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Travel Guide

No Roads, No Worries: How to Get to Capurganá

Posted on January 22, 2021
how to get to capurgana, what to do

For some reason, spending a vacation at a destination with no road access is utterly exciting. When it comes to Capurganá, you get that feeling of being isolated from the world in an exotic area while having the accomodations you’d expect from an area that receives a good few tourists. Do keep in mind, Capurganá is not a luxurious destination, but will get you the rest you need. This is one of Colombia’s most special destinations, so I’m here to let you know how to get to Capurganá and what to do while you’re there!

If you’re searching for adventure on the coast of Colombia, check out this post about Isla Fuerte, one of our favorite places ever!

How to Get to Capurganá (From Quickest to Most Adventurous)

See a map of the area at the end of this post!

1. Medellín – Capurganá

First, get to Medellín and head to Aeropuerto Olaya Herrera, which is the small airport in the middle of the city, not the international airport up in the mountains. From there, you’ll have to hire a charter service to fly to your destination: Searca or Tac.

2. Medellín – Acandí – Capurganá

From the Olaya Herrera Airport, ride a plane (usually a Grupo San Germán service, and about COP $330,000 or USD $100) to Acandí. From there, you’ll have to ride a boat for half an hour to your destination. The boat leaves at about 1 p.m. and the ride costs COP $20,000.

3. Monteria – Necoclí – Capurganá

Take a flight to Monteria and, from there, take a taxi to Necoclí for COP $30,000 per person (possibly more depending on the amount of people in the taxi).The ride is about 2.5 hours. Afterwards, you’ll have to ride a boat from Necoclí to Capurgana, which leaves every day at 8 a.m., costs $70,000 COP and takes 1.5 hours.

4. Panama City – Puerto Obaldia – Capurganá

Fly from Panama City to Puerto Obaldia via Air Panama. From Puerto Obaldia, take a 30 minute boat ride straight to Capurgana for USD $20.

5. Bogotá – Apartado – Turbo – Capurganá

Fly on Satena to Apartado from Bogotá. In Apartado, take a taxi (1 hour, COP $40,000 one way) to Turbo. From Turbo, take a 2.5 hour boat ride for COP $75,000. The boat leaves in the morning, between 8 and 9 a.m.

6. Medellín – Turbo – Capurganá

Take a bus from the Northern Bus Terminal of Medellin to Turbo (an 8 hour ride for COP $60,000 one way). From Turbo, take a 2.5 hour boat ride for COP $75,000. The boat leaves in the morning, between 8 and 9 a.m.

What to Do in Capurganá:

Get Lost in Nature

Well, don’t actually get lost, but definitely visit the parks and reserves in the area! Right out of Capurganá, you can walk to Reserva Natural El Cielo, which is a Natural Reserve with some majestic hikes to water falls. Heading towards Sapzurro and further towards Panama, you can also hike 45 minutes to “Pool of the Gods” and La Coquerita, two areas with natural pools right by the ocean.

See Baby Sea Turtles

During April and May, sea turtles crawl onto the beaches to lay their eggs, which hatch in September. If you’re lucky, you can witness either of these beautiful events. It’s a privilege to watch!

Scuba Dive

Capurganá’s waters are home to a spectacular, practically untouched coral reef. There are 24 dive sites in the area, which means more than enough for one wee vacation. Give scuba diving a try! The best dive center in Capurganá is Dive and Green.

Sail to the San Blas Islands

These islands are one of Panama’s golden destinations. It’s actually a group of 365 islands, of which only a few are populated. Needless to say, they are absolutely gorgeous. I recommend, if you want to go from Capurgana, hiring a tour so your entry into Panama goes totally smoothly, since they’ll know the ins and outs of getting tourists to San Blas Islands.

Where to Stay:

I’ll let you do most of the research, but I recommend you check out Los Robles Capurganá, Oleajes Capurganá, Bahia Lodge, Hotel Calypso Capurganá and the many options there are on AirBnB.

Some Things to Know:

  • Take cash, because there are no banks or ATMs in Capurganá.
  • The best time of the year to travel here is April to November.

Now that you know how to get to Capurganá, well, enjoy! Read about Tayrona National Park here, a super unique destination on the Colombian coast!

