Category: Bogotá

The stunning Cerró de Guadalupe stands out in Bogotà’s skyline where the statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, built by sculptor Gustavo Arcila Uribe in 1946 and the accompanying chapel are visible from vantage points across the city. Situated in the eastern hills across from Cerró de Monserrate, Bogotá’s premier tourist attraction, which also offers great views of the statue. Cerró de Guadalupe is much less popular, but arguably the more beautiful cousin, and is well worth a trip. The views of the Bogotà Savannah are  stunning, with a better angle to see more of the city and being less popular means that you can have the peak to yourself and enjoy a tranquil respite from the metropolis.

The trip is a little more challenging than Monserrate. Public transport all the way to the top is only available on Sundays, which I recommend you avoid as then it will be packed with church goers. You can get a flavour how busy the route becomes on Sunday’s by reading the Parque Ecológial Matarredonda post, as we took a bus that passed the entrance. The entrance is a short bus ride form Calle 6 and then a 2km walk to the top, which is a long a road so its not as steep as it sounds. If you visit on a weekday you might not see another soul.

There are many stunning hikes up to the Cerros surrounding Bogota which start in the city itself. Read my post about hiking to Mirador Aguadora from Usaquen, which can be combined with a slightly longer Camino del Indio with Emblase San Rafel as a backdrop. Alternatively you can choose from 4 different hikes that from part of Quebrada la Vija, including one that takes you up to the closest Palmero direct from Chapinero.

Information

1. Our Experience
2. How to get to Cerro de Guadalpue

Our Experience

I had located Cerró de Guadalupe on the map when we were returning from the El Chorro Waterfall hike, not really realising what it was at the time. We had driven past the access road on the way to the waterfall and I pulled out my map to see where the rad led. After popping in the pin in the map and some research I realised that it was the same mountain as the statue so this hike was added to the growing list. One Friday we decided to hike up to the Mirador Aguadora from Usaquen but when we arrived we were told by security that the path was closed for maintenance. Not really wanting to give up as we were ready for a hike Angela suggested we attempted this climb instead. So we jumped on a long bus ride across the city and instead headed up to Cerro de Guadalupe.

The bus leaves from Calle 6 south of downtown so we headed to Tercer Mileno, Carrera 14 and Calle 6, right next to Parque Tercer Milenio. From there head out the south entrance to the main bus terminal on calle 6. I would recommend taking an Uber or a Taxi as the area os not the safest, although you will be fine between the Transmilenio and Bus Terminal. From the terminal you need to get on the bus to Choachi but tell them you want to get off at Cerró de Guadalupe, which is about half an hour into the journey. It’s around $4000 each way and you will get dropped off by the driver on the side of the main road on the access road that leads to the top of the mountain.As soon as you are off the bus you will be able to breath in the pine smelling fresh air.

From here just follow the road until the top and you can’t get lost as there are no turn offs. We began the walk already surrounded by the trees that cover the eastern hills of Bogotà. The whole 2km hike is uphill, with several respites, and we set off at a nice easy pace as we knew the hike was pretty short. You will be walking along a road, with cars, although you can hear them from a distance and there are no parts where they can not easily pass you. We didn’t see any other hikers but on this Friday afternoon we did meet some workmen fixing the road. Well they had stopped for lunch at the time.

It was nice and quiet and when you do reach the top there is a small car park and some tourist shops and restaurants. Most were closed and we bypassed those that were open. Although you are not far from the city I’d make sure you bring food and water. After all its the perfect place to stop and enjoy lunch.

When you reach the top be prepared for the views to take your breath away.

The 50 ft Virgin statue is more impressive close up.

And you can see Cerro de Monseratte opposite, and you can be smug knowing that you can look down on and have a better view of the city than the toruisits on the other cerro.

These will be your views while you are at the top. Take you time to enjoy the experience.

And a quick look at the surrounding mountains.

There are not a lot of things to do at the top but its really worth the trip for an afternoon – I would advise you not to come here for the sunset. I’m not sure how late the busses run but as with most of Bogota this area was known for muggings and I’ve read that it is much safer than it was, but always be careful. We didn’t see anything to make us scared. Just be wary of your valuables.

Afterwards it was just a case of retracing our steps back down the road. The 2km passes pretty quickly when you are walking downhill. Cross the main road and flag down one of the busses heading back to Bogota.We were waiting for 15-20 minutes and it shouldn’t take you too long. Again when you arrive at the bus station on Calle 6 either book and Uber or walk directly to the Transmileno station.

How to arrive at Cerró de Guadalupe

You need to go to the TansMilenio station Tercer Mileno, Carrera 14 and Calle 6, right next to Parque Tercer Milenio. Make sure that you either take and Uber, Taxi or Transmileno. If you take the bus then leave by the south entrance and walk directly to the bus terminal. I’ve been told to keep out of certain areas of the city and this is one. That said the next bus stop you need to reach from the Transmilenio is one block away and there is a police station on the way so it’s safe, just don’t stray.

The Bus station you want to reach is on Calle 6 and on Maps.me (which I really recommend you downloading) it’s marked with two names, La Estaanzuela and Transoroente. To find it, take the south entrance from the station and head to the right, west, away from the mountains. If you don’t find it within one block you have gone too far.

From here you will need to take a bus to Choachi, $4000, and ask to be dropped at the road for Cerró de Guadalupe. Busses are pretty regular and from where you are dropped its a 2km walk to the top. When you are ready walk back down and flag one of the busses heading back to Bogota.

Equipment to Take

This is a short hike so you don’t need to be overly pre-paired. I always wear hiking gear but its not necessary on this trip. As the hike is in Bogotà take some warm clothing and its best to have waterproofs on hand in the event of rain.

The walk up is more of a walk than a hike, but I’d advise wearing sensible shoes and taking a bottle of water. There are no toilets on the walk and limite places to stock up on supplies, once you leave the bus terminal at Calle 6. Although you are only a short distance from the city I would advise that you bring everything food and dink wise for an afternoon excursion

There are many stunning hikes up to the Cerros surrounding Bogota which start in the city itself. Read my post about hiking to Mirador Aguadora from Usaquen, which can be combined with a slightly longer Camino del Indio with Emblase San Rafel as a backdrop. Alternatively you can choose from 4 different hikes that from part of Quebrada la Vija, including one that takes you up to the closest Palmero direct from Chapinero.

Perhaps the number one destination for panoramic views of  downtown Bogotá, for both tourists and locals alike, is Cerró de Monserrate. Famous for its church, where on Sundays legions of parishioners make their way up, via cable car, train and hiking, for the weekly service, the Cerro provides a little sanctuary from the bustling city below. Travel up in the evening to enjoy the sun set over the Andes and see the skyline come alive with lights or take an early morning hike and reward yourself with a deserved Agua de Panela when you arrive.

The cerro was considered sacred by the indigenous Minca population, long before colonisation, as the sun rises directly behind the mountain during the solstice. This focal point was not lost and the Brotherhood of Vera Cruz built a shrine here which became the location of the city’s first cathedral.

At the top you will find a number of markets, shops and cafes and is considered one of the foremost tourist attractions in Bogota, so make sure its included on you itinerary. From the top you can see another white church and a giant statue of the virgin on the neighbouring Cerró de Guadalupe which offers even more spectacular views of the city. Its for those who want to avoid the crowds and who want more adventure as the route is slightly more tricky.

There are many stunning hikes up to the Cerros surrounding Bogota which start in the city itself. Read my post about hiking to Mirador Aguadora from Usaquen, which can be combined with a slightly longer Camino del Indio with Emblase San Rafel as a backdrop. Alternatively you can choose from 4 different hikes that from part of Quebrada la Vija, including one that takes you up to the closest Palmero direct from Chapinero.

Information

1. Our Experience
2. How to arrive

Our Experience

The first day that Angela and I had met, in my stopover in Bogotá, back in 2018, she pointed out the church on the mountain top. At the time we were walking around the downtown are and a 2km hike with an elevation of 500 metres felt easy. Flash forward 9 months having returned to London for 4 months and I was in much worse shape. I kept telling Angela that we would run up there the day I arrived back. She laughed, and was right to, she always is. After having landed at 4am with serious jet lag I spent the first weekend being spaced out and adjusting to my new surroundings. Instead we decided to go the following Saturday.

If you’ve been following my hikes in Bogotá you might be wondering why I’m posting this out of sequence. The truth is that on the day we hiked there was so much rain we were actually hiking in a cloud. Taking photographs of anything but grey was problematic so I sat on this one until a sunnier day when we returned in the evening, this time taking the Teleferico, saw the views that are the reason people flock to this site and armed with a new set of photos I could now write up the story.

