Enjoy a mountain experience in this beautiful National Park. Visit the Siecha and Buitrago Lakes, the Suasie trail and the Chingaza lagoon; also sleep in the Park Refuge surrounded by animals such as deer and spectacled bears.
The Chingaza National Park is located in the oriental mountain range in the Andean region in Colombia. The Park surface belongs to Cundinamarca and Meta departments, close to the Colombian capital of Bogota. The Park has an extension of 76.600ha and highs that go from 800 to 4.050 meters. Although the surface belonging to the Park has different thermal floors such as forest ecosystem in the Andean foothills, its largest surface that is located in the high mountains, above 3.000 meters, is classified as páramo.
In this journey the travellers will be going in two beautiful hikes to different lakes and paths through the very important páramo ecosystems. Also, we will have the opportunity to sleep in high mountain refuge and watch different species of fauna and flora such as deer, spectacled bears and frailejones.
Early in the morning and after breakfast we will start our journey from the city of Bogotá. In a privet vehicle our guide and our driver will pick the travellers up in an agreed place. We will take the road to La Calera to deviate to the National Park and reach the Piedra Gorda entrance, where we will receive an induction from the park officials. There, after the talk and check in the Park, we will go on a beautiful circuit by foot that lead us to an amazing viewpoint from where we will be able to see the three Siecha lakes. During our walk, we will, also, watch the important paramo ecosystem, present in only five countries in the world and the fundamental importance in the water production. On our way we will see frailejones, typical vegetation of this ecosystem, as well as different species of flora and fauna. Also, it is very likely to find protected species that live in these mountains such as spectacled bears or white tailed deer. We will continue our walk until we reach the Buitrago lakes where we will make a stop to enjoy the lunch we brought to then, go back to Piedra Gorda where we will take the privet vehicle and carry on for approximately half an hour until we reach the refuge Monterredondo. Once there, we will check in, have dinner and rest.
We will spend the night in shared rooms.
Distance: 9 Km
Duration: 4 – 5 hours
Maximum Altitude: 3.750 meters
Altitude gain: 400 meters
Altitude loss: 400 meters
Our second day starts with a copious breakfast to yen, take our vehicle in which we will travel a large part of the paramos and surrounding the Chuza Dam; this place has a big importance, since it provides water to the city of Bogotá. After crossing the dam, we will go on until the beautiful lagoon of Chingaza, an energetically special and sacred place for the ancient Muisca culture. In this point we will go on a four hours hike, in which we will have the opportunity to see the middle lake and likely spectacled bears. Once we finish the circuit, we will back along the path of Plantas del Camino where we will learn a bit about the different species of plants in this important place. Once we finish our walk, we will take the vehicle back to the Monterredondo refuge where we will have lunch and have the afternoon free to go around, rest and watch the deer that constantly approach the refuge.
Distance: 8 Km walking
Duration: 4 – 5 hours
Road trip: 1.5 hours
Maximum Altitude: 3.600 meters
Altitude gain: 400 meters
Altitude loss: 400 meters
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Our second and last day will start with a delicious breakfast that we will have at the restaurant in the refuge. After enjoying and sharing this space, we will go on a walk along the path of Suasie, a beautiful circuit in which we will transit through Andean forest ecosystem as well as páramo and super-páramo ecosystem. If we are lucky we will be able to watch animals such as deer, spectacled bears and condors. Once we are back to the refuge, we will have lunch, pick up our luggage and take the vehicle that will take us back to the city of Bogotá, place where our journey ends.
Distance: 4 km
Duration: 2 – 3 hours
Road trip: 3 hours
Altitude gain: 200 meters
Altitude loss: 200 meters
Maximum Altitude: 3.160 meters
+ Certified guide by National Park.
+ Medical Assistance Insurance.
+ Entrance to the National Park.
+ Privet ground transport from and to Bogotá.
+ Meals: lunch from day one, to lunch in the last day.
+ Accommodation: 2 nights in shared room (privet room is subject to availability and has an extra fee).
+ All activities described in the itinerary.
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+ Expenses not specified in the plan.
This is an ideal trip for any weekend, departing from Bogotá. The paramo is very beautiful and the deer that are all the time close to the cabin are very charming. Ramón, our guide was very educated and kind.
Very recommended.
Maria Teresa
I didn’t know that so close to Bogotá we have such a beautiful place. To see the animals free in the paramo was a real gift. We weren’t lucky to see the spectacles bear, but I hope to see them next time I come.
Hernando
A very beautiful tour, the walks to the lakes surrounded by frailejones and to see so many deer was very nice, also amazed me to find this great mountains so closet o Bogotá.
I advice very much this trip because of its beauty and its proximity to the capital.
Carlos Arturo Posada
