Entrenubes: the Best View in Bogotá?

Locals claim their small nature park, Entrenubes, high in the Andes on Bogotá’s southeast flank has the best views in Bogotá. They could be right.

Go there by bus and wind your way up steep streets through the Colombian capital’s poorer barrios where most visitors never venture.

Posted May 2023. See similar articles: Bogotá Hiking: Quebrada La Vieja, Short hike to Juaica, Riding Bogotá’s Transmicable and Bogotá, Walking up Monserrate

**View from the Mirador de Juan Rey, in Entrenubes park, in San Cristóbal, Bogotá, Colombia**

Yes folks, Bogotá has many hidden gems. One worth digging out is the small but scenic Parque Entrenubes with breathtaking views over the whole city, particularly from it’s highest point the Mirador de Juan Rey, the rocky crown of a green craggy wildnerness that somehow escaped urbanisation and divides the sprawling barrios of San Cristóbal and Usme.

***Entrenubes sits 3.100 metres high on the saddle between Bogotá city and the eastern flank of the Cordillera Oriental.***

The main sign on Transveral 14 Este, close to a bus park. — **The mountains seem colder here on the souther flank of the Cerros Orientales.**

And breathtaking is the correct word; at 3,100 metres high (almost as high as Monserrate) you will gasp a bit as you clamber over the rocks and walk the well-marked paths in this small nature reserve (dogs are banned).

Parque Ecologico Distrital de Montaña Entrenubes sits on the high saddle between Bogotá city and the eastern flank of the Cordillera Oriental, with stunning views to Usme and Ciudad Bolivar to the west, and the rest of the city to the north.

The park covers 626 hectares and has a perimeter of 30 kilometers, with the main access point at the Mirador de Juan Rey in which is found at Diagonal 71a Sur with Transversal 14 Este, in a hillside barrio called Juan Rey.

**The Entrenubes park covers 626 hectares and has a perimeter of 30 kilometers.**

What’s to do at the park? Not much really apart from take in the amazing views and clean mountain air. On weekdays you can walk down the ridge trail towards the city, then return by the same path. On weekends it’s busier and in theory safer for a longer walk, including entering the park low down and walking uphill to the Juan Rey viewpoint. The park is open every day to 5pm, is free to enter and is watched over by security guards, though they do not guarantee your safety if you wander too far from the main path.

When to go? Weekends are busy – and probably safer to explore more – and weekdays you might have the whole place to yourself. As the name Entrenubes suggests – among the clouds – rain can quickly rise from the steamy Llanos plains to the east, so be prepared for a shower or too.

The park guard, Cristian, is very friendly and like to practice is english....he is also a big fan of Pink Floyd. — *The park guard, Cristian, is very friendly and likes to practice his english….he is also a big fan of Pink Floyd.*

Security advice….Usual security advice applies when on Transmilenium and local buses:

dress down
leave any valuables at home
never resist if robbed, have some flash cash to hand over
on weekdays recommended to visit the upper section (Mirador de Juan Rey) as park is very lonely.
on weekends you can walk the whole park and enter by the lower section, see below.
one of Colombia’s main armed groups (AGC) seems to painting it presence on a few local houses, but they are very unlikely to target visitors (they have bigger fish to fry!)

I had two very comfortable bus trips there and back, and never felt at all at risk, people were very friendly. But don’t dar papaya (as they say in Colombia) and make yourself a target….

***Map showing the two entrances and bus stops (there are more bus options but these are the green Alimentador buses that run direct from inside the main Portal 20 de Julio terminal)***

How to get there? Arriving at the park is an adventure in itself for most of us visitors to Bogotá generally confined to the nicer north of the city. As noted above, for security best just to visit around the Mirador de Juan Rey on weekdays.

There are two main entrances, the Upper Entrance at Mirador de Juan Rey in which is found at Diagonal 71a Sur with Transversal 14 Este. The best way to reach Barrio Juan Rey is to take a Transmilenio (big bendy bus) to the main terminal, Portal 20 de Julio. Transmi Buses run there from all the main network routes across the city.

From Portal 20 de Julio you can take a yellow taxi to the park (around 30 minutes, 15,000 pesos or US$4 depending on traffic, or take an alimentador (feeder) green bus 13-9 Tihuaque from inside the bus terminal, there are several other blue SITP that also head to Juan Rey from bustops outside the bus terminal, check Google maps/directions/ bus option for these.

The Lower Entrance in Calle 50b Sur can be also be reached from Portal 20 de Julio Transmi station: take the alimentador (feeder) green bus 13-10 Villa del Cerro from inside the bus terminal, stay on the bus until stop 7 then walk 900 metres to the park entrance.