Hiking

On the day of the hike we woke up to a grey skies, something I would become accustomed to over time. We took a Transmileno to Parque de Los Periodis on the Transmilenio and from there walked up the the trail head, located near the Teleférico on Carrera 1. Downtown is considered a little dangerous so there is good reason to take a taxi or Uber to the trail head if you want. We had also read a lot of information online about the not being safe but I think like lots of places in South America, especially where tourists are concerned things are getting safer. We hiked on a Saturday morning and there was a police presence which is helping to keep the path safe. Its open from 6am-4pm but you you won’t be allowed to start the hike after 1pm. I would advise going early.

During the walk up from the bus station the rain started, slow at first but really quickly turning into a down pour. As we started hiking up the trail it already felt as if we were in a cloud. The higher we went the more dense it became and the views from the top were grey. The climb is around 2km in total and although there are lots of people panting and taking there time there should be no reason why you can’t reach the top even if you are unfit. There are lots of steps so if you have mobility problems maybe give this a miss, but we took Lorenzo who was 4 at the time and there were lots of pensioners giving it there all.

There are lost of places on the route to buy drinks, use the bathroom and rest. It’s steep in places but unless you have a serious knee problem, I think you will be fine. Take your time, rest and enjoy the view. We found it a little tough that day as I hadn’t acclimatised to the altitude properly yet.

By the time we reached the top we were soaking wet and desperate for a view of the city. Sadly everything was surrounded in deep cloud and the rain started to get really heavy. We dashed into a small cafe we found close to the church and had some snacks before heading down in the train. There is a market here and a bunch of eateries I would probably avoid on the other side of the market but it’s a perfect place to spend a few hours and enjoy the view…assuming there is one! But its a good places to spend a sunny afternoon or an evening watching the sun set.

Teleférico

We returned a few months later to watch the sun set. The weather in Bogotá had changed and after over a week of beautiful sunny evenings on the Friday we found the time to return. I was excited as thought it would be an amazing place to see the sunset and I was not disappointed. We rode up on the Teleférico, which is $21,000 for a round trip and much quicker than hiking, also if you go in the evening hiking is not permitted. Make sure you get here with plenty of time to spare as it can get busy close to the sun set and it will get cold on the top when the sun has gone so make sure you dress appropriately.  As you ascend you will be treated to a panoramic view of the city, so its well worth a little jostling with the other passengers for a better spot. There are two cars which leave at the same time, crossing over in the middle, which means it takes some time between each trip and you might be in the line for some time. We had to wait for nearly an hour before we could ride back down after the sun set.

As soon as you exit at the top you are greeted with a view of the Church. You can go in and look but this time there was a service taking place and we were presented with much more distracting views.

Bogota just stretches out in front of you and actually this is just the south of the city. You can’t see a lot of the north from here as the view is blocked by the mountains.

This is the view of the Church on Cerro de Guadalupe, which is well worth a visit and you can read about in the separate blog post.

If you walk past the Church you will come across a market that sells everything you would usually find in a tourist hot-spot. If you keep going through the market and out the other side and you will find a lot of small restaurants restaurants and we would not recommend that you . Angela didn’t trust them as it was late and they all had a lot of food out. Angela asked me what I thought they were going to do with the left over food. The answer was, cook it tomorrow. And we had no idea if they had cooked it the day before.

If you walk past the restaurants then you will come out on a side of the hill that gringos don’t normally find. I have been told that it is possible to buy chicha here (at your own risk) but sadly on this day the seller was nowhere to be found. What you can find are more stunning views of the surrounding mountains and the city.

We headed back to the main spot to watch the sunset and it was beautiful through the clouds, watching the sky turn read as it dropped behind the mountains. As the sky became darker it started to get really cold. Bogota is not the warmest place on earth at the best of times especially at night, but its much colder up on the hills so make sure you dress appropriately.

I couldn’t resist getting some closeups of the clouds. When I zoomed in with my long lens I felt like I was flying through the clouds.

After taking a lot of shots of the city it became too dark to take more photos. We waited until the sun had fully set and the city lights had turned on. The transition was beautiful and I was really happy to have experienced it. We took the Teleferico back down, but there was a long line of people, some of them very cold. Angela was happy that she could understand conversations in 4 languages which kept her occupied while we waited for an hour to get back down. When we did reach the bottom we ordered and Uber as this is an area you don’t want to walk around in the dark. Do make sure you take a taxi on to your next destination.

How to get to Cerro de Monseratte

There are three options you can take depending on the time you want to visit. You can hike the 2km path up (not as hard as it sounds) or take the Teleferico or Funciular.

If you are in Downtown you can just walk up to where Carrera 1 meets Carrera 3, or the closest Transmileno stop is Universidads. When you exit the station walk towards and then cross Parque Germania. Follow the small stream up the hill along Calle 22 and you will come out by the station and entrance to the hike. I would just suggest taking a taxi or an Uber form your hotel as the cost is so low and they will drop you off in the correct spot.

If you do want to hike the route is open 6am –  4pm but the latest you can start the hike up is at 1pm. The path has been flagged as dangerous and there is a police present, at least at the weekends, but I’ve been told it is much safer and you can hike all week. Just be aware of your valuables when hiking. It shouldn’t take much longer than two hours, which was our time with a 4 year old in tow and although its steep in places it shouldn’t be too challenging. There are plenty of places to stop and rest along the way and some great views.

If you decide to take the transport its $21000 for a return ticket and $12000 for a single. Just consider that there are long queues at peak times, especially weekends and we had to wait for an hour to get back down after sunset. But you can’t walk at this time.

Equipment to Take

If you are taking the Teleferico or Funciular then take some warm clothing, especially if you are going up to watch the sun set. It also rains a lot in Bogota and often with little warning so it would be a good idea to be prepared.

The walk up is more of a walk than a hike, but I’d advise wearing sensible shoes and taking a bottle of water. There are plenty of places on the walk and at the top to stock up on supplies and you are only a short distance from the city so if you do get hurry then you can always head back down again.

There are many stunning hikes up to the Cerros surrounding Bogota which start in the city itself. Read my post about hiking to Mirador Aguadora from Usaquen, which can be combined with a slightly longer Camino del Indio with Emblase San Rafel as a backdrop. Alternatively you can choose from 4 different hikes that from part of Quebrada la Vija, including one that takes you up to the closest Palmero direct from Chapinero.

Cerro Quininí is located in a natural park situated high in the Colombian Andes. Surrounded by green mountains from horizon to horizon you can see birds of prey hunting in the warm coffee growing region. Located a only two hours drive from Bogotá you will be amazed how much the landscape and climate change in the short distance as the constant cold is replaced with warm and sunny days, with enough cloud cover to keep you protected when hiking. The small towns in the region make this the perfect weekend getaway from the bustle, cold and pollution of Bogotá. You can come and stay on one of the many coffee farms or in one of the small towns and enjoy playing Tejo with the locals.

When we took the long bus journey back to Bogotá from Pereira I was looking out of the window scouting for locations to hike. I remember being excited when I spotted Cerro Quininí due to its proximity to Bogotá and the trails on Maps.me. After some research I found some stunning photos of the park, especially the overhanging rock. I found a blog which gave very sketchy details about how to arrive (which I can no longer locate). Armed with very little knowledge a phone booking at a family run hotel near the trail head and a strong will to arrive we decided to try and see how far we could get. But as always we seemed to find the right people to help us along and with a little luck we found our way to the top.

If you are interested in other weekend hikes away from Bogotá then read my guide to Laguna de Iguaque, a high altitude hike to a sacred lake close to Villa de Leyva a UNESCO heritage town full of delicious restaurants. Or a little further afield is Capurgana, a tropical paradise on the border with Panama where there are many different jungle hiking trails or you can just relax on pristine beaches.

Information

1. Our Experience
2. How to arrive at Cerro Quininí
3. Equipment to take

Our Experience

With a holiday weekend coming up and the location being a few hours outside of Bogotá we opted to make this an overnight trip. You could easily extend for the weekend if you find the right spot as the relaxing towns and the warm temperatures make it the perfect getaway. And it will save you having to rush back to the city after the hike as happened with us. In hindsight it was good that we did set out this timescale as it took us more than 2 hours to arrive at the bus station to leave a very wet Bogotá.

There was only one hotel, a few towns far, available on Booking.com, which was expensive, but we found a few hotels on Google Maps near the trail head. As the primary reason for going was to hike it made perfect sense to us to stay near the trial. We called the Hacienda de Vuelta, which I would highly reccomend, and were quoted $60000 for the night for both of us.

The most difficult part in the journey for us was leaving the city. Angela had to work so we agreed to meet at the Tansmileno Estación near where she worked at 1:30pm. Our aim was to get to the Terminal de Transporte Del Sur in Bogotá, which is close to Estación Bosa. I was following Angela and and she was following me and we accidentally ended up at the end of the line. We were told to flag a bus from the main road, and stupidly attempted, crossing a three lane highway to get to the main highway. Rammed with traffic it was impossible to find the bus we needed. It wasn’t a god day to flag a bus anyways as all the seats were already taken so we decided to run back across the busy highway and return to the correct Transmileno station, Estación Bosa, and take a bus from the terminal.

