If you need a quick escape from Bogotá fear Chicaque National Park is one of the many possible escapes on the outskirts of the capital. A few months back, I gathered a few friends and headed to la Chorrera to explore the six tallest waterfall in South America through a beautiful three-hour hike.
I had been itching to do another hike in a national park outside Bogota. I know hiking is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s something I truly enjoy and it just so happened that my birthday was around the corner.
So I took advantage and suggested that the only birthday present that would truly make me happy would be to escape to somewhere green.
I was pleasantly surprised when the boyfriend chose Chicaque National Park. Rated as one of the top things to do in the Lonely Planet guide and Tripadvisor, the park truly lives up to its fame.
It is another one of Colombia’s Andean cloud forests and provides various activities and hiking routes depending on your physical condition.
Trails at Chicaque National Park:
- A butterfly route
- A hike to a peak with a mighty view
- A route to a waterfall
- And another one through the woods of Chicaque
As we stayed 2 days, we had time to do a few trails along with a few activities.
How to get there
Their website is very thorough and is even translated in English explaining very well how to get there by public transportation or car. They even provide private transport if you prefer.
We chose to go by car and had our friendly Waze application lead the way. We were there in 1.5 hours despite traffic and the fact that we had to cross the entire city from north to south.
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So we parked outside the Chicaque National Park, paid our $14,000 entrance fee and walked about one hour downhill to our accommodation for the evening. It was quite a steep way down and we wondered whether we would go up by foot on the way back.
Lodging
Out of the several sleeping options, we chose the coolest one: Tangara’s nest.
I didn’t actually know at the time as the whole trip was a birthday surprise, but I would soon find out that I would be sleeping in a tree house! Going inside and knowing I would spend a night In the canopy felt like being a kid again. To see all their lodging accommodation and rates, click here.
It had always been an unfulfilled dream of mine to go up in a tree house and now I would be spending the entire night in one. The amenities were amazing as they were clean and stylish. I couldn’t believe it. We even had a hammock to hang outside our treehouse terrace!
Over our 2 days in the park, we had 3 meals included with our stay. I really wasn’t expecting much but Chicaque really outdid itself. The dining area was in a circular room with a fireplace in the center and a beautiful view.
Food
Surpassed expectations. Our meals were included in the package we got. We had three-course meals consisting of typical Colombian dishes and desserts. Nothing fancy, but still really nice.
I felt absolutely spoiled!
Activities
As far as activities were concerned, we were quite sore after the hike so we chose to go with the zip line and a short walk through the forest.
Other activities offered included canopy walks and bird watching. See the rates here.
On the second day, as we prepared to go back, we opted to save ourselves the 1 hour or more hike up the steep path and go back up to the park entrance by car for. We were offered the choice or going up by car or horse but opted for the vehicle as we had read that the horse ride up could be quite scary.
Overall, I was extremely surprised by the whole experience. Lodging, food and service were beyond my expectations. The trails were challenging and well indicated. I definitely recommend the overnight stay in the tree house as it makes a wonderful romantic getaway.
Here’s the breakdown of our 2-day getaway:
Teranga’s Nest 1 night stay with 3 meals for 2 people: $346,850
Parque entrance for 2: $14,000 x 2 = $28,000
Zipline for 2: $17,000 x 2 = $34,000
Ride back by car to park entrance = $40,000 for the car (Whether you’re 1 person or 4, the price is the same)
TOTAL: $448,850
For more information regarding rates, activities and transportation, check out Chicaque’s official website.
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