Travel Guide

A NEW Climbing Area Close to Bucaramanga

Posted on October 19, 2020
new climbing area close to bucarmanga

Deep in the mountains of Santander, about 2 hours from Bucaramanga, there is our friend, Silvio Bejarano. His vision, quite literally, since you can see it from his front door, is a cliff-side with incredible climbing potential. He moved there by himself to launch his hostal, La Antigua Floresta, and develop the climbing nearby. This place is worth visiting because it is going to be big in the climbing community. It already has some spectacular climbs, without even scratching the surface. Plus, out there you really are far from civilization, so it’s a great place to take a deep breath of nature and rest. Read on to get to know La Antigua Floresta and the new climbing area close to Bucaramanga and Tona!

If you’d like to read about another great climbing spot close to Bucaramanga, click here!

How to Get to La Antigua Floresta

(Find a map to get to La Antigua Floresta from Bucaramanga at the end of this blog post!)

Traveling on Colombia’s bus system is usually easy and inexpensive, but getting to La Antigua Floresta is quite complicated, so we recommend getting there in a car or motorcycle. If you need transportation from Bucaramanga, you can contact Silvio and he’ll set it up for you (more on that below).

With a GPS: look up “La Antigua Floresta, Tona, Santander” on Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. Park your car at an entrance to a path on the road, shortly after passing “El Gramal” (I marked the spot on the map below). Someone will meet you there for the hike up to the hostel.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit downtown Bucaramanga on the road to Cúcuta from Megamall. At kilometer 18, take the second exit on the roundabout headed towards Tona.
  2. When you enter the town of Tona, keep going straight, passing the plaza. Head up the road until “El Gramal.” This is the last place you can buy groceries. We recommend you buy them here to support the local economy!
  3. Continue 10 minutes until you find the entrance to the hostal on a wide curve (marked on the map). You can leave your car inside the fence.
  4. From here, you have a 30-40 minute hike left to get to La Antigua Floresta!

What to Do at La Antigua Floresta

  • Rock Climb!

At the time we visited in October, 2020, there were 17 routes, 11 in one climbing area and 6 in another. All were slabby, but we watched as Silvio bolted a 3-bolt roof with some crazy moves. Further up the cliff (on the second pitch, which you can climb up to on a via ferrata) are several undeveloped climbing areas. There’s everything from insane, layered overhangs to long-ass cracks to slabs waiting to be bolted, and surely of every climbing level. This place is going to have a lot of classic climbs, so it’s worth a visit… and if you can contribute just a tiny bit to developing it by simply visiting and having a great time, I’m sure our buddy Silvio Bejarano would greatly appreciate that.

  • Hike Along the Whole Edge of the Middle of the Cliff

One of the days we visited Silvio, he showed us one of the hikes on which he plans to take people. You start off hiking up to the first climbing area and along the edge of the cliff where there’s a via ferrata to climb up to a ledge in the middle of the cliff. This ledge spans the entire length of the cliff. From there, you keep hiking all the way up through valleys and boulder fields as you watch the clouds roll in and out of the panorama. The whole way, you have incredible (potential) climbs above your head. It was an 8 hour hike with lunch stop and everything, and worth every moment!

  • Get in the River

It will be cold! But in a place with so many rivers and watering holes, you just have to take advantage of them. Pretty much every hike runs across a river or creek, so your options are extensive. Lale actually got into the pool from where La Antigua Floresta gets its water and helped clear the pipe of leaves (everyone gets their water from the rivers here, since there is no piping system, and it’s absolutely drinkable).

  • Pick Andean Blueberries

There are scores of Andean Blueberry plants behind La Antigua Floresta. During a chill day, there’s nothing quite like picking blueberries and then making jelly, dessert or pancakes with them.

  • You can Apply to Volunteer

As of now, La Antigua Floresta has a ways to go. Silvio is looking to make it a proper hostel for climbers and non-climbers alike, with a capacity to host lots of people and make them feel like they’re at home. If you’re looking to get cheaper lodging, want to get your hands dirty or would like to help develop this upcoming climbing area, we suggest you contact the place and see what you can set up! (Contact info below).

  • Eat. A lot.

One thing La Antigua Floresta has had from the start is a fully equipped kitchen. They even have one of those industrial ovens with four doors! We made some delicacies while we were there: French bread, lasagna, pizza, cinnamon rolls, some delicious oatmeal and pancakes with Andean blueberries and more. Silvio is a great chef, or you can pay for cooking space. You’ll have to hike in with all your groceries, so choose wisely. Still, I’d say a difficult hike is worth it for a full belly at all times.

Biosafety

The hostel has important biosafety protocols for everyone’s safety. You have to make a reservation beforehand, fill out a Health Statement and Liability Exemption Form and disinfect yourself and your belongings upon arrival. The maximum number of climbers allowed during the pilot program is 8 climbers in the climbing area.

