Bogota: walking up to Monserrate
Walking up to Bogota´s Monserrate Monserrate, one of the city’s icons, and the nearby hike of the Rio San Francisco and historic museum of the Simón Bolívar’s house, La Quinta de Bolívar. POSTED APRIL, 2019
See related posts:
– Riding Bogotá’s TransMiCable, – Bogotá’s super Ciclovia
– Bogotá: a day trip to Ciudad Bolivar
– Street art in Bogotá, –La Chorrera: Colombia’s highest waterfall
–1538: Bogotá’s conquest – Do you have an altitude problem?
Walking up to Bogota´s Monserrate
The religious sanctuary of Monserrate sits at 3,152 metres above Bogotá, roughly 600 metres above city street level, and 400 metres above the walking track entrance. The sanctuary is one of the city’s most obvious – and visited – attractions with throngs of people walking up the 1,500 steps on Sunday , some as pilgrimage to the shrine at the top (and some penitents on their knees).. But the free walking track is open all week (except Tuesdays) from 5am to 1pm and many sporting types dash up and down. The record ascent is 16 minutes, but most fit people, most of us take 40 minutes at a brisk pace. Allow 3 hours to walk up, down and enjoy the views at the top. Of course you can queue and take the cable car or funicular train up (same price, about US$7 return), or ride up and walk down. Dogs are not allowed on the trail. See the MAP at the end of this post for locations.
Is it safe: yes, the walking track and sanctuary is usually guarded by police cadets at regular intervals. There is a risk of pickpockets in the cable car queue, and if you are on the mountain very late in the day there is a chance of being mugged. The barrio downhill, Las Aguas, and roads down to La Candelaria used to be very unsafe – you were guaranteed to be attacked there in the 1990s – but are now much more secure, but avoid carrying unnecessary valuables especially in late or early hours.
What about altitude: the sanctuary sits well in the sorroche zone, at over 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) so do not walk up unless you have acclimatised to the high Andes, which takes 4 days being in Bogotá. See my post Do you have an altitude problem? Even then you might get breathless so take plenty of rests and drink water. Coca Cola makes a good energy booster with sugar and caffeine. Coca tea is useless. There are toilets on the trail up (basic) and at the top.
What to take: Walking up to Bogota´s Monserrate: some cash for snacks/water/toilet. Camera or phone. Rain jacket. Sun hat. Strong shoes or trainers.
Food: there are traditional Colombian high-cholesterol cafés at a small ‘street market’ at the top of the mountain, some with good views. There are also some ‘fine dining’ restaurants at the top too, with top prices. There are also stalls and a small settlement with cafés half way up the walking track.
When to go: the walking trail is busy ever day, with sporting people going up early every day at 5am and tourists usually later around 9am. If you go early on a clear day you might get views over to the snow-capped volcanoes del Ruiz and Tolima, far to the west on Cordillera Central. Saturdays are busier, and Sundays is very crowded.
How to get there: Walking up to Bogota´s Monserrate: Montserrate, The Casa Museo Quinta del Bolívar and the Quebrada San Francisco (see below) walk are all close to each other and can be visited together (note: the Quebrada San Francisco walk is only open during weekends). Most people take a taxi to the Monserrate base station, or you can get a Transmilenio bus to the Universidades terminal close to the University of Los Andes. From there it is a 10-minute walk up through Barrio Las Aguas to the Cabe Car base station.
The Virgen of Guadalupe
Across the mountains from Montserrate is the Virgen of Guadalupe, another shrine named after the Spanish Guadalupe de Badazoz. The 15 metre statue, at 3,300 metres of altitude, looks down on the Monserrate sanctuary. A narrow road leads to a car park at the shrine, and connects to the Bogotá – Choachi road (see MAP below). There are walking paths to the hill but they are not safe. You can get a taxi there, or a local bus on Sunday when many pilgrims visit the site.
On the right: Muisca indigenous march to the summit to ‘reclaim’ their ancestral site with charms and incense.
The San Francisco – Vicachá walk
This 2-hour hike over waterboard land follows the beautiful San Francisco river which runs past Monserrate. The Sendero San Francisco – Vicachá trail is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 5am to 10am. The entrance is 200 metres – 5 minutes walk – east from the Monserrate cable car base station, see my MAP below. The track follows the river past an old mill, then climbs over a steep hilly spur and view´point to end at the Humboldt Institute, from where you can walk along the main Circunvalar road back to Monserrate base.
Casa museo Quinta del Bolívar
South America libertador’s Bogotá home, now a museum and original garden from the 1800s, is five minutes walk west from the Monserrate Cable Car base station. There are guided tours from 10am to 4p, and a small fee to get in (Sundays free).
