Trekking to the Cocuy National Park

Valley of frailejones, Andean fauna, and snowcapped

How to get there from Bogota

In order to hike in the Cocuy National Park, you must first go to the village of the same name. To do so, you must head to Terminal del Norte, a bus terminal located at the northern exit of Bogota. There, you will be able to take a bus along the eastern Andes that will take you to El Cocuy. The journey takes about ten hours.

Traditional villages

El Cocuy, founded in the 16th century, has a colonial and republican style architecture. The white facades are decorated with emerald green woodwork. The neighbouring village of Guacamayas has a much wider range of colours and shows paintings of parrots, the symbol of the town.

Accommodation in El Cocuy

The hotels in the village offer, for the most part, the same service for 40 000 cop per person (about US$10). For this price, you will stay in a basic room with private bathroom, hot water, and breakfast included.

Hiking trails in El Cocuy National Park

For some years now, only three trails have been authorised for hiking in El Cocuy National Park. Of these three, perhaps the most popular trail leads to the Pulpito del Diablo, a rock formation that is sacred to the local communities, surrounded by snow. These are day trips and are considerably demanding given the altitude reached. These day trips are considerably demanding given the altitude involved. To reach El Pulpito del Diablo, expect a 10 to 12 hour round trip depending on your walking pace.  Here you will be able to observe a rich Andean ecosystem typical of Colombia, the Páramo, among valleys of Frailejones, waterfalls, high altitude lake, deer, eagles. This excursion will offer you a guaranteed change of scenery.

If you too are interested by a trekking in the Cocuy National Park during your trip to Colombia, do not hesitate: