Visiting Cascada La Chorrera Colombia: La Chorrera Waterfall Guide

Cascada La Chorrera, one of my favorite Bogota day tours, is a short drive from the city. La Chorrera Waterfall is the tallest in Colombia. If you have a few days in Bogota, I highly recommend spending at least one exploring this natural area. La Chorrera feels like another world despite being so close to Bogota.

Quick Tip: Book accommodation, tours, and transport ahead of time online to save money and stress. 
Best Cascada La Chorrera Tours: Click here to check out the top Cascada La Chorrera tours
Best Cascada La Chorrera Accommodation: Click here to check out the best accommodation in Cascada La Chorrera
Best Cascada La Chorrera Transport: Click here to book a bus, ferry, or train in Cascada La Chorrera

How to Get to Cascada La Chorrera From Bogota

You have a few options to get from Bogota to La Chorrera Colombia.

Car

If you have a Colombian friend with a car or decide to rent one, it’s a pretty straightforward drive. The car park is at the trailhead in Parque La Chorrera and costs $5 per hour.

However, this isn’t an option for most. You may be able to find an Uber driver to drop you off and pick you up a few hours later. This is cheaper than a guided tour, especially if your travel group is small or you’re visiting alone.

Guided Tour

Many tour companies offer La Chorrera Waterfall excursions from $108. They will pick you up, guide you around, and bring you back. To put the cost in perspective: I spent less than $20mil for my La Chorrera visit, which also included lunch

Bus

Taking the bus to Cascada La Chorrera is easy and cheap—especially compared to the cost of a tour.

Take the Transmilenio to Tercer Milenio (one stop south of AV Jimenez on the Caracas line). When you get out of the station (on the south side), you will see a large police station on your right. Cross the road towards the police station and walk down that road (Calle 6).

Just after you pass the police station on your right, you will see a bus stop and a few street vendors. Look to your right, and you will see a small inside (garage) bus station. Go to the ticket booth and ask for the bus to Choachi. Let them know you are going to the La Chorrera Waterfall so they can let the driver know where to stop for you. The cost is $7.5mil each way.

Once you get off the bus, you will see a tienda (shop) with a green roof to your right. I suggest checking the bus times with them—I didn’t and ended up waiting for two hours.

Walk down the road, through the village, to the trailhead. I have been told this walk is 45 minutes, but it seemed a lot further (though it is downhill). I hitched a ride with some friendly locals who offered me their contact info in case I needed anything. I also got a lift back up, as I didn’t fancy a long, uphill walk to the main road. It’s a small village—if you ask around, a local is usually happy to drop you off for some money.

I do not recommend hitchhiking or asking people for lifts if you don’t speak any Spanish. This is a remote area where hardly anyone speaks English.

La Chorrera Colombia Hike

The Cascada La Chorrera trail begins at a shop/restaurant where you can use the bathroom and purchase hiking supplies.

The trail is well-marked, so it’s nearly impossible to get lost.

You’ll walk through farmlands and pass some interesting campsites where you could pitch a tent for the night.

Then, you will reach a second tienda with the best empanadas I’ve tasted in Colombia so far! I didn’t stop on the way there, but I did on the way back. The owner is a really cool guy from Cuba who introduced me to traditional Cuban music and demonstrated some dances for em. He also asked his friend to give me a lift back up the main road. Stop here on your way back for a beer and a chat. He also has accommodations to rent if you don’t fancy camping.

Take a left at the tienda, and you will find the path to La Chorrera Waterfall.

After 10 minutes or so, you will reach the first waterfall. It’s located inside an activity center and costs $8mil to visit. The center was closed when I visited, so I didn’t see this waterfall.

The hike took me around an hour and a half and was really pleasant. I also had a little 4-legged hiking companion. She belonged to the Cuban man in the tienda, or I probably would have tried to keep her!

There are so many beautiful views along the way!

I loved all of these adorable wooden signs, too.

From a distance, Cascada La Chorrera is breathtaking...

…but it’s even better when you get up close.

Just as I was about to leave, the clouds broke and the sun emerged.

This beautiful rainbow also appeared.

Wear appropriate footwear, as there are many rocky patches and a shallow creek you have to navigate. I was thankful for my hiking boots.

Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?

The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing

Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.

Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies. 

If you follow the signs, you’ll follow a slightly different route on your way back.

When you return to the yellow tienda, stop for a drink and an empanada and ask if he knows anyone who can give you a lift to the bus if you don’t fancy walking.

Quick Tip: View my full Colombia packing guide here including a downloadable checklist. And check out my Colombia Essentials shopping list here.

**Warning**

Bring medicine if you’re prone to feeling carsick. It is a very windy road over the mountain, and I felt a little queasy on the way back!

Bogota Travel Guide Planning

🧳 Any recommendations on what I should pack for Bogota?

Yes! I have created a whole packing guide to Bogota which you can read here and you can also check out my packing list for Bogota on Amazon here.

🚗 Where can I book bus or private transportation while I’m in Bogota?

I strongly recommend using GottoGo. You can book almost all transport in the major tourist destinations through them online. They don’t just cover buses they also cover shuttles, ferries, and private drivers.

🎫 Where can I buy tickets for museums, attractions, and tours in Bogota?

I recommend either Viator or GetYour Guide. They have a lot of options!

👩‍⚕️ What is the best insurance to have while traveling?

I recommend using Heymondo for a great value policy. The app also offers you 24/7 Dr Chat. For Digital Nomads check out SafetyWing digital nomad insurance.

I have also written a blog post covering all my recommended travel insurance here

✈️ Any flight recommendations?

WayAWay offers you cheap flights with cashback. You can use this code CLAIRE22 to get 10% off. Otherwise Skyscanner or Expedia are my go-to flight searching platforms.

📱What do you use for internet connection while traveling?

I’m a big fan of personal WiFi devices and they have saved my ass so many times when traveling. I wrote a full review of the top travel WiFi devices you can read here. I personally use GlocalMe as I can either pop in a physical sim card or use their local carrier.

With regards to my phone connection, I use e-sims while traveling, so rather than having to swap out my regular sim card I can download the app and buy a virtual sim card. I recommend using eitherAirhub or Alosim. Both have great coverage of multiple countries and are very easy to use.

🛏️ What is the best platform to use for booking accommodation?

The 3 best platforms that I normally use are Booking.com, Hotels.com, and Expedia They offer great deals and multiple options. I always check all three to be sure of the best deals.

🛅 Do you have any luggage recommendations for traveling?

I do have a complete list of the best packing and luggage products that I recommend, you can check the list here. I’m currently traveling with this suitcase and this backpack. 

Visiting Cascada La Chorrera Colombia: Final Thoughts

I highly suggest spending one day at La Chorrera Waterfall next time you visit Colombia. Cascada La Chorrera is conveniently located near Bogota, but feels like an untouched oasis. While the La Chorrera hike is somewhat challenging, it’s worth the effort. Looking for other fun day tours from Bogota? How about visiting the thermal spa?

This post was proofread by Grammarly.