When you arrive to head to the north side of the road and turn right and the main terminal is 4-5 blocks along staying on the main road. You will soon see the station on your left. As we left the Transmileno station it started to rain and by the time we reached the terminal we were already wet.

There is no bus to Tibacuy and we were offered the chance to be dropped off on the main road, Highway Panamericana, by getting a bus to Fusagasugá. We brought tickets as we wanted to see how far we could get and just hoped there would be onward travel when we arrived. We were already tired and disheartened by this point as it had taken over two hours since I left the house to reach this point. So I really stocked up on well needed snacks and we arrived at the very full bus to claim out seats just before it left at around 3:30pm.

The two hour journey was one of the busiest and sketchiest busses I’ve been on. The local busses are really not as fun as the long distance. We had been told to get off at the highway but I reasoned the best place to get another bus would be at the terminal. Besides I’d rather be at a terminal than standing beside a highway not really sure what I was looking for. When we arrived Angela asked the driver where we could get connecting transport and we were told to go back to the highway. Don’t do that as we have done the painful work for you. We asked again at the main terminal we were told that there were collectivos that went to Tibacuy but they didn’t always pull into the bus station. So the best thing was to head into town. Although for some reason no one knew where in town to go. We took a local bus marked Centro and lots of people all piled on. I kept checking our location on the maps and after we seemed to reach the city centre Angela asked the bus driver who told us to get off and pointed us to walk back down the main road we had just came.

This information didn’t sit right with me as it meant we were heading back out of town and all the traffic was going into the town so we reasoned we should at least cross the road. We did and another passer by told us that the busses only came once and hour, so we waited on the road looking for destinations in the window of passing busses. It was at least 5:30 by this point and starting to get dark so we walked a few blocks north and Angela asked a few more people and we spotted a road where a lot of busses were coming from. We waited here but saw no busses coming for our destination but we waited and looked for what felt like a really long time. If felt as if the rain was going to start again any minute so I was desperate to find the right bus and on the verge of giving up when two guys came to join us. I spoke to them in my best Spanish and I found out they were waiting for the same bus, but they soon they left without saying anything and walked off towards the town. Knowing the bus came down the road I asked in a shop where is started and was given directions but told it would pass. I don’t always like waiting and wanted to be on the move and we headed off in the direction that the others had waled and on the next block stopped as we found a really dirty market square. I asked again and was told the bus left from the other side of the square.

We crossed the square and went down Carrera 11 and just on the left was a full collectivo-which is why I say it’s best to come here rather than flag on the street as the bus did not stop for anyone else. There was no space left! We grabbed the last two seats and were soon again on our way. It was around 6:30 pm by this stage and it’s a good hour and a half journey to the final stop. The collectivo headed back toward highway Pan Americana, drove back towards Bogotá for a time and took a left towards Tibacuy. It first winds it’s way down into the valley and then back up again the other side. The road is bumpy but you get some great views during the day, but for us it was pitch black and we just dealt with being jostled around crammed into a small bus. The collectivo stopped in various small towns and villages until we were the last passengers. And then we were dropped at the trail head. There are a couple of food stalls and a bar so if you want to stop and rest up you can.

As it was already dark we decided to head up the trail to the hotel, drop our stuff and return here for a well earned beer. I was so happy that we had arrived and knowing the hotel was a short walk up the path made me really excited. The excitement dissipated walking in the dark takes much longer than it does in daylight. I was wearing a jumper and jeans and it was much hotter, darker and longer walk than we expected. We only had our phones for light – I really needed to pack a head torch but as we were generally doing day trips I never considered it necessary. After being barked at by every dog in the all of the houses we passed was not much fun. We arrived to a very warm welcome but feeling a little broken and exhausted. Luckily the hospitality we were shown turned this all around really quickly.

We were shown to our lodgings which was in a building with a tonne of rooms and we were the only occupants. I purchased some really cold beer, and sank one almost immediately, and water from our hosts and we opted to stay here for dinner rather than heading back down the trail to where we were dropped off. There were four dogs who joined us for dinner and we were treated to a hearty chicken, rice and plantain. It was simple but delicious. We sunk a few more beers and then headed to bed exhausted. But the bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve ever slept on.

We awoke the next day and found ourselves in a paradise. I had asked for breakfast at 7am as the sun was still rising and there were so many animals around, including the cockerels who had kept me awake for a portion of the night I decided to photograph the animals.

There was a parrot who was singing La Cucaracha and climbing around his cage.

The four dogs who watched us eat every meal were posing in the sunlight.

Even the cockerels were on form, posing, eating grain and chasing each other around.

The hotel where we were staying was also a coffee farm and this giant barn used to be used for drying coffee beans. Now it’s all done in a small metal container and the farm doesn’t need to employ so many staff.

This is the container in the picture below.

Just as we started breakfast the owner placed some bananas on a bird table. I didn’t really think much of it until these colourful birds started appearing. I grabbed my camera which was already on hand and snapped away.

And then when I was excited to have seen all the birds a hummingbird fluttered by. They move stupidly fast and I was lucky I had my camera ready to go.

After breakfast we explored the gardens in the day light a little and I went back to finish prepping the bags for the hike. Angel played on the swing and found an orange growing in the garden.

But then we were off and it was around 8am. The sun was still rising giving us beautiful views and it was already hot, looking like we were going to get a great day, despite the clouds in the sky. We turned right out of the hostel and followed the path up to the mountains. I don’t remember how soon it was after we left but we were very quickly joined by a four legged companion. I named her Winston, before we later realised he was in fact a she. For some reason I assume all dogs are boys and all cats are girls, which is not how life works.

It’s not the first time we’ve been joined by a dog but it was the first time we had such an eager complaining who stayed with us until the bitter end. When we returned we saw her run back into the neighbouring property so I can only assume she waits for hikers to walk up the mountain in the morning and takes herself for a walk. She definitely had fun!

At the beginning of the hike the path ascends rapidly via switchbacks before steadying for a while as you hit meadows. Here are some of our views from beginning of the trail

The path is leafy and surrounded by trees. Here you can see Winston looking after Angela as we made our ascent.

The path takes on a number of switchbacks taking you steadily higher and providing better views. You walk past a number of properties and small holdings, many of which have happy dogs, before walking through a few coffee plantations.

Once you pass around the side of the meadows and the path weaves past the farm houses, with some very barky dogs, and the coffee farms we entered enter some dense forest. It’s here where the path gets really steep. There are a number of switchbacks taking you up to the top of the mountain. All in all the trail is not stupidly long, but it is steep. Winston kept running off into the trees chasing birds and I assume ghosts as I had no idea what she was after.

Sooner than we though we arrived at the top where the path opens up on to a gravel road and from here is a few hundred metres to the park entrance. You soon realise why you came all this way.

Currently entrance to the park stands at $10,000. It was around 9am by the time we arrived and the park was just opening up. We paid our fee to the señoría and headed in. We were given a warning not to stand or sit on the edge of the overhanging rock, which you might have seen in the Instagram photos. There is a crack in it and they are waiting for engineers or whoever accesses cracks in rocks to determine if it’s safe. I for one decided to avoid as I don’t like the idea of dying just to get a better photo, but also I don’t want my legacy to be the cause of deaths of others in an avalanche which also resulted in destroying a local landmark. But that’s just me…

It seems that there are organised tours should want a guide but this park is completly accessible by yourself.

There is one main path that leads into the park, so we followed before taking a small detour to walk along the ridge looking out over the valley. The photo below is actually the other side.

Winston was fearless and posed on any rocks she could find in order to get a better profile pic.

Angela tried to get some shots with Winston but it seems Winston is not interested in sharing her social media presence.

We walked along the ridge for a time, stopping at the different locations. This mountain was considered sacred by the local indigenous peoples and there are a few places where you can stop and see rock paintings and the sacred sights. The path goes up and down a little but nothing significant in comparison to what you have walked on the way up. We reached the famous rock, Cara del Indio and stopped for some food. We had lunch booked at the hotel for when e arrived back but snacks are always necessary and this time I shared with Winston still feeling guilty after Pionono Park. It took maybe an hour to reach this point, but we didn’t push ourselves. The sun looked like it was clearing the cloud away and the mountains in the horizon were covered in a lot of haze-I can’t tell if it was pollution or not, so we decided to wait it out a little and see what happened.

Angela didn’t sit on the cracked rock.

Winston on the other hand had no such fear.

I spotted a lizard which I’d previously chased around the Tataco Desert. I mean I don’t think it was the exact same one.

And the clouds did clear a little so I took a lot of rock photos.

We spotted a fire on the mountain across the valley.