Some Things to Know

  • To contact Silvio directly, you can call or WhatsApp him at (321) 389-9107. You can also message him on Instagram on La Antigua Floresta or Escalada Tona‘s pages. Drop them a follow too to support this venture!
  • Staying at La Antigua Floresta costs $25,000 pesos per day.
  • You can rent all sorts of camping and climbing gear.
  • Low or old cars might have trouble on the last stretch of the journey up. If you want to play it safe, you can take the same road from above, though it is a longer trip.
  • Before getting to the hostel, you have to hike a 1.5 km path from the road. We highly recommend taking luggage with which you can hike (learn from our mistake)!
  • As of October, 2020, there are 11 climbing routes in one climbing area and 6 in the other. Routes are being opened as often as possible, but nuts and bolts are expensive, so the endeavor may be slow at times.
  • There is ONE toll from Bucaramanga to La Antigua Floresta, and none on the way back.
  • The cell service that connects best in this area is Claro.

We truly hope this helps make up your mind to visit! It’s a new climbing area close to Bucaramanga, and its going to be huge. If you’ve been wondering where to climb in Colombia or Santander, this is as good a place as any. Let us know if you do!

If you’d like to see a long list of climbing areas in Colombia, click here and read on!

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 Suesca

Posted on August 29, 2018
outdoor adventures close to Bogota, Suesca Rocks, Rocas de Suesca, Virgin, climbing, colombia, railroad, how to get to Suesca, where to climb in colombia

The reason Suesca has so much tourism, and especially so much adventure tourism, is the Suesca Rocks (Rocas de Suesca in Spanish). The climbing here eventually also attracted mountain bikers and hikers. Then, hostels and restaurants started springing up, and now Suesca is a common weekend getaway for people from Bogota. There is so much to do: if you want adrenaline or nature and relaxation, Suesca’s got it. This is how to get to Suesca. You’ll also find what to do in Suesca and some things to know below!

If you’re in Suesca to climb, you’ll be interested in reading this blog post on Macheta, a less touristy place with steep, 5.12+ climbing!

How to Get to Suesca

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

In Public Transportation:

  1. From Bogota, take a bus directly to Suesca. You can take the bus from the Portal Norte, which is Bogota’s Northern Bus Terminal, and anywhere on the Autopista Norte (the main highway going north) after Calle 183.
  2. If you’re going to the town of Suesca, tell the driver and it will be obvious when to get off.
  3. If you’re going to Suesca’s touristy area, or the Suesca Rocks, tell the driver you’re getting off at the entrance to the Suesca Rocks (la entrada a las Rocas de Suesca, in Spanish). Stay alert to when you’re getting there because sometimes the bus driver will forget to tell you you’ve arrived (you’ll see a lot of restaurants, climbing centers and hostels on your right).
  4. You’ll find the entrance to the Suesca Rocks on a corner with a Monodedo store. Go in that road and you’ll get to a railroad.
  5. Follow the railroad left and you’ll get to the Suesca Rocks.

In a Car:

With a GPS: if you’re going to the town of Suesca, enter “Suesca, Cundinamarca” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions. If you’re going to the Suesca Rocks, enter “Suesca Rocks” and do the same.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogota going north and stay on the main road to Tunja, not the one that passes Chia.
  2. Shortly after passing the second toll from Bogota, you’ll see a sign that says Guatavita and Suesca are to the right. Suesca is actually to the left, but you have to turn right after the bridge to take the roundabout, get on the brigde and cross it, and take the other roundabout to get on the road back to Bogota.
  3. About 50 meters (150 feet) from there, you’ll see two roads to the right: an unpaved road that goes through a gas station and then an actual road that’s in terrible condition. Take either of them.
  4. Following this road, you’ll soon get to a fork in the road where you have the option to go left towards Nemocon or right towards Suesca. Go right and you’ll be headed straight to Suesca.
  5. Right before Suesca, there’s a sign that points to the right towards the Cañon de la Lechuza (Owl Canyon). Stay to the left to get all the way to the town of Suesca.
  6. If you’re going to the Suesca Rocks, which is before the town, you can park shortly after you pass the road to Owl Canyon, where you’ll see a bunch of restaurants, climbing centers and hostels on your right. The parking lot is to the left, in a big grassy area.
  7. After parking, walk the way you were driving and you’ll find the entrance to the Suesca Rocks on a corner with a Monodedo store. Go in that road and you’ll get to a railroad.
  8. Follow the railroad left and you’ll get to the Suesca Rocks.

