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Travel Guide

The Best Cycling Routes Close to Bogota

best cycling routes close to bogota

Cycling has become more and more of a trend in Colombia, and it’s no surprise. The country is full of gorgeous scenery, and Bogota is no exception with its plains and mountains. Whatever you want to ride, you got it! We delved into biking a bit during the coronavirus pandemic and want to let you know what we consider are the best cycling routes close to Bogota! We saved the best for last, so read on!

Click here for the best cycling climbs close to Bogota!

The Best Cycling Routes Close to Bogota

5. Patios

Patios is probably the most crowded route because it’s not much of a route, it’s just a climb – an amazing one at that. So I suppose the route includes getting to the intersection of Calle 85 and Carrera 7 from wherever you are in Bogota and then heading on up. The reason this route is so famous is because you get a 6 km climb right out of Bogota. If you keep going after Patios, you can complete VALS the other way around (it’s a little harder that way).

4. VALS

This is probably the most legendary cycling route, and is for sure one of the most enjoyable. VALS stands for Vuelta a la Sabana or “Lap around the Savannah.” You exit Bogota going north, complete the route to Briceño, take a right towards Sopó and finish off heading back towards Bogota through the mountains. It has a little bit of everything and finishes off with a few climbs and a 4 km climb before Bogotá. Doing it this way, you get to Patios from the back side.

3. Alto del Águila + Páramo Guerrero

This biking route isn’t as well-known as the others on this list (which may be the reason we enjoyed it so much), but it is amazing. First, you have to get to Zipaquirá, a town to the north of Bogotá. From there, you climb for about 6 km to Alto del Águila and then have about 11 km of ups and downs. The area is absolutely beautiful!

2. Yerbabuena

We love this route because it’s close to us and ends with a difficult 4 km climb up to Yerbabuena. You can get it all done in about 2 hours and get a great workout. Plus, if you want to go for a little longer ride, you can always head to Briceño (keeping north and a great, flat 50 km ride) before or after the climb.

1. El Verjon

This route will take you through Bogota, all the way downtown and then up an 11 km climb, which you can extend another 5 km of ups and downs. It’s Lala’s favorite cycling climb close to Bogota, which makes the trip through the city worthwhile. Traffic gets worse the later it gets, though, so definitely try to aim for an early start! The scenery is beautiful from the get-go and you feel outside of the city and civilization almost immediately.

Whether you’re an amateur or experienced cyclist, there’s routes for your all around Bogotá, and we can’t even begin to list them all or all their variations! But right here is a list of the best cycling routes close to Bogota for you to enjoy. All of these are best on road bikes, but we’ve done them on mountain bikes because that’s what we have, and we’ve loved them. Hope this helps!

If you’d like to read about adventures to be had close to Bogota, click here!

Travel Guide

How to get to the Sutatausa Bluffs

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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