And then decided to head back to the entrance taking a different route. It was largely in the tree cover and we didn’t see much. There was a path that seemed to lead down into the next valley but as we needed to get back today we decided not to pursue that both but instead I wanted to head up to the other cerro accessible on the ridge.

This is the one with all the mobile phone masts and there is a road leading to the top. This is free and not part of the park.

At the entrance we brought some more water and tried to give Winston a drink but it turns out that she won’t drink from the communal dog bowel and prefers mineral water. It was really warm not and she was panting a lot. We were worried about her but determined to push on. Here are some of the views form the entrance.

It’s a tough little walk up the steep road to the top. I guess it took us around another hour to reach the masts.

On the way up we met some workers who were chopping back the foliage. At one point two cyclists and a maintainer worker over took us. There were a lot of cyclists on this route and I have not idea how they made it up this high – it was tough enough walking, let alone peddling a bike.

When we reached the end of the path we found a compound for the masts blocked the road. And looking at the map the top of the mountain was up a path to the right that we had neglected to take. One of the guys who was cycling came back out from a path that led around the side of the compound. He hadn’t found anything but Angela asked the worker if there was a mirador and he said yes. So we followed the path to the left of the compound. If you decide to do this you won’t be disappointed but just be careful as the path weaves up and down and there are some big drops next to the narrow path. But then you reach the lookout point.

And it’s all rather stunning.

And if you are lucky you might see some birds.

We rested for a time but rarely for our hikes we didn’t bring lunch as it was waiting for us back at the hostel. But you could easily spend a decent amount of time here and its a great place to stop for lunch. We instead decided to head back. It took a good hour or more and in total I think we arrived back at the hostel around 1pm.

Going back down was much faster but it is tougher on the knees. Just make sure you take your time as it can be slippery in places.

Winston ran away without even saying goodbye and we headed back to pack and have lunch. We were treated to soup sancocho de gallina which thrilled Angela as she had been looking for a soup on a hike since we were walking around Minca. We knew that the Minibuses go back to the main town every 20 minutes so we were in no huge rush. We took our time to rest over lunch, I had a coke to re-energise and we walked slowly back to the trail head enjoying the sunshine. When we arrived there was a bar full of locals enjoying Águila and a game of techo. We grabbed a seat and debated a beer but rejected the idea and a collective soon pulled up. We grabbed a seat and enjoyed the long ride back in the day time where it was possible to see the surrounding mountains. On the return journey you can ask to be dropped at the bus terminal. Within seconds we were on a bus to Bogotá which nearly left without me as I was buy more crisps. Not quite sure why I’m not losing weight with all this hiking…

The bus journey is two hours back to Bogotá and drops you at the same main terminal where you departed. We asked to be dropped by the last Transmilenio station so we could get a head start.

How to get to Cerro Quininí

The main bus station in the south is called Terminal de Sur. The closest Transmileno stop is Estación Bosa. It depends on where you start in the city as to which bus to take to arrive but head to this location. When you leave the bus station take the north exit and turn right, the bus terminal is around 5-6 blocks and will be on your left.

When you arrive ask to get on a bus to Fusagasugá $12000, taking 2 hours. You can jump off on Highway Pan America but my advice is to go to the terminal, take get a bus to Centro and head to the main market and on Carrera 11 there is the collective to Cumaca, $8000, taking a good 90 minutes. On the way back get them to drop you at the main terminal. Read above for more detailed instructions and you might have luck flagging one down from the main road outside of the bus terminal as ours passed both times, but I think the office is the best place.

There are a few small towns along the way and the collectivo go every 20 minutes from around 6am until 8pm, so if you decide to stop in one of the local towns, which seemed quite fun, you can easily get to the trail head.

We decided to stay at Hacienda de Vuelta which worked out at $90000 for the night for both of us including 3 meals each and a good few beers which is a bargain. It’s at the beginning of the trail so a good place to start the hike and beautiful. If you stay at the same hotel as us or close by then that would be my recommendation, although there are plenty of places to stay in the other towns along route and they were pretty lively on a Friday night. You will just need to get a taxi or wait for the collectivo to take you to the trail head. If you do opt for this then remember to bring supplies. There is a small shop at the entrance selling sweets and drinks but not much else

If you are interested in booking a guide, I don’t think you need one to access the park but I’ve read a few posts that says its worthwhile to understand the history of the location you can try this local company. I only saw a sign advertised at the entrance so I can’t vouch for them.

Entrance to the park is $10000, and the second cerro with the phone mast is free. Take the tail up as described on Maps.me. It start where the collectivo drops you off at Estación El Ocobo. If in doubt ask, but its really easy to follow when you have located the map on maps.me

Equipment to take

Even if you decide to spend the weekend in the area the hike will only take you one day, or more likely half a day as it did for us. The main thing is to bring plenty of water and some food but as the weather is generally hot you wont need too much in terms of warm clothing:

1. Gortex hiking boots
2. Waterproof jacket
3. Dry bag or packback cover (I take both)
4. Cell phone
5. Cell phone battery
6. Charger cable
7. Sunglasses
8. Sun Cream
9. Painkillers
10. Blister plasters (better if you have a small first aid kit)
11. Hand soap
12. Tissues
13. Water filer
14. Sun hat
15. Food – enough for lunch and some snacks
16. Water 2 litres minimum

Clothes

1. Base layer
2. Long sleeved light top
3. Hiking trousers
4. Hiking underwear
5. Hiking socks

If you are interested in other weekend hikes away from Bogotá then read my guide to Laguna de Iguaque, a high altitude hike to a sacred lake close to Villa de Leyva a UNESCO heritage town full of delicious restaurants. Or a little further afield is Capurgana, a tropical paradise on the border with Panama where there are many different jungle hiking trails or you can just relax on pristine beaches.

Located just 45 minutes north of Bogotá, Pionono Park is a peaceful mountain paradise located above the small town of Sopó, which is home to Colombia’s favourite dairy, Alpina. After hiking up to the park, or taking transport to the entrance, you will experience the beautiful panoramic views of Guatavita on one side and the Valle de Sopó on the other. You can relax in The Cabana Alpina enjoying freshly prepared deserts and sweet treats as a reward. The park itself is not too large, which makes it perfect for all abilities, and it will be a welcome relief for those who, like us, decided to walk up the steep road from the town.

Once inside the park you can easily walk around the park in a few hours, which makes this the perfect day trip. Camping is available if you decide to extend your stay and it makes a great place to bring children as the camping and park are all self contained. The park itself is one of the less frequented places so you might well have the park to yourself as we did, and its definitely one of those off the beaten track, which makes it all the more special.

If you are looking for other enjoyable hikes a little out of town then you can read about my hike along the train tracks in Suesca or have a weekend away hiking up to Cerro Quininí, take the famous Instagram shot and relax in one of the small green mountain towns knocking back beers with the locals afterwards.

Information

1. Our Experience
2. How to arrive at Pionono Park
3. Equipment to take

Our Experience

I came across Pionono park as I had been trying to research for more information about Chingaza, which I have not managed to visit. Pionono sounded fun, challenging, was off the beaten track and more important easy to reach so I slotted it into the hiking schedule straight away.

The bus to Sopó, the town that sits below park, leaves from the north of Bogotá. We were told to head to Portal Norte which is not too far from our home and opted to leave a little later than usual. We took one of the local busses to the Transmilenio station and as soon as we became stuck in traffic I realised our mistake. It was here that I vowed to just take Ubers to the main bus terminals as the speed and extra cost, which is not huge, far outweighed the amount of time spend on busses crossing Bogotá.

There are now two main terminals in the north of the city and it seems that over the past couple of years the busses have been moving form Portal Note to the North Terminal, which we found out on arrival. The North Terminal is another 10 blocks north, so its not too far if you do end up at the wrong terminal. Angela wanted to walk the extra distance but as we walked past a Bicycle Taxi I suggested that we jump on board, I’m not sure the rider quite knew what he was in for with our extra weight. We joined another lady and the three of us were in for a fun and scary ride. Our rider did well and for $2000 each we were soon at the North Terminal. After scouting for busses in the main terminal we were told to go to the far side. From the main entrance go to the far right and you will see a sign for Sopó. Follow this path around the bus terminal and then there are three lines you can join. We were not waiting long before a bus pulled up and we were soon given cards to tap in and out, which was exciting as it reminded me of an Oyster card.

This bus didn’t have the man (yeah always seems to be a man) who collects the ticket money. In the UK we would call them a conductor but in Spanish a Conducer drives the bus and apparently this guy doesn’t have a job title. I’m really curious to find out how they advertise the jobs and establish the pay grade but I’m in Colombia so I don’t question these kind of things.

