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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!

Travel Guide

How to Get to Florian

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

Kalymnos in Colombia. It has a nice ring to it. Florian is a small town in Santander, Colombia. 3 kilometers into the jungle is an enormous cave with a river flowing through it (it really rushes during the rainy season) and some stellar climbing inside of it. Though there’s only 1 cave with rock climbing, this place is known for its many caves carved into the side of the mountain. That’s why it’s called the Ventanas de Tisquizoque (Tisquizoque Windows). People come here just to camp, hike and climb. There’s also a number of other climbing areas further down the mountain, but of course the cave is the main attraction. You climb on some great limestone, stalactites and the weirdest-shaped holds. The place is worth a visit, it’s kind of mind blowing! This is how to get to Florian and the Tisquizoque Windows.

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

How to get to Florian

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

In Public Transportation:

  1. Go to Bogota’s main Bus Terminal or Northern Terminal and take a bus to Puente Nacional. One of the companies that offers the trip is “Reina.” If you’re not in Bogota, any main city will offer bus rides here or close to it.
  2. Once you’re in Puente Nacional, you’ll take a bus or car that will drop you off in Florian. They leave Puente Nacional from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. every 2 hours (but don’t count on them being punctual). They can drop you off at Florian or at the hostel on the way, which I’ll talk more about later.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Florian, Santander” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. Make sure your map sends you through Puente Nacional (as in the map below). There’s a shorter way, but it’s a terrible road.

Without a GPS (I really recommend having a GPS or a map to look at):

  1. In Bogota, drive north out of the city. Follow directions to Chia.
  2. After passing a big university on your left, stay right on the bridge right before entering Chia. After to see a Homecenter on your right, go right where there’s a sign towards Zipaquira and Ubate.
  3. Keep driving until you get to yet another bridge. Stay left and get on the bridge, which will take you to the right, following the sign to Ubate.
  4. Soon, you’ll get to a round-about. Take the second exit. It will end eventually, connecting to another road. Stay on this road, following signs towards Chiquinquira and Puente Nacional.
  5. Next, you have to go through Puente Nacional’s main plaza and head to the tiny town of Jesus Maria. From there, you turn at a really random left turn (marked on the map below) and it’s a straight shot to Florian on a mostly unpaved road.
  6. Again, I really recommend having a GPS because after Puente Nacional because there are barely any signs to help you get to your destination. What’s amazing is that Google has street view all the way to Florian!
  7. If you’re headed to the climber hostel, its 4 km before Florian when you see a red house on your right and a white one on your left.

If you’re looking places to hike, camp and enjoy the outdoors close to Bogota, read this blog post here!

Where to Stay

The best place to stay while you’re here is Refugio Munay, although there are some hostels in Florian. Refugio Munay was built very recently by climbers we know, for all kinds of travelers. There are some rooms with beds, but most people will be camping. The camping facilities have community bathrooms and a kitchen. Most importantly, the place is gorgeous. You camp in the middle of the mountains. This place is only 4 kilometers from Florian as you follow the instructions above!

What to do at Florian:

Climb

Obviously! The only reason you’re reading this is probably because you’re a climber! Anyway, the climbing here is all limestone, and everything used to be quite hard. Now that there’s been more development, there are more easy climbs, ranging from 5.9 to 5.14a. The climbing style here tends to be very overhung, pumpy and physical, especially in the cave. The newer zones are outside, on the side of the mountain, and are more vertical. There are a number of different areas, but the most popular is the large cave. Here’s a list of the zones:

  • El portón : 14 climbs from 5.10a – 5.13a
  • La guaca: 13 climbs from 5.11c -5.13b
  • La cueva del indio: 7 climbs from 5.11b – to projects.

Bike

Mountain biking around here, whether on the unpaved roads between tiny towns or on mountain trails, is spectacular. The views are gorgeous and the air is fresh and alpine-ish (Florian is 1800 meters, or 5,900 feet above sea level).

Waterfall Hopping

If you’re only here for the climbing, you’ll still get to see enough waterfalls. But if you’re into hiking and visiting beautiful spots, there are definitely enough waterfalls to visit. Get some exercise, have a picnic, and enjoy. Ask around at your hostels or around town for trails and waterfalls worth visiting!

Take Photos

Florian and its surroundings are extremely photogenic. It doesn’t take much to get some great shots!

Go Pond Hopping

Where there are waterfalls, there are ponds. Two great ponds for a nice swim are Charco Paila and Charco Azul. Even better, getting to them involves some pretty nice hikes. Ask around at the links I included right below to find out how to get there! Or you can just get the info or a guide while you’re there.

