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trail

Travel Guide

How to get to Quebrada la Vieja

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

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

How to get to Quebrada la Vieja:

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

Walking:

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

In a car:

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

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

If you do head over in a car:

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

Is it safe?

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

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

How to make a reservation:

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

Some things to know:

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

What to do at Quebrada la Vieja:

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

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

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

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

How to get to La Mesa

Posted on June 17, 2019
how to get to La Mesa, what to do, main plaza

A quaint town just about 2 hours south-west of Bogotá, La Mesa is a good place to visit for a day or even to spend a weekend. This town is in the middle of the mountains, in a truly beautiful setting. There’s lots to eat, places to see and trails to hike. We’ll get into that shortly. This is how to get to La Mesa!

If you’re researching outdoor activities close to Bogota, we have the perfect list for you here!

How to get to La Mesa

*Note: the map to get to La Mesa from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. Head over to Bogota‘s Main Bus Terminal (I marked it on the map) and take a bus to La Mesa. A lot of bus companies will have a route there, but the cheapest is San Vicente, at $12,000 Colombian pesos.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “La Mesa, Cundinamarca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. The easiest way to go to La Mesa without crossing Bogota’s traffic-filled south is to start by getting on Av. Boyacá.
  2. From the Boyacá road, it’ll be easiest for you to head west on Calle 13 towards Mosquera (away from Bogota’s Eastern mountain range). It’ll take you straight to Mosquera.
  3. When you get to Mosquera, don’t go into town. Stay on the main road (which is Occidente 50) headed left towards Facatativa.
  4. Shortly after, you’ll see a sign that says “Para La Mesa Tome Carril Derecho.” This means, stay in the right lane for La Mesa. When the road splits right, go right.
  5. This will lead you to a round-about. Take the third exit, towards La Mesa.
  6. Stay on the main road and you will arrive at La Mesa.

Read about this cloud forest that’s between La Mesa and Bogota!

What to do at La Mesa:

Salto de las Monjas

  • how to get to La Mesa, cathedral, santa barbara de la mesa
  • how to get to La Mesa, beautiful architecture
  • how to get to La Mesa, nature, outdoors, sunset

If you like rivers and waterfalls, this is the activity for you. A short, easy hike will lead you to a beautiful pool carved out by a waterfall. How to get to Salto de las Monjas: follow the same directions to get to La Mesa from Bogota. Once you’re close to La Mesa, you’ll see a white sign pointing towards “Cachipay” to the right. Go right until you get to the Paraiso Terrenal Hotel. You can park there, ask someone where the trail begins and get started!

Macadamia Adventure Park

This park is right outside La Mesa as you get there following the directions above. It’s kind of a ropes course park on steroids. It has zip lining, walking across valleys on thin metal ropes, and adventurous things like that. One thing I will say is that if you’re used to adrenaline (like, if you rock climb) it won’t be as fun. It wasn’t for us because we’re so used to the excitement of climbing. That being said, if you’re not an adrenaline junky like us, you’re in for a treat!

Go Hiking

There are so many hikes around here. Like I said, La Mesa is in the mountains, so there’s enough rivers, waterfalls, and… well, mountains to get some exercise and fresh air. Trails can be hard to find in Colombia, because we just don’t have very good outdoors infrastructure, but they’re there! Check out this website with a long list of hikes in the area and feel free to ask around for directions when you’re close to the trailhead. You may have to do some research, but definitely do it.

Visit the Main Plaza

As with most Colombian cities and towns, La Mesa has a main plaza and a beautiful cathedral. Head over (I marked it on the map) and enjoy the scenery, people watch a little and eat some local food. It’s a good time.

Bike

Since both Bogota and La Mesa are right in the Andes mountains, the road between them is winding and has some nice, steep slopes. Colombians are really into biking, and it’s common for people to travel between the two places on their bikes for exercise. It’s really hard though, especially the way back to Bogota, since it’s mostly uphill. If you’re hardcore, go ahead and do the trek. If not, no problem! Take your bike to La Mesa and bike around… it’s worth it!

Some things to know:

  • La Mesa is warmer than Bogota.
  • Make sure you take cash, because a lot of small restaurants, stores, etc. won’t accept debit or credit cards.
  • There are lots of hotels here. My only recommendation is more of an observation: the further away from La Mesa you stay, the hotels/hostels revolve more around nature.

I hope this blog post helped you understand how to get to La Mesa and gave you some ideas for what to do at La Mesa.

Now, if you love camping, we know the place just for you. It’s north of Bogota, and it’s amazing. Read about the Neusa Dam here!