Sopó is a 45 minute trip north of Bogotá when you are on the bus. I tapped us both out when we reached the main plaza and the journey was $4700 each which is the cheapest so far. Ask the bus driver to drop you off along Carrera 4, otherwise it will head to the terminal the other side of town, and head to the main Plaza. Although I was following another blog I still wasn’t exactly sure where to go so we decided to stop and have a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, juice, hot chocolate and pan which came to $11000 before speaking to the tourist information which is also on the main plaza. They thought we were crazy to walk but I had read the walk to the park was harder than the hike in the park and that was why we had come. To walk up a very steep hill. 5km up a very steep hill. I laughed when I was told it would take two hours to make the climb but right from the beginning there is a steep up. There isn’t really any respite until you reach the top so just bare that in mind if you are not the best at hiking. The hike again is along a road and cars do pass, as well as some crazy cyclists. Colombians are taking their cycling seriously after winning the Tour de France. But soon you get to see beautiful views.

The town is actually really pretty and if you don’t fancy the hike you can take taxis to the park and I could see myself spending a lazy Sunday afternoon hanging around, drinking cervezas.

There are lots of helpful signs along the route to keep you on track but more importantly to remind you how little progress you have made.

But still there are lots of views of the mountains.

We were soon overtaken by a fat panting dog. Not really something to keep your ego up. But also on that corner a moped with a passenger ground to a halt due to the steepness. The passenger jumped off and started running up the road, also overtaking us, while the rider waited for the engine to cool down, caught up with her and they continued. I suppose if you live up here you get pretty fit.

And more shots of farms and houses across the valley.

Around half way we made a friend, Martin, as I named him, and he kept us going. The three men in the distance also over took us and they carried some well worked on beer bellies. However Martin kept positive. He would race ahead and wait, pacing indicating that we should try and catch-up. Or on occasions he would run back to see why progress had stopped or slowed.

There were a fair few dogs en-route, many of whom did not take kindly to Martin. But they were cute none the less. Its a very steep punishing road that seems to go up and up and up. It all feels like it rolls into one but there are impressive views and it winds its way around wonderful houses. I highly recommend taking the challenge. Especially if you are a fan of dogs.

And then we reached the top of the ridge which meant we could see Embalse de Tomine on the other side. We had been closer to this lake on the Lake Guatavita hike. The clouds by this point had become vary dark and tried to rain on us but luck prevented them. I can only imagine this view on a clear day.

Sadly for Martin dogs are not permitted in the park so we ditched him at the gates while he was sniffing around. The people at the gate were asking whose dog he was and I don’t really know how to explain that “he’s not my dog”. After all this struggle I felt a pang of guilt leaving him but I knew the real reason he had followed us all this way was due to the tasty smells coming from my backpack. We never saw him again and Angela made me feel suitably great about this as to be fair I had thrown poor Martin under a bus but completly ignoring him at the gates. Hikers should always stick together.

Entrance to the park is $5500, which is great, and if you want to camp then it’s $27600 per person, which feels like a lot. in comparison. I’d suggest this is better served as a day trip as really most of the hiking is done on the way to the park.

We entered and headed down the trails to the first mirador.

It took around 20 minutes to reach the first mirador. We had passed the camp ground and BBQ section on the way. Today it was completly empty and there were not many people around. When we arrived we were able to see across the whole valley. The clouds has boxed in the sky but we had a slither of blue to help brighten up the horizon. The path that led further up to the cerro had been blocked off and I had read on another blog that is was no longer accessible. There was another path leading down into the bushes. We head voices and laughter coming from this direction but it didn’t feel like a park sanctioned path so we sat and ate our lunch while enjoying the view.

There are a few hiking trails in the park and we covered the circuits as shown on maps.me. They are not stupidly long so after a few hours we decided to head back to the town. This time it would be a very steep down, which presents a different set of problems. This time the views of the lake were punctured with a spot of blue which gave them an air of beauty.

Typically as we started heading down the sun decided to come out and clear the sky, although to be fair this seems to happen a lot around Bogotá around 3-4pm. Which is slightly annoying as it gets dark around 6:30pm each day so it doesn’t give you a lot of time.

The valley was beautiful in the sun and I was excited to see the views.

When we finally returned to town we stopped for a well earned rest, brought some cokes and then headed to the dairy, La Cabaña Alpina, which is on the edge of town, to buy some strawberries and cream. It’s worth a little visit, if only to see the amazing amount of plastic everything is covered in. But there are so many dairy products to buy. It’s literally a shop full of dairy products. It’s located near the roundabout where you entered the town adjacent to the main road. From here you can chill out for a while or wait at the bus stop on the main road for a bus back to Bogotá. The price is the same at $4700 and you can either be dropped off on the main road or go back to the terminal.

How to arrive at Pionono Park

The destination town is Sopó which is about 45 minutes north of the city. The bus leaves from Terminal Norte and you can get there by either taking a Transmilenio all the way to the terminal or taking a taxi/uber. With the amount of time the busses take to cross the city I would recommend the second option.

Once there don’t head into the terminal building. Instead from the main entrance look to the far right and you will see a path that takes you around where all the busses pull up at their various stations. It’s almost like there is a second parking lot behind the first and you will see several different lines for different busses. Make sure you get on the bus to Sopó which will cost you $4700 each way.

Once you arrive in Sopó jump out on Carrera 4 and head to the main plaza. There is a tourist information point here which can point you in the right direction. Otherwise head directly to Carrera 3 and just follow the road up the hill. You will soon see signs for the park as it’s well signposted.

Currently entrance to the park is $5500 per person and camping is $27600.

To return to Bogotá follow the same road back to the plaza and flag down a bus on the main road that leads to the roundabout. Its just the other side of the dairy. They will have a Bogotá sign in the front.

For more information do check out the parks website.

Equipment to take

There is no food or water available in the park or on the walk up after you leave the town itself so I would recommend stocking up for the day. Full on hiking clothing is not necessary as you will be on trails and roads but I’d always recommend the following:

1. Gortex hiking boots
2. Waterproof jacket
3. Waterproof trousers
4. Dry bag or backpack cover (I take both)
5. Cell phone
6. Cell phone battery
7. Charger cable
8. Sunglasses
9. Sun Cream
10. Painkillers
11. Blister plasters (better if you have a small first aid kit)
12. Hand soap
13. Tissues
14. Water filer
15. Sun hat
16. Food – you can never have too much and you will need it on this hike so pack appropriately.
17. Water 2 litre minimum

Clothes

The hike is not high altitude and the sun was pretty warm on the hike. It did nearly nearly start raining at one point so do be prepaired.

1. Base layer
2. Fleece
3. Hiking trousers
4. Hiking underwear
5. Hiking socks

If you are looking for other enjoyable hikes a little out of town then you can read about my hike along the train tracks in Suesca or have a weekend away hiking up to Cerro Quininí, take the famous Instagram shot and relax in one of the small green mountain towns knocking back beers with the locals afterwards.

Parque Natural Chicaque is set in a high mountain cloud forest a stones throw away from Bogotá. The wind blows the clouds around the mountain tops allowing you to snatch glimpses of the valley below as you descend with an ever changing view. The lush green forest has so many unique plants you will feel as if you are in a jungle a world away from the smoggy capital and it is well worth a visit. The well marked paths are perfect for all ability hiking and the park is open for bird watching, camping and horse riding or you can ride in one of the jeeps to the hotel and relax.

If you enjoy cloud forests hikes and the lush green forest walks check out my guides to Cucilla El Tablaza a 20km downhill hike starting in the páramo west of Bogotá and Pionono Park just to the north of Bogota in Sopo where you can also visit Colombia’s favourite dairy.

Information

1. Our Experience
2. How to get to Parque Natural Chicaque
3. Equipment to Take

Our Story

We set out around 6am to get to the southern part of the city Sorcha. It’s about an hour to ninety minutes on the Transmilenio. Following the instructions I’d found online we crossed the bridge and ended up in a hectic part of Soacha. I could see some local busses one block further but we realised it was the wrong place and headed back to the bridge. There are a lot of bicycletaxi there and we spotted the guy in the orange coat who would take us to the park. The busses are due to leave at 7, 8 and 9am but take that with a massive pinch of salt. He wrote down our names and said we had time to get some breakfast so we headed to a cafe that he pointed out to us.

I was worried about the time so opted for a coke and after I realised Angela was having something more substantial I opted for some scrambled eggs. One thing I do like here is that they make scrambled eggs with tomatoes and spring onions. After a good 20 minutes we headed back to the bridge and were directed to a minibus. Under the bridge the smell of urine was so strong that it made our eyes water. But we were soon sitting on the mini-bus and were joined by another guy. I had read that the busses will only go when full and we waited a good 40 minutes before we were ushered into another full minibus. I noticed that some of the people from the cafe were also on the bus. So there is absolutely no reason to rush. Then we were on our way.

