location on Google Maps).
When you exit the bus at that station, go right (which is south) and then go right again to cross the street across the bridge. You’ll see a gigantic home goods store called “Hogar y Construcción: Easy.” Go the OTHER way.
The bridge will leave you at a little plaza. Look for some vans on a corner with small stores that has a sign that reads: “Terreros Droguería.” There will be one or two vans there, which head out to the park once they’re full.
Pick-up times at this spot are Weekends at 7:00 am, 8:00 am, 9:00 am, and 11:00 am. They will get you straight to the Chicaque entrance. These vans will take you back to the “Terreros/Hospital” Transmilenio station on Weekends at 9:00 am, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:30 pm.

In a Car:

You can find the map to get to Chicaque Natural Park in a car at the bottom of this post!

If you have a Google Maps or Waze, just type in “Chicaque Natural Park” and follow the directions. If you don’t, here are the directions (good luck!):

In Bogota, drive to Calle 80. You’ll take this road west (away from the mountains) and take a left at the first roundabout. You should be following signs to Mosquera or La Mesa.
Stay on this road, pass the Mondoñedo toll, and take a left turn soon afterwards, where there’s a sign that points to Soacha.
Shortly after that, to the right, there’ll be the beginning of a dirt road that has a sign pointing towards Chicaque. Get on the dirt road and drive along it, which ends in an incline into the park.
Then, get ready to walk a good bit!

Some things to know:

Make sure you have cash, especially small bills for buses.

The entrance fee for Chicaque Natural Park is $15,000 COP ($5 USD) during low season and $15,500 COP ($5.20 USD) during high season.

The vans to get to or from Chicaque cost $6,000 COP ($2 USD) one way.

If you take buses to get to the park, they cost between $1,800 and $3,000 COP ($0.50 – $1.00 USD)

Chicaque Natural Park opens every day at 8 am. If you are a day-hiker, the latest you may enter the park is at 3 pm. If you are camping, the latest you can enter the park is 5:30 pm. Ask about what time you should be leaving, because it changes depending on the conditions.

The Park offers a bunch of services, from really nice rooms in which to stay, to restaurants, to zip lining. Check out their full list of services here!

The walk through Chicaque is downwards all the way to the end, which means… yep, the entire way back is up, and I mean UP. So be ready to sweat.

What to do at Chicaque Natural Park:

The challenge: try to see every feature and lookout in one day. It’s possible, I promise!

Camp: this place is so wild and so deep in its little part of the world that the nighttime at Chicaque Natural Park is something you need to experience. Stay up to see the stars, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t see them, since it’s a Cloud Forest after all – the best time to see the clouds because of cloud cover is usually 2-4 am.

Get engaged: this place is pretty magical, and we shot an engagement here once. It was a great spot (Eagle’s Peak or Pico del Aguila, if any of you guys are interested).

Take pictures: as usual! There are some amazing lookouts, the hostels blend beautifully with the landscape, and the unique ecosystem make for some awesome shots.

I hope knowing how to get to Chicaque Natural Park makes you go! Another great place to hike, just as amazing as this one is Chingaza. Check out how to get there!

Travel Guide

Outdoor Adventures Close to Bogota

Posted on September 28, 2017

Outdoor Adventures Close to Bogota

Bogotá is one of the densest, most chaotic cities in the world. And it’s pretty darn beautiful.

But sometimes a big city can become really tiring. Well, as it turns out, there are a lot of places to go on outdoor adventures close to Bogota! Whether you’re a Bogotano looking for something to do on the weekend or a foreigner looking to take a break from the urban tourism that Bogotá offers, we have got you covered!

The following is a list of places where you can have epic outdoor adventures close to Bogotá. We have been there and recommend them. You can even check out directions for how to get there by clicking on the links that are on each of the places’ names. Get out there, go an an adventure!

Chingaza National Park: directly to the east of Bogotá, this gigantic national park is a treasure of the Andes Mountains.

Chicaque Natural Park: to the south of Bogota lies a magical natural park known as a Cloud Forest. We love this place for its lookouts, starry nights, how wild it is, and, of course, its clouds.

Pionono Park: straight above the town of Sopó is this Ecological Park that offers beautiful hikes and views of the savannah of Bogotá. There is also a place to go paragliding right outside of the park.

Laguna Verde (Green Lagoon): way above the Neusa Dam is the Laguna Verde. This place is pristine and so fresh. You’ll be surrounded by frailejones and every shade of green. If it’s about getting to know the Colombian páramo (alpine), this place is exemplary.

Las Moyas Trail: with a trail-head right on the outskirts of the city, this trail will lead you up the mountains on the east of Bogotá to a height of about 3,100 meters (10,200 feet) above sea level.

The Neusa Dam: known for its cold water, comfortable camping, and closeness to Bogota, let me tell you a little more about this place – starry nights, perfect stillness at dawn, and wooded pine forests. Dam. Here are some tips for car camping!

The Sisga Dam: we love biking, and there’s a route that goes all around the Sisga Dam. On top of being moderately difficult, which we love, you get to enjoy the landscape from all of its angles.

The Tatacoita Desert: this desert that lies hidden outside the town of Nemocón is a wonderful place to hike, bike, picnic, and camp.

Check out videos for most of these places on our YouTube channel!

*We will update the list many times throughout the years! Be on the lookout or subscribe to our mailing list to stay on top of updates!

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