What to do in Suesca

Climbing:

If you’re not a climber, you can find a lot of hostels and tour agencies that offer climbing services. The best ones are on the street before the entrance to the rocks. I’ll warn you now, it can be pricey, but climbing is so worth it. Climbing is an extreme sport, but it is totally safe if the people you’re with know what they’re doing. It is a physical and mental challenge and a beautiful sport.

If you’re a climber, you can buy the guide book to Suesca at the Monodedo store that’s on the corner of the road you take to get to the Suesca Rocks. Other than that, do your thing. The climbing in Suesca is known for being old-school because the park has been developed since the 70s. Nowadays, the park has over 500 routes, with so many left to be opened. It has sport climbing and trad and can have some crazy run-outs. The rock is slick from use, slabby as hell and a 5.9 can be a 5.11. There are multi-pitch routes all along the cliff that you can top out. The climbing is very mental and very vertical. Enjoy!

Where to Stay:

Suesca has an endless amount of places to stay – hotels, hostels and AirBnB’s. But we know the best place! Some friends of ours have a large property right outside Suesca with a beautiful house with big windows all around. That’s without mentioning the huge fireplace, great for a rainy day spent under blankets, and the fountain that murmurs all day long. It’s one of the most comfortable place we’ve ever been. Here’s the link to their AirBnB site – they rent the house out or do it per person, and the property also has a perfect camping area.

Cycling:

Mountain biking in Suesca is almost as popular as the climbing. Suesca has some trails with long, difficult climbs and equally long, much more fun downhill rides. It’s a great place to bike because you can get some good exercise and then walk to the cliff, have a picnic or eat at an amazing restaurant. Here’s a link with a ton of bike trails to can take around Suesca. Get out there on your bicycle and enjoy this place!

Hiking:

  • Laguna de Suesca (Suesca Lagoon): one great place for a hike is the Suesca Lagoon. It is a big lagoon, not too deep, where you can fish. How to get to the Suesca Lagoon: enter Mirador de la Laguna de Suesca” in your GPS and follow the directions. If you don’t have a GPS, stay on the road on which you enter Suesca, which is Carrera 4A. Once outside of the town, where the road splits into three, take the middle road. Follow this road until an intersection where there will be a statue of the virgin mary to your left. Go left. Then take the next left turn and you’ll get to the Suesca Lagoon Lookout Point.
  • Tunnels: there’s a hike where you get to a tunnel that’s part of the Suesca railroad. I haven’t been there but it looks amazing! To get to these tunnels, turn left once you enter Suesca and then take the following right turn to get on Carrera 5. Follow this road out of the town. At the following intersection, turn left. Stay on this road and you’ll arrive at the railroad and tunnels, which will be on you left. Look at the map below to understand how to get there!
  • Cañon de la Lechuza (Owl Canyon): this place is known for the owls you can see during the afternoon and night and the tall cliffs that surround this part of the Bogota river’s riverbed. The best way to get here is to walk from the entrance to the Suesca Rocks, go left and follow the railroad. That way, you’ll see the rocks, the large statue of the virgin Mary, the camping area and Owl Canyon. The other option is to walk above the Suesca Rocks to the canyon. To walk up there, don’t go left with the railroad. Instead, keep going straight up the hill. You can see all this information in the map below!

Camping:

If you follow the railroad for about 10 minutes with the cliffs on your right, you’ll come to a large campsite right by the railroad to the left. It’s a great place to camp close to the rocks, but a lot of the people who stay there are there to drink and not to sleep. It’s a fun plan, but not everyone’s thing. It costs $15,000 Colombian pesos (about $5 dollars) a night per person. Another option is to go glamping, which is camping glamourously. NIDDO is a hostel with tent-like rooms that are very comfortable and even more attractive. It’s a cool experience!

Some things to know:

  • You can buy the climbing guide to Suesca at Monodedo, which is indicated in the map below.
  • The climbing here is technical, as much in the climbing style as in gear knowledge and mental strength (leading can be scary).
  • Make sure you take cash in Colombian pesos, especially small bills to pay buses and stores/services that can’t take your card.
  • Camping in the campsite in front of the Suesca Rocks costs $15,000 pesos per person a night.
  • The road right before the entrance to the Suesca Rocks is full of hostels, restaurants, stores and tour agencies that can help you with practically anything.
  • The rainy seasons are from April to June and October to November.

I hope this helped you learn how to get to Suesca and what to do in Suesca! If you’re looking for another place to explore close by, you can check out out blog on the Neusa Dam!

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