If you take this route then the park is about a 30 minute drive out of the city. As we disembarked we paid for the journey and were asked about the return journey where we put down our names. Busses return at 3, 4 and 5 pm each weekend. There is a restaurant when you first get off the bus and you have to again give your details which are written in a book. The restaurant looks really good so if you can it’s worth trying the food. It’s also cheaper than the shop close to the park entrance.

The day at the top here was beautiful and sunny and I could see clouds coming out of the valley. We stopped at the information point where they have a model of the park, with the trails, there are a fair few loops in the park and you should easily be able to trek around all of them, at a push, if you are fit enough. Afterwards we headed to the park entrance, which is a yellow building, which also sells some snacks, so stock up now. It was $17000 each and once we were through there was one main path down into the valley. Initially the steps are well paved as you begin the long descent. It wasn’t long before we saw a group of people practising yoga in the mist, I wasn’t sure how they had managed to arrive so early but we passed and continued to descend down the steep hill and soon the track turned into the forest and became a dirt path.

There are plenty of clear signs posted along the route so it is difficult to get lost. Our intention was to hike down to the lake, stopping at various points along the way and then after visit the waterfall, which is the path that traverses the far side of the park.

We look a left and followed the switch backs down through the forest. We were surrounded by clouds and couldn’t see far at times. It wasn’t temperature was mild and the trees made beautiful patterns in the clouds. A groups made of much younger hikers quickly passed us as they continued into the park. Following the signs we took another left which led us away from the main road and onto a trail, which levelled off, before taking a right and leading us back down the hill. We saw a sign for the black cliffs so decided to follow.

After a short climb we ended up in a maze of rocks from which you can traverse and climb up to the look out point. Its not particularly treacherous and we saw some very small children had also been pulled up when we arrived at the top. There was a lot of cloud so I held off taking photos as I had a feeling it would clear, which it did…a little.

There were around 10 people there when we arrived and after they had left we took up a seat on a rock and noticed some birds circulating. I tried to shoot them as they passed, which was challenging, and then they landed on a rock nearby. We soon realised that we might have been sitting on their target rock but they seemed happy for us to be close.

I never had expected that I could get this close to the birds but they do say that this is a great place to do bird watching and now I can see why.

Another group of people arrived and the birds flew away we took that as our cue to leave, we had already eaten a lot of our snacks during this first stop and knew that we had a long way to go.

The photo below gives you a good illustration of why this is called a cloud forest.

And the clouds did start to disperse a little so we were given a better view of the valley.

After reconnecting with the path towards the lake we continued for a short time before the red route cliffs path led off to the right. This led us up and along a ridge line in the clouds. It was a fun diversion and we had to climb over rocks and through some bushes – this was not the most frequented path. It was really cloudy and we didn’t really get to see any views. The path was challenging in places, and didn’t seem frequented by man people, I think you could easily give this one a miss as there is not a lot to see unless you wanted an additional climb – it’s not the same as the black rocks where there is a decenlt look out location at the top.

It took us a decent amount of time to get up and then back down to the main path and when we did a sign pointed to the lake being further back to the left than it had been before we started on the red path, in the direction that we had come. By taking the red path we had circled around it somehow. Being tired and having a long way to go we decided to continue to the right and explore the rest of the park. but by the time we had reached the end of the path the lake was a lot further away then it had been at the beginning.

After a little more walking we found a clearing and stopped for lunch next to a boulder. A few people walked past and it was a pleasant place to stop. When we continued, we realised that we were not far from the lodge. We headed back into the forest and followed the path as it twisted through the trees and soon came out on another, much larger clearing, where you could see the cliffs surrounded by mist, and right in the middle was a giant lodge.  We decided to quit and have lunch and afterwards continued along the waterfall path. This soon led us into a clearing where there was a hotel and you could see the famous rocks.

As we got closer a dog came out to greet us. You can actually stay in the lodge, if you wanted to spend more time in the park. I don’t know the costs but it is a beautiful place to spend a few days. There is also transport from the park entrance to the lodge if you want to take it. We didn’t see it but we did hear it pass several times on our ascent. There were moments when we did wish it would stop and wait for us.

There were some cats around so I took the obligatory animal photos before we continued towards the waterfall.

To hike to the waterfall you will head back into the forest. You can approach this from two directions and the path takes you around in a 5km loop starting and finishing in the clearing by the lodge. We took the left path which look as through a campsite with several tents – the group that had passed us hours ago was sat here relaxing having set up their tents already! We waved and carried on.

The walk to the waterfall from here is fairly flat, with the path weaving through the forest and up and down, but there are no major climbs. On a clear day you can see the valley and surrounding cliffs in the distance.

we made slow progress as Angela’s feet had starting hurting. It was on this hike that we realised the boots she had purchased were definitely too small and would need replacing. There was nothing I could do to help at this point as we were the furthest point in the park away from the entrance and there was nothing that we could do other than to hike back.

We took a few moments to enjoy the waterfall and then realising that we only had 3 hours to make it back for the last bus we decided to leave at a quick pace. We actually made it back to the entrance in two so needn’t have walked so fast. Angela’s boots were now causing a lot of pain and I don’t honestly know how she did it but I encouraged her and as I’ve said many times in this blog, if you just put one foot in front of the other sooner or later you will arrive at your destination. The only other thing to mention is that to get out of the park from here it is all uphill. That’s not strictly true as again its fairly flay until you reach the lodge, a fair few up and down hills but nothing sustained.

Once we had arrived back at the clearing with the lodge the cloud had cleared a little and we could get a much better view of the cliffs.

It was then time to start the climb back up to the entrance. We followed the signs away form the clearing and along a path we had trodden earlier. Taking a left we started heading up. I wouldn’t say this is relentless but it is by far the hardest trek in this path. That’s because it just takes you up, and up and up and up. There are steps in places and the path is clear and well cut. Its mostly switchbacks through the forest and it crosses the road occasionally.

The sun started to break through the clouds and we could begin to see the magical views that had been obstructed all day. But we kept climbing. At one point we had to follow the road and a few hikers caught up with us. There was a park ranger waiting at the corner at a shelter and we could have waited here for the elusive transport but at this stage we felt so close that we should continue. There were times when we both regretted this decision but in the end felt better for it.

The weather kept improving and we started to see swathes of blue in the sky. This is perfectly normal for Bogotá as often on one side of the mountain you will have blue skies and it can be completly cloudy on the other.

And after a hard climb we reached the top, well nearly there were a few more stairs. But this time we could see across the entire valley. There were more steps to climb, Angel took to them right away as she wanted to be done, as I took a few shots of the view. Back at the top we could see a few of the groups we had encountered during the day eating empanadas near the entrance and we grabbed a well needed coke. We were an hour earlier than expected and managed to get passage on the 4pm bus as there was enough space. We were soon on our way back to Bogotá and were dropped off close to the Transmileno station, which just meant we had to get across town before we could take a well deserved rest.

How to get to the Chicaque Park

The park is close to Bogotá being a 30 minutes from the south of the city. There are shuttle busses on Saturdays and Sundays, so I’d suggest you take one of these as if you use public transport then you are dropped at the main road and have to walk the extra 3 kilometres to the main entrance.

Shuttle bus

Each Saturday and Sunday there’s are shuttle busses that leave close to Terreros/Hospital Transmilenio station. When you arrive at the station walk to the bridge and turn right. After you cross the road and walk down the circular ramp you will see lots of  bikes at the bottom waiting to give people a ride. In this area you should find someone wearing an orange coat who will take your name and give you an idea as to when the next shuttle will leave. Thy can also direct you to a cafe nearby if you need to get something to eat. The busses which leave at 7am, 8am and 9am and costs $6000 each way per person. In reality they leave when full and they return from the park at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm dropping you off at The Transmilenio station. For more information check out the parks website.

Entrance

The cost of entry to the park is $17000 per person. It is possible to camp, stay in the lodge or to stay in a tree house all of which sound like good options. Camping was around $30000 per person.

Before you get to the park there will be a model map of the park so do ask about which trails you can take. They are on maps.me but the trails seem to be a little out of date so make sure you follow the clear sings spread throughout the park to get to the various sections. You should easily be able to see several things in one day, including visiting the lake and waterfall. We saw a lot and also stopped for a long period several times to look at the views. But do listen to their advice and get them to help you plan out a day.

Equipment to take

There is a really good restaurant at the top adjacent to the car park and you can also buy snacks at the entrance. Once you enter the park there are no facilities to buy food, although I expect there is a good supply of food at the lodge. The altitude in the park is not too high and it is generally warm, just make sure you are prepared for the rain if you go during rainy season:

1. Gortex hiking boots
2. Waterproof jacket
3. Waterproof trousers
4. Dry bag or packback cover (I take both)
5. Cell phone
6. Cell phone battery
7. Charger cable
8. Sunglasses
9. Sun Cream
10. Painkillers
11. Blister plasters (better if you have a small first aid kit)
12. Hand soap
13. Tissues
14. Water filer
15. Sun hat
16. Food – bring a minimum of snacks as you might need the energy even if you can buy food.
17. Water 2 litres minimum

Clothes

1. Base layer
2. Fleece
3. Down Jacket
4. Hiking trousers
5. Hiking underwear
6. Hiking socks

If you enjoy cloud forests hikes and the lush green forest walks check out my guides to Cucilla El Tablaza a 20km downhill hike starting in the páramo west of Bogotá and Pionono Park just to the north of Bogota in Sopo where you can also visit Colombia’s favourite dairy. 