Some things to know:

  • One of Florian’s main men is named Miguel Angel Garcia, and this place is his baby. You can contact him if you’re thinking of heading to climb or do some tourism. His phone number is 3118709992.
  • You can also get more information about Florian and the climbing, by messaging this Facebook page or contact Refugio Munay here!
  • There are various climbing areas in Florian that are owned by individuals. Because of that, there are rules in some places, such as leaving before 6 pm, etc. Before you head over, talk to someone who knows the place to get your do’s and don’ts.
  • The road to Florian is mostly unpaved, but pretty much any car can make it when it’s dry. It’ll just be very bumpy. You can call Miguel Angel or Refugio Munay to ask about the road conditions.

So why go to Kalymnos now that you know how to get to Florian?! Ok, don’t answer that.

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

Travel Guide

How to Get to Rio la Miel

Posted on April 29, 2019
how to get to Rio la Miel, what to do, public transportation, in a car, Mamalu hostel, waterfalls

Right in the middle of the road between Bogota and Medellin is La Dorada. Being close to one of Colombia’s most important rivers, you can be sure to find some place to relax with nothing but green all around and the sound of rushing water enveloping your ears! Enter Rio la Miel (Honey River). It’s only 1.5 hours from La Dorada, close to La Habana, and house to the Mamalu hostel. Located on a riverbend without road access, getting to this hostel is a beautiful journey. More importantly, this place is calm. Great, simple rooms and beds, delicious fried fish and river activities await. If you need the comfort of a 5-star hotel, this isn’t the place, but if you want absolute peace, it sure is. You might get some love too, since Mamalu is owned by an awesome hippie – your host and guide, Caliche. This is how to get to Rio la Miel!

If you’re looking for what to do in Medellin, you can read our guide here!

How to get to Rio la Miel

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

Now, my first recommendation before you head over is to have someone on the ground help you. Our friend Caliche even got a Carpati (a kind of truck) to wait on us for half an hour because our bus left Medellin late! The trip to Mamalu is complicated, so it’s good to have someone have your back. Caliche’s phone number is +57 (312) 235-2998. Call him or message him on WhatsApp!

In Public Transportation:

  1. Get to your city’s main transportation terminal (the Northern Terminal in Medellin) and take a bus to La Dorada this costs about $40,000 Colombian pesos, or about $15 dollars.
  2. In La Dorada, take a Carpati, which is a sort of truck decked out to carry passengers, at Jorge Eliecer Gaitan Park (I marked it on the map). The Carpatis leave at 3:30. Let Caliche know you’re coming so that he can tell the Carpati driver to expect you. The Carpati ride costs $10,000 pesos, or about $4 dollars.
  3. Get off where the Carpati driver tells you, which is at an intersection where you can walk down to the left to a tiny settlement called La Habana (also on the map).
  4. Caliche or one of his partners will pick you up there and take you to their boat. From here on out, they’ve got you covered.
  5. You’ll head over to the hostel downstream in the boat, about to get immersed in nature to another level.
  6. To get back to your city, literally just take these steps backward! The folks over at the hostel will take you to get picked up by the Carpati to head to La Dorada.

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Mamalu” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions (it appears as a rest stop in Caldas). Check out the spot we marked on the map to see where you can park your car (also in step 5).

Without a GPS (I really recommend having a GPS or a map to look at):

  1. Get to La Dorada, Caldas, Colombia.
  2. Follow the signs towards Norcasia and La Miel while on the main road between Bogota and Medellin, right on the outskirts of La Dorada. This turn is on the Western side of the Magdalena river, right by the river.
  3. Now, this road doesn’t have any signs, so I definitely recommend you rely on Google Maps here, because it has Street View almost the entire way. Stay on this road until you see a sign that says “Relleno Sanitario Doradita 3km” and go right at that fork in the road.
  4. Stay on this main road, which is completely unpaved, until you get to a fork in the road that has a number of signs on a big tree. One of the signs says “Panzer” and another one has a picture of a monkey. Take a left here. You’re on your way to the river. A small car might not make it here during the rainy season, but during the dry season there should be no problem.
  5. Drive along this road until you get to an area with a tiny shed with a few motorcycles parked under it. This place is called Playa Alta and you can park your car there. It’s marked on the map below.
  6. Now, though Playa Alta is not the closest you can get to Mamalu, it is the safest to park your car. Caliche or one of his partners will pick you up here and take you to the hostel in the boat!

If you’ll be visiting Bogota and you’re looking places to enjoy the outdoors, read this blog post here!

What to do at Rio la Miel:

Get to Know Heaven and Paradise (Waterfalls)

Our host Caliche named two of the most amazing waterfalls in Rio la Miel Canyon Heaven and Paradise. First, you travel upstream gazing at the river landscape until you get to a bridge where the Canyon begins. The river also gets a little crazier here, which makes for a grand adventure maneuvering through the minor rapids while waterfalls pound straight into the river from atop the canyon. It’s quite a sight! But none of the waterfalls are quite like Heaven and Paradise. These are huge waterfalls that have carved into the rock so much that they have their own little areas in which to fall. They’ve created pools and layers of rock to take a swim and have a picnic.