Travel Guide

How to get to Matarredonda Ecological Park

Posted on October 10, 2018
outdoor adventures close to bogota, how to get to matarredonda ecological park, hiking, paramo, frailejon

Matarredonda Ecological Park (Parque Ecológico Matarredonda in Spanish) is a perfect place to rest from the city. It’s a beautiful, small and not very well-known park. It’s only 1 hour from Bogota (depending on where you are and the traffic) and is a gorgeous paramo with water everywhere and an easy hike. A paramo is an alpine ecosystem that only occurs close to the equator. One hike ends at a lake and another one goes to a lake and a waterfall. They’re both about an hour a half trek and are not very steep. This is how to get to Matarredonda Ecological Park.

La Chorrera, Latin America’s sixth tallest waterfall, is only 30 minutes from there! Click here to read how to get there!

How to get to Matarredonda Ecological Park

*The map to get to Matarredonda Ecological Park from Bogota is at the end of this travel guide.

On Public Transportation:

  1. Starting in Bogota, take a bus with the companies Transoriente or Cootransfómeque on Calle 6 with Av. Caracas (its on the map below). The bus costs $10,000 Colombian pesos ($3.5 USD), although it may be less because you aren’t going all the way to Choachi, and the trip lasts about an hour. Buses leave between 5:15 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. every day.
  2. Tell the bus driver you’re going to Parque Ecológico Matarredonda, which will be on your right (be watching for it in case the driver forgets).

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Matarredonda Ecological Park” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. In Bogotá, look for Calle 26 going east (or towards the mountains) and stay on it following the signs to the Circunvalar.
  2. Then, follow the signs that indicate that Choachi is to the left. The road upwards begins right after an Universidad Distrital campus.
  3. A few minutes from there, the road makes a confusing U-turn. Be watching for it and stay on the main road.
  4. Stay on this road for about 30 minutes until you see the entrance to Matarredonda Ecological Park on your right.

What to do at Matarredonda Ecological Park

El Marquez del Once: this famous lookout point over Bogota is best known by the cyclists that climb up Bogota’s Eastern mountains every day. It is a great place to have breakfast before hiking or a late lunch after hiking a few hours. Make sure you get the classic Colombian agua-panela, cheese and arepa. See where it is on the map below.

Eat at the Entrance: just like at el Marquez del Once, you can eat at the park entrance, where theres a nice restaurant with traditional food. You might have to eat at one place on the way there and at the other on the way back!

Cerro Guadalupe: even closer to Bogota is Cerro Guadalupe, the mountain with the statue of the Guadalupe Virgin that’s across from Monserrate. Its a great place to visit after hiking the Matarredonda paramo. From Bogota, it’ll be on you right. From Matarredonda, it’ll be on your left. It’s marked on the map below for your convenience!

Stay all day: my recommendation for Matarredonda Ecological Park is to get there early (9 or 10 in the morning) to be able to do both hikes. At a slow pace, both hikes will take a maximum of 5 hours and they’re easy, so it’s worth getting to know them all. That way, you get some exercise, breathe a LOT of fresh air and can be back home by 4 or 5 to take it easy the rest of the day.

Some Things to Know:

–          Make sure you take cash to pay the bus and whatever you buy in places that don’t take your card.

–          There are no tolls on the way to Matarredonda Ecological Park.

–          Entering the park costs $8,000 pesos ($3 USD).

–          The park’s schedule is from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.

–          Camping costs 12,000 pesos ($4 USD) per person.

–          You don’t need a guide because the trails are very well developed.

–          Click here for a link to a map of the full two hikes.

–          For more information, call this number: 3178657320 or email vjmatarredonda@gmail.com.

I hope this helped you learn how to get to Matarredonda Ecological Park and that you go enjoy the place!

If you like hikes, I suggest you read this blog post on Chingaza National Park, one of Colombia’s most amazing national parks.

Travel Guide

How to get to the Laguna Verde de Tausa

Posted on April 9, 2018
camping, hiking, Green Lagoon, how to get to the Laguna verde de Tausa, outdoor adventures close to Bogota

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!

  1. In Bogota, drive north on the Autopista and leave the city. Keep heading north until you reach the first bridge. Don’t go over it. Follow directions to Chia, taking a road to the right, which will then curve to the left, under the bridge.
  2. Stay on this road until the next bridge. Go over this bridge, staying on the right. Continue on this road until you see a Homecenter on your right. Shortly after, you’ll take a right where there’s a sign for Zipaquira and Ubate.
  3. Stay on this road until you get to yet another bridge. Stay on your left to go over the bridge, which will take you to the right, following the sign to Ubate.
  4. Shortly afterwards, you’ll run into a round-about. Take the third exit, staying on the main road.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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

  1. 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).
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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!

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