La Chorrera Waterfall is the highest waterfall in Colombia (1935 feet) and 60th in the world. It is located in the Andean forest about 1 and a half hours outside Bogota. You can also visit the beautiful El Chiflon waterfall on the same trail.
To get there by car it is about an hour drive on the highway and then another 30 minutes down a small one lane road to get to the start point. Then I needed to walk 15 minutes up a steep hill to get to the actual park entrance. The entrance is the green roof building, from the road there is an opening in the fence which leads you down a walkway to the entrance.
Once through the entrance you follow the path straight into the woods.
The trail is about 3.3 miles and is a moderate level hike. The trails are well marked so no need for a guide but you can get one for an additional fee. At the gate where you buy your ticket (15,000 COP, USD $3.50), they give you a bag with some supplies to help you; a bottle of water, apple, mask, tissues, chocolate bar and some cookies.
At one point the trail diverges either toward La Chorrera or Tres Cerritos. I had never heard of Tres Cerritos (“the 3 little hills”) and never seen it in guide books so I gave it a try and was happy I did. It is about another 8 minutes up from where the trails diverge. It is actually another park so you have to pay a small fee to get in (about $3). It is also a camping site so for a small fee you can camp here in a tent. They have showers and bathrooms. Its very beautiful and has great scenic views of the valley.
Also if you choose to skip Tres Cerritos you won’t get access to this additional waterfall which I think is beautiful. You can also go into the water here.
This area was an important place for the Muisca tribes and they used these rock cliffs for lookout points.
It was about 8 minutes back the way I came to rejoin the La Chorrera Trail and a decent 30 minute hike to get to La Chorrera waterfall.
There are some beautiful flowers and fauna at different points of the trail.
There are a couple places to stop for food and drink on the trail, one near the entrance to the park and another about 10 minutes before La Chorerra.
El Chiflon Waterfall is near the entrance to the trail so you can visit when entering or exiting the park although most do when leaving. While you can not get in the water at La Chorrera you can get in here at the base of the Chiflon waterfall. There is also a small restaurant here to relax after your hike.
Conclusion
While it is a hike to get here from Bogota (no pun intended), it is worth it, very beautiful and enjoyable hike through some lovely forest. If you have the time I would recommend also putting Tres Cerritos on the hike and for the adventurous camping there. This is the best day trip hiking option from Bogota. Hope you can get here and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful nature. Please let me know if this was helpful and what you think.
