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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!

Travel Guide

How to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs

Posted on October 3, 2018
how to get to the sutatausa bluffs, farallones de sutatausa, where to climb in colombia, climbing, green, andes, outdoor adventures close to bogota

The Farallones de Sutatausa, or the Sutatausa Bluffs or Cliffs (I’ll call them Bluffs from here on out), are an amazing place for a little bit of adventure. It’s a place you can come and go easily in a day and also a place that makes you want to stay a few days. You can rock climb, hike, camp and relax in beautiful hostels. This is how to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs!

You might also be interested in reading “how to get to the Neusa Dam,” for an awesome camping spot nearby Sutatausa.

How to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs

*The map to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs from Bogota is at the end of this post!

In Public Transportation:

  1. In Bogotá, go to the Portal del Norte, which is Bogota’s North Bus Terminal.
  2. Take a bus to Ubaté, which costs about $10,000 pesos or about US $3.50.
  3. Tell the bus driver you’re going to the entrace to the Farallones de Sutatausa. I recommend you look at the map below in Street View to get an idea of where you need to get off. The road to the bluffs is about 5 minutes from the town of Sutatausa, has a sign that points you towards the bluffs, and has a store right next to it called “Parador las Brisas.” Be watching!
  4. Walk along this unpaved road and you’ll get to a fork in the road. Go right until you get to la tienda de Don Antonio (tienda is a small store in Spanish).
  5. From there, you have three options: (1) go up the mountain to climb or to hike to the top of the bluffs on a trail that starts right in front of the store, (2) hike to the right of the store on a stone trail to climb or to hike to the top of the bluff, or (3) hike to the left towards a hostel, Kamp Nattivo, and to other trails that make it to the top.
  6. For more information on these options, read the “what to do at the Sutatausa Bluffs” section below.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Tienda DON Antonio, Sutatausa, Cundinamarca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. From Bogota, exit the city going north.
  2. Stay on the highway until you get to a bridge after you pass a toll. Don’t go over the bridge. Instead, take the road that goes right, which then curves left and goes under that same bridge.
  3. Stay on this road until the net bridge. Go over it, staying right where it splits in two. Follow this road until you get to a Homecenter on the right. A little later, go right where there’s a sign towards Zipaquirá and Ubaté.
  4. Stay on your left to go over the next bridge, which curves right, following the signs to Ubaté.
  5. Not long afterwards, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit.
  6. Stay on this road all the way to the entrance to the bluffs, which will be on the right. I recommend you look at the map below in Street View to get an idea of where you need to turn right. The road to the bluffs is about 5 minutes from the town of Sutatausa, has a sign that points you towards the bluffs, and has a store right next to it called “Parador las Brisas.”
  7. Get on the unpaved road towards the bluffs and stay right where the road splits in two to get to la tienda de Don Antonio (tienda is a small store in Spanish). You can park there and the cost of parking is to buy something in the store.
  8. From there, you have three options: (1) go up the mountain to climb or to hike to the top of the bluffs on a trail that starts right in front of the store, (2) hike to the right of the store on a stone trail to climb or to hike to the top of the bluff, or (3) drive to the left of the store to a hostel, Kamp Nattivo, and to other trails that make it to the top.
  9. For more information on these options, read the “what to do at the Sutatausa Bluffs” section below.

What to do at the Sutatausa Bluffs:

Climb

One of the best spots to go bouldering in all of Colombia is right underneath the Sutatausa Bluffs. You can find boulders from V0 to V12 and the rock is bomber. You can simply take your crash pad and start climbing (or rent it from Kamp Nattivo), but if you want a guide, you can stop by Kamp Nattivo , which is to the left from Don Antonio’s store, and get one – its not much of a guidebook, more like pieces of paper, but it works. There are boulders right in front of Don Antonio’s store and upwards and to the right of the store in the pine forest you can see from there.

There is also some great sport climbing on the bluffs themselves, up to 5.14a. You can find the routes going right from the store on the stone trail. If you need a guide, you can go to Kamp Nattivo and they’ll get you good to go. If you’re wondering where to climb in Colombia or close to Bogota, this is one of the best options!

Go Hiking

The Sutatausa Bluffs have a lot of trails to get to the top. There are two most well-known hikes. The first one is directly in front of Don Antonio’s Store. The trail is very well developed and is pretty steep. The second one is to the right of the store and starts on an unpaved road that becomes a stone trail that makes it to the top.

You have to hike up to the top! The landscape around the place is incredible, with really uniquely shaped mountains. So make sure you turn around when you rest during the hikes to admire the landscape. Also, take some food to have a picnic, rest and enjoy the view from the top. And don’t forget to hike along the top, since there are some amazing formations there.

Go Camping

You can camp under the stars and surrounded by mountains in lots of places: Quinta de Fragua, which is right to the right of Don Antonio’s store, Kamp Nattivo, which is a few minutes to the left, or up on the mountain with Don Antonio’s permission and only on his property.

Kamp Nattivo is a hostel created by a climber, one of the climbers who most developed this area, and is an incredibly comfortable and beautiful place. It has unique structures in the woods, they have a stellar customer service and if you see photos of the place, you’ll want to go stay there. So go Google Kamp Nattivo and go get to know it!

Take Photos

As always, you have to take photos. This place has a unique, gorgeous landscape. And everyone knows photos are best with action, and what better action than people enjoying, hiking and climbing with an amazing background?

Some things to know:

–          You can rent crash pads to go bouldering at the hostel, Kamp Nattivo.

–          This is a stellar place to go bouldering and sport climbing.

–          To pay for parking at Don Antonio’s store, just buy something in the store.

–          Take cash to pay for the bus, something at the store and for places that won’t accept your card, which is most places.

–          In 1541, the area’s natives collectively committed suicide, preferring it to falling in the hands of Spaniard missionaries.

–          There’s 1 toll on the way to the bluffs and 0 on the way back.

 

I hope this blog post helped you learn how to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs (or Farallones de Sutatausa) and a little more. But mostly, I hope you go climb in this wonderful area.

If you’re looking for another place to climb, check out this blog post about Suesca, the most popular climbing spot close to Bogota!

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