Chingaza Suasie Day Hike

Just east of Bogotá and over a thousand meters higher than the city is Chingaza Natural National Park. The park has several ecosystems, all of which thrive in the clouds. The Andean forest, as lush as any rainforest, is home to countless species of birds, reptiles, mammals and plants. The páramo, a high altitude moorland found only in Colombia and two other countries, is home to the strange frailejones and other succulents and mosses that absorb up to 40 times their weight in water. Chingaza's pantanal is a marshland with numerous streams and waterfalls. These ecosystems, together with the park's beautiful mountain lakes make Chingaza vital to life in Bogota because it provides 80% of the city's potable water. Chingaza is also home to rare animals such as the Andean condor, puma, páramo tapir and spectacled bear. Deer are so abundant that a sighting is almost guaranteed.

On this adventure you hike on the Suasie trail and immerse yourself in all of Chingaza's different ecosystems. Suasie is what the ancient Muisca people called the area and it means "house of the gods". When you hike through Chingaza's rich and life-giving environments you will understand why.

Highlights and activities

• Go on a beautiful hike only an hour and a half from Bogotá.
• Learn about the different highland environments of Colombia.
• See hummingbirds, butterflies, deer and traces of the Andean spectacled bear.
• See frailejones, siete cueros, orchids, bromeliads and other exotic plants.

• hiking / trekking

1. 

   Day 1: To the house of the gods and back

   Your guide picks you up in Bogota at 8:00AM and you drive for an hour and a half to Chingaza Natural National Park and the Suasie trail head. The trail is a 2.4 kilometer (1.5 mile) loop with several steep sections, taking you from 3,000 meters (9,842 feet) to a high point of 3,700 meters (12,139 feet). The first part of the hike is on a boardwalk that goes through an Andean forest and takes you to an overlook with a view of the river and surrounding mountains. There the boardwalk ends and you continue on a dirt trail to a second viewpoint. You will hike along a knife's edge mountain ridge known as Cuchilla de la Montaña, with sheer drops on both sides and spectacular views. This is a favorite area of spectacled bears and you will see traces of them such as scattered berries (which you can try for yourself) and footprints. From the highpoint of the trail you then descend to El Pantanal, a marshland full of streams and waterfalls. The entire hike takes about 3 hours. At the end of the day you drive back to Bogotá, arriving at around 5:00PM.

This adventure is offered throughout the year. Contact us to schedule your Private Tour.

Includes

• Private transportation (pick up and drop off in Bogota).
• Lunch and snacks.
• Guiding service.
• Entrance fees.

Excludes

• Travel insurance.

• This trip is at high altitude. We recommend acclimatizing in Bogota for at least 1 full day prior to doing this hike.