Go Waterfall Climbing and Jumping

Now, this activity is a real treat! You start a 45-minute hike right at the bridge I mentioned above. It’s a hike through the jungle and across and through a lot of creeks. You eventually get to a spot where there’s an enormous, deep pool with a raging waterfall.  After leaving everything there, you climb up the side of the waterfall (it’s pretty easy) to another pool. Then, you swim across the pool to another waterfall and climb up its side… and proceed to do all of that another 3 times!! Finally, the only way to get down is to jump… 5 TIMES! One of the jumps is high (about 8 meters, or 25 feet)! This was probably our favorite thing we did while at Mamalu – climbing, swimming and jumping – it can hardly get any better.

  • how to get to Rio la Miel, what to do, public transportation, in a car, Mamalu hostel, waterfalls
  • how to get to Rio la Miel, what to do, public transportation, in a car, Mamalu hostel, waterfalls, close to La Dorada
  • how to get to Rio la Miel, what to do, public transportation, in a car, Mamalu hostel, waterfalls, between Medellin and Bogota
Visit Grandad

Also right off the Rio la Miel, about 20 minutes by boat from Mamalu, is what Caliche calls Grandpa. It’s a 150-year old Ceiba tree that’s probably 100 to 120 feet tall. It really makes you feel like a small being. What’s interesting is that we were just as curious about the innumerable amount of tiny ants, all working in tandem towards an unknown goal, as about the gigantic tree. Honestly, no matter how big or small nature may be, it never ceases to amaze us.

Learn to Fish

Caliche is a self-proclaimed master fisher. He’s also a master fish cooker, if I do say so myself. We weren’t able to learn to fish while we were there, but it was on our bucket list. We just didn’t have the time, although Lala did get to pull a fish out of the water on our boat ride out! I’m sure all you fishers out there will agree, it’s relaxing and fun. Take a morning and learn a skill you can use throughout your life to enjoy time in nature or if you’re ever stranded and need to survive. You never know!

RELAX

Now, I don’t know what it is about this place, but Lala and I felt so relaxed being here. I think it was a combination of factors: the simplicity and comfort of the beds/rooms, the delicious food, great people and the idea that you can do anything while you’re there, including doing nothing. It’s no wonder people end up staying longer than they initially planned.

Some things to know:

  • Prices at Mamalu are as follows: a day of activities, food and lodging for 4 people costs $1,120,000 Colombian pesos, or about $375 dollars. For 2 people, it costs $840,000 pesos, or $280 dollars. All of this is also personalized according to what you want to do, so talk to Caliche about it.
  • For the longest time, this area of Colombia was quite dangerous because of guerrilla armed forces. But not anymore! Come enjoy this place without worries; it’s the epitome of peace.
  • This area of Colombia, even before the armed conflict, was the epicenter of Colombia’s hippie movement. Pretty much led by Caliche’s grandmother, for whom the hostel is named, they got big names such as Led Zeppelin and Jimmy Hendrix to perform on a rock beach you’ll be sure to see. I know, it’s pretty bizarre.
  • Make sure you bring cash, because most places don’t have the infrastructure to take debit or credit cards. Also, everything must be paid in Colombian pesos.
  • From Medellin or Bogota, the bus to La Dorada costs $40,000 pesos, which is about $15 dollars, per person. It can cost more during holiday seasons, though.
  • The ride on the Carpati costs $10.000 pesos, or $4 dollars, per person.
  • The end of the car ride to Mamalu is a little rough. A small car might not make it during the rainy season, but if everything is dry, there should be no problem.
  • Caliche’s phone number is +57(312)235-2998.

We hope this post has given you some valuable information regarding how to get to Rio la Miel, but we especially hope you enjoy your travels through Colombia, wherever you go! If you need a guide for how to get somewhere, let us know, we always want to help!

Another natural paradise, this time close to Medellin, is La Peña, a mountainous area with lots of hikes, the famous Aero Hostel La Casa en el Aire, and a developing climbing park. Our blog post is mostly about the climbing area and its surroundings, and you can read about it here!

Travel Guide

How to get to Puente Reyes

Posted on March 6, 2019
how to get to puente reyes, rock climbing in colombia, close to bogota, sandstone

Puente Reyes is in our favorite part of the department (or State) of Boyacá. It’s a place with an assortment of small to medium-sized towns, all with quaint plazas, in the midst of some towering mountains with lakes, lagoons and lots of frailejones. What most people don’t know is that in the midst of that natural beauty is a wonderful climbing area. It’s been well-developed, with more than 40 trad and sport climbing routes, and even has a guidebook! This is how to get to Puente Reyes.