For my first week in Bogotá I had planned on going to the Museo del Oro, several art galleries and two of the walking tours including the graffiti tour. As it happened real life kicked in and one thing led to another and I didn’t get my gentle introduction to Bogotá that I had planned. Instead the weeks passed as I wanted to have a good day to take photos and waiting for a good day in Bogotá in 2019 is impossible as the default is a strong sun but a sky blanketed in clouds.

But one Monday after having my contract extended and failing miserably at a final interview the week before I decided to take a break from job hunting and to tick off a few things on my list. It was a grey start and had rained in the morning but Angela had insisted I should go and the weather would change. I’m staying up in Créditos and it’s a good hour journey on the bus. I nearly didn’t go but luckily I pushed myself and I was rewarded with one of the most spectacular afternoons I’d seen in weeks.

I’m a big fan of walking tours in South America. Most decent sized towns have one and it’s a really good way to meet people, get to know the city and learn some history. It’s not exactly safe in Bogotá to walk around with your camera out so I also used it as a safe way to take photographs. Safety in numbers etc.

There are several tours and I opted for Bogotá Grafiti Tour, apparently the original, and Ana our guide, who is a street artist herself, was really knowledgeable telling us everything from the human cost of cocaine smuggling in Colombia to politics and the background of the artists. I’d really recommend and the group support a range of local projects and artists but I’ll let them explain when you take the tour. The whole tour was conducted in English, I guess if you are reading this then A Spanish tour will not be your preference, but I don’t know if there is one.

It starts everyday at 10am and 2pm in Parque de Los Periodis which is fairly central in downtown. You don’t need to book but you can via their website if you want. Based on my experience with the weather I’d aim for the afternoon and actually speaking to a couple of others on the tour it’s worth combining with one of the city tours in the morning-I’m yet to make it on one but I’ll confirm when I do. But first here are a few pieces of street art I found closer to home.

I arrived in the park and realised I’d been here before on my first 2019 hiking excursion in Bogotá. We passed it on the way up to Cerro de Monserrate, which I didn’t write about as the hike took place in a cloud. But you can see the church pictures below. I took advantage of the blue and snapped some photos.

The group was really large, possibly one of the largest tour groups I’ve been on. I think everyone noticed the weather and decided to take advantage. I’ve found smaller groups of 8-15 better as it tends to be easier to meet people. In the larger groups for some reason people seem reluctant to break away from those they know and talk.

You spend a decent amount of time in the plaza at the beginning of the tour.

Then it’s on to the grafiti and due to the size of the group and the small calles in the centre meant we blocked the pavement many times.

I’m a big fan of this skeleton picture.

I also like to capture the buildings when I can without getting people in the photos. This was a challenge today due to being in a huge city and a large tour group.

One of the things this tour focussed on is the styles of grafiti, where they came from, what they represent and how they are made. It’s quite interesting to learn.

Sadly the dinosaur was not on the tour but I got as close as I dared.

A few blocks further we came across an interesting street with some huge works of art. Each one has its own story. The below is of an indigenous women from the north.

And this one is in reference to a boy in Mexico who lives in a part autonomous state defending his community.

We later came across a dragon and I couldn’t quite get the light right.

This is one of my favourite art works and it’s pained by a female artist who wanted to bring attention to the sexist abuse female artists experience when working.

The tour ends at a park a few minutes walk from the centre, but don’t worry they walk you back. It’s interesting how they talk about how grafiti has changed the park for the better and made it safe again-a similar story in Medellin. After they take you to their shop and cafe where they try to sell you extras. I sadly had to tun as I was late to meet Angela so we could buy a WiFi extender-real life beckoned but know if you buy anything it’s supporting local causes and artists.

One of the more frequented hikes near Bogotá, the La Chorrera waterfall is the highest waterfall in Colombia with a 590 metre drop and the sixth highest in South America. A short one hour trip on the bus will transport you to a different world, away from the polluted metropolis of Bogotá, where you can explore the green Colombian Andes valleys and trek Latin America’s 6th highest waterfall. Once off the bus you can either choose to hike along the 4km road or catch a lift in of the 4×4 cars that will whisk you there from the main road. To see the waterfall at it’s best make sure you visit in rainy season or soon after as the falls can reduce to a trickle in the dry season. It’s a great day out and the perfect starter hike if you have recently arrived in Bogotá and want to acclimatise.

Read my guides to Parque Ecológico Matarredonda, a high altitude páramo with stunning view of Bogotá, and Cerro de Guadalupe, that provides panoramic views of Bogotá which are both located close by on the same road.

Information

1. Our Experience
2. How to hike to La Chorrera
3. Equipment to take

Our Experience

It was a foggy day when we decided to visit. At times on the bus we were driving through the clouds. I couldn’t see anything out of the windows and I was amazed that the driver could. I got a excited when the bus stopped to drop us off and there was a break in the clouds and the sun shone through but soon after we were engulfed in the clouds yet again. Strangely it had been a sunny day when we left Bogota but you never know what the mountains will have in store and as our bus drove around the tight corners ascending and descending into the clouds.

We crossed the main road and headed down the 4km track that takes you to the waterfall. We had decided to walk as I felt a 7km hike would be more rewarding, so we skipped past the parked cars who would have taken us most of the way, for a fee, and and the mist soon encompassed us.

After a few hundred metres I stopped to eat some chocolate, a must for any hike, and looked up to see some vultures sitting on the fence. I hastily changed lenses when another joined and managed to capture them flying away.

The road slowly descended into the valley below taking you past farmsteads and numerous dwellings. Most were silent to begin with but the closer we got to the village the more people we saw. We saw many places to camp and felt that this would be a relaxing place to bring children and to spend a weekend. It was the second time we had left the city since I arrived and I was happy to breath in the delicious fresh air after having spent a few weeks in Bogotá. There are a few shops on route and you don’t need to bring food as there are restaurants at the end.

Of course there is plenty of wildlife to see along the way. Cows. Dogs. Cats. Rabbits. And we could see the clouds covering the mountain tops as we descended.

After passing though the village there is a car park on the left, which is the furthest you can go by car, and you have to take the left. This will take you up a pretty steep hill and there were some Arepas de Choclo being sold on the way, and then once you crest the hill you get your first view of the waterfall. The top was in the clouds but the view with birds flying close by was spectacular.

There was also this little guy deep in thought pondering his life on a rock.

And here is the waterfall still from a distance.

The waterfall is actually on private land and which is owned by local family’s who use the money from they collect from the park to protect it and to invest back into the village. This explains why the park is so organised from the moment you arrive until when you leave. After you register and pay an entrance fee you have to sit through a short video and presentation, which shows you what you are missing as there are shots on one of the rare few cloudless days. And then you are permitted into the park.

One treat of the whole journey is reading the poorly translated signs which are displayed throughout the park and my favourite is below.

There is a gift shop, food stall and restaurant so if you want you can spend a lot of time here. The journey from this point is only another 2-3 kilometres but it feels a lot longer. The park is split into sections and you can pay a limited amount to reach some of the earlier sections, although I don’t know why you would not want to go all the way to the waterfall.  There is also an option take horse rides and there are all sorts of packages. You can also pay for a guide but you really don’t need one as there are plenty of rangers in the park to help and give talks at various points that you don’t really need one.

Soon we got closer to the falls and there was yet again another talk.

We skipped the option of going to the caves and reached the falls just as the clouds descended. There are some slippery steps steps down to right below the falls but the view is worth the effort.

Having reached the end of the path we headed back. There is a little one way system so do make sure you follow the right path and after a lot of up and down again you will make it back to the entrance. We headed back to the village in a hurry as I had promised Angela that it would only take 4-5 hours and after all this time we were really late to meet her mum. We took a took a taxi back to the main road and very soon after we arrived a bus to Bogotá appeared out of the clouds. There were some more stunning views as the clouds cleared a little and I really want to come this way again on a clearer day.

How to hike to La Chorrera

There are tours offered online but you really don’t need them as it’s a fairly easy journey. You need to go to the TansMilenio station Tercer Mileno, Carrera 14 and Calle 6, right next to Parque Tercer Milenio. It’s advised that you don’t walk, despite what the other blogs say.  The Bus station you want to reach is on Calle 6 and on Maps.me (which I really recommend you downloading) it’s marked with two names, La Estaanzuela and Transoroente. To find it, take the south entrance from the station and head to the right, west, away from the mountains. If you don’t find it within one block you have gone too far.