If you’re looking for places to climb in Colombia, check out our list of the best areas here!

How to get to Puente Reyes

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

In Public Transportation:
  1. Go to the Bogota’s Bus Terminal (called Terminal de Transporte) and take a bus to Sogamoso. This bus ticket will cost about $25,000 Colombian pesos.
  2. In the Sogamoso Bus Terminal, take a bus to Gámeza on a “Cootracero” bus. This ticket will cost about $2,500 pesos.
  3. Tell the bus driver you’ll be getting off at the first right turn after the bridge called Puente Reyes. Be looking for it yourself too in case the bus driver forgets. It’s a bridge with thick yellow rods.
  4. Take that first right turn after the bridge and walk until you see a sign welcoming climbers. Take that right turn and walk until you get to a wooden bridge. In front of the bridge is zone A, “Los Arenales,” which you can see on the guidebook. Enjoy the climbing!
In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Gameza, Boyaca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. One you pass the “Puente Reyes” bridge, which is very close to Gameza, turn right until you see a sign welcoming climbers to the area.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota heading North. Follow the signs towards Tunja, not the signs towards Chia or Zipaquira.
  2. Once you’re close to Tunja, stay on the main road that goes around the city, following signs to Sogamoso and Duitama.
  3. Go through the cities of Paipa and Duitama, always staying on the main road and following signs to Sogamoso.
  4. Shortly after you pass Duitama, take the second exit at the roundabout, headed towards Nobsa.
  5. Drive along the main road until you see a big sign that says Gameza. Right after the sign is a bridge with thick yellow steel rods. This bridge is the Puente Reyes. Immediately after the bridge, turn right.
  6. Drive along this new road until you see a sign welcoming climbers to the “Parque de Escalada Puente Reyes.” Take that right turn.
  7. Marvel at the imposing cliff-line and climbing potential as you drive all the way to the end, where you’ll find a wooden bridge to the right. Cross the bridge, and you’ve arrived at the climbing.

If you’re looking for other outdoor activities close to Bogota, check out this comprehensive list of places to visit and things to do!

What to do at Puente Reyes:

Climb

Climbing is pretty much all you can do at Puente Reyes. Of course, there’s stuff close by, but this cliff line is pretty much on its own, which is one of the reasons it’s so great. The cliff line extends for about 1.5 km (1 mile) and can reach heights of up to 150 meters (450 feet), all sandstone. As of the last time the guide was updated, there were over 40 sport, trad and mixed routes. Click here to see the PDF guidebook! There are great camping spots along the river.

Visit These Towns

If you’re looking for a rest day activity or want to get to know some more of Colombia, you’re in for a treat. The towns in this area are absolutely gorgeous. #1 on the list is Monguí, known as the most beautiful town in the State of Boyaca, especially at Christmas. Some other towns that are worth visiting are Gámeza, Sogamoso and Nobsa.

Go to the Laguna Negra (Black Lagoon)

On the other side of the mountains from Monguí is the Black Lagoon, a place that we dearly love. Camping at the lagoon itself is magical, and above it on both sides looms what is known as the world’s most beautiful páramo, the Oceta páramo. You can get there walking from Monguí or drive straight to the lagoon. If you decided to hike, you’ll need guides. Read about how to get to the Black Lagoon here!

Visit Lake Tota

Only about 45 minutes from Puente Reyes is Colombia’s largest lake, Lake Tota. It’s a great place for fishing, but the camping is what really takes first place because of the view you get of the cosmos at night. The word “Tota” means “Astronomic Observatory” in the native Chibcha language.

Some things to know:

  • This climbing area is in a gorgeous location valued for how pristine it is. Be conscious of your impact and clean up after yourself to keep this place open to climbers!
  • All the climbing is sport and trad.
  • Make sure you have cash, because most places around this area won’t accept debit/credit cards.
  • Be careful hiking around here because locals don’t like tourists walking on their land. Hiking rocks, though, so one way to deal with locals is to give them money or food if they confront you. Another is to hike with a local guide.
  • This area of Colombia produces 90% of Colombia’s onions.

Now that you learned how to get to Puente Reyes, go enjoy the place! This great climbing area is so worth it!

So you like the mountains, but how about a desert… in the mountains? Read about this desert close to Bogota that inspired Just North to begin!

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 Lake Guatavita

Posted on October 4, 2018
how to get to Lake Guatavita, what to do, hiking, nature, close to Bogota

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:

  1. 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).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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:

  1. Exit the city going north and stay on the road to Tunja, not the road to Chia.
  2. 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.
  3. At the following intersection, turn right to get on the road to Guatavita. Stay on the main road to pass through Sesquile.
  4. 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.
  5. 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!

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