From here you will need to take a bus to Choachi, $10,000, and ask to be dropped at the road for La Chorrera. I’m not sure if there is a timetable and I think busses tend to leave when they are fairly full. It takes about an hour. Once dropped off there is transport to the Waterfall, we didn’t opt to take it on the way there and it’s about a 2 hour walk along a small road. Angela and I went on a Saturday so it was busy with people visiting from Bogotá but if you went in the week it would be very quiet.

After about two hours you will arrive in at a place with a few restaurants and a car park. The signs tell you to take the rod to the left so follow this and then you will come to the park entrance. Here you need to pay $15,000 if you want to go all the way to the waterfall and watch a short video. Depending on how much time you want to spend I’d say it’s another 2 hour round trip to the waterfalls as there are guides on the way giving talks. On the way back to the main road we opted for a car as we were running late, this cost $24,000 and at the road a bus came pretty quickly only charging us $8000 for the return journey.

It is possible to buy food, we were told the Cuban restaurant which you will walk past but is on the weirdest place to make money is really good and people go there from Bogotá just to eat or there are a variety of stalls and restaurants along the way. Enjoy.

Equipment to Take

There are several stores on the hike through the town and a couple of restaurants in the park when you arrive. Once you enter the park there are no facilities to buy anything after the entrance. There are a few steep climbs and descents but you really don’t feel that you are far from civilisation so if you don’t bring a lot you will be fine:

1. Gortex hiking boots
2. Waterproof jacket
3. Waterproof trousers
4. Dry bag or packback cover (I take both)
5. Cell phone
6. Cell phone battery
7. Charger cable
8. Sunglasses
9. Sun Cream
10. Painkillers
11. Blister plasters (better if you have a small first aid kit)
12. Hand soap
13. Tissues
14. Water filer
15. Sun hat
16. Food – you can never have too much and you will need it on this hike so pack appropriately.
17. Water 2 litres minimum

Clothes

1. Base layer
2. Fleece
3. Down Jacket
4. Hiking trousers
5. Hiking underwear
6. Hiking socks

Read my guides to Parque Ecológico Matarredonda, a high altitude páramo with stunning view of Bogotá, and Cerro de Guadalupe, that provides panoramic views of Bogotá which are both located close by on the same road.

Laguna de Guatavita, one of the fabled locations of El Dorado, was once filled with with Gold and Emeralds. The small lake in a crater was considered sacred by the Musica people who left offerings for their Gods. Today its easily accessible from Bogotá by bus or car and for the more active there is a 7km hike along country green country roads to the entrance. The park is well maintained by CAR and their knowledgeable guides will take you on an extensive tour of the national park giving you detailed information on the history of the laguna.

If you are looking for some introductory hikes close to Bogotá check out my guides to Pionono National Park and Chicaque Park.

A very brief history – Once the Spanish found out there were riches they attempted to remove the gold. Over a 400 year period many attempts were made including the British who successfully managed to drain the lake but the sediment at the bottom dried under the hot sun, setting like concrete, and it became impossible to dig. You can now see much of the treasure on display in the Museo de Oro in Bogotá.

Information

1. Our Experience
2. How to Arrive
3. Equipment to take

Our Experience

I returned to Colombia in May 2019, after spending 4 months, living and working in London. In my first week here I put together a list of all the places I wanted to visit and Angela and I have been slowly working through them joined occasionally by Lorenzo, 4, who can not only spot a cow from a mile away but most importantly he tells you too. Every time. Just in case you missed it. Actually joking aside the kid has an amazing hiking ability and outpaces a lot of adults.

Our first hike was up to Monserrate in the pouring rain, I couldn’t take any photos due to the rain, but we returned a few months later and you can read about it here. Soon after I realised it was a vacation day in Colombia so I suggested we take a day trip out the city and the thought of hunting for gold was too good an opportunity to pass up.

We went to Terminal Norte to get a bus only to be told that they left from Portal Norte, a Transmileno stop a little further south. We were able to flag one down from the AutoPista, the huge road running north to south through Bogotá, but I would advise heading to the Portal. From here it is around an hour journey north of the city. We had decided to make a hike and I found, what I thought, would be a 7km trail from the main road to the largo. Turns out it is a small road with passing traffic. The drop off point is north of the town Guatavita itself and from here you can take a bus to the largo should you want.

We started walking along a gentile incline which continues for the duration of the journey and there are lots of cows and other farm animals to look at on the way.

The trail takes you from around 2400 metres ending up at 3000 metres but as its over 7km is there is nothing too challenging. Just enjoy the lush green valleys, although sadly for us it was another grey day and kept trying to rain but never quite made it. There are also huge sings pointing you in the right direction and telling you the distance. Do follow them as when you get to the lake its a one way system and my map would have taken us to the exit which would have been a little annoying.

After around two and a half hours of walking, which was not a bad time considering we were with a 4 year old, but he was spurred on by the biggest bag of crisps he had ever seen in his bag. When you get close to the lake you will come across a car park and then an entrance to the National Park. Entrance costs $12500 for nationals and for foreigners $17500. You can find up to date pricing information on the parks website, but currently the 2019 prices are still listed.  

Once inside there are bathrooms and you can buy some basic food and snacks. We ate our lunch while watching a couple of the tours leave. The 2 hour tours go every 20 minutes and being on a tour is mandatory which sadly means that you are not allowed to explore the are on your own. I was a little disappointed because I had been let to believe the lake would be a little remote and that no one else would be there and instead I found myself on a large group tour.

However the guide is really informative and does give you a lot of information including the history and there are some interesting stories and information. We felt the tour was a little long, especially when you have a tired 4 year old who just wants to play with bugs. But its worth the wait as the views across the lake are are stunning and the sun came out of the clouds for a little time after we arrived.

And here is the fabled lake. The water level is much lower than it has been in the past due to the various attempts to drain it to retrieve the gold.

After you walk around the lake there is a short walk to the exit where you can look across the valleys.

The exit is in a different place to the car park so you have to get a bus back to your car, if you drove or of course you can walk. There are a fair amount of stalls selling food and souvenirs. While waiting for the bus I decided to pap this chicken who was cleaning up any dropped food. As chicken models go she was good.

The busses have different colour tickets that you will need to by and they leave when they are full. The one to the road was filled with gringos and was $2000 per person. We would have walked the return leg but Lorenzo was asleep at this point and we felt he had done enough as the crisps had been long eaten by this point. The bus dropped us at the same spot we had arrived in the morning, except this time there were a large group of people. After waiting at the main road for a short time we flagged down a bus headed to Bogota, which was $8000 for the return journey and us directly back to Portal de Norte and form there we took a bus home. It was a nice little excursion out of the city and a good test of Lorenzo’s hiking skills. Maybe not the first place to go as a tourist but the lake has some nice stories and its a good way to get used to the altitude. 

How to Arrive

You can easily drive straight to the laguna in a car, as most people did, or for the more adventitious take a cheap bus from Bogotá, they run all the time from Portal de Norte. When you arrive at the Portal find a bus headed to the town of Guatavita, which should be around $8000 each way, and tell them you want to go to the Laguna. Don’t go all the way to the town. Just outside of Sesquilé there is a turning off the main road and they will drop you in the road where, if you want, there are mini-busses to take you up to the lake for around $2000 each way or you can walk the 7km as we decided to do. Its not the nicest walk as its all along a small road which is frequented by cars but the views are stunning. At the end of the tour you can take the same bus back to the main road and then flag a bus too return to Bogotá, dropping you in Portal de Norte.es 

Entrance costs $12500 for nationals and for foreigners $17500. You can find up to date pricing information on the parks website, but currently the 2019 prices are still listed.  The two hour tours leave every 20 minutes and this is the only way to explore the park. If you decide to go direct to the park then really there is no hike.

Equipment to take

If you are heading straight to the park then you cna just wear normal clothes and trainers, the walk in the park is short but as this is near Bogota I would suggest rain gear. If you are walking for the 7km from the main road I’d suggest bringing the following:

1. Gortex hiking boots
2. Waterproof jacket
3. Waterproof trousers
4. Dry bag or backpack cover (I take both)
5. Cell phone
6. Cell phone battery
7. Charger cable
8. Sunglasses
9. Sun Cream
10. Painkillers
11. Blister plasters (better if you have a small first aid kit)
12. Hand soap
13. Tissues
14. Water filer
15. Sun hat
16. Food – you can never have too much and you will need it on this hike so pack appropriately.
17. Water 2 litres minimum

I hope you enjoy your visit to Guatavita and have more luck finding gold than we did. If you enjoyed then do check out my guides to Pionono National Park and Chicaque Park which both have introductory hiking trails and are both close to Bogotá.