Chingaza National Park

Chingaza is the paramo that keeps Bogota in water, an hour or two east of the city and a thousand metres above it. Above the tree line the ground is covered in frailejones, the woolly rosette plants that trap mist and release it slowly into the soil, and between them sit dark glacial lakes and peat bogs. Cloud forest wraps the lower slopes, spectacled bears live here, and paramo deer are occasionally seen at the roadside. Because it is a water catchment, access is controlled: daily numbers are capped, you register in advance, and most routes need a registered guide. That is also why it stays quiet.

Highlights

• The frailejon fields - dense stands of woolly paramo plants above three thousand metres.
• The glacial lakes - dark tarns lying in hollows on the high plateau.
• The cloud forest - mossy woodland on the lower slopes and the birds in it.
• The catchment road - the drive past the reservoirs and waterworks.

When to go

December to March is the driest window and the least likely to be a whiteout. Even then, expect cold, wind and rain at some point in the day. Book the permit well ahead, especially for weekends, since daily visitor numbers are capped. Start early from Bogota, because the drive takes two to three hours in each direction.

Things to know

You cannot turn up on the day; without a permit arranged in advance you will be turned away at the gate, and several sectors require a guide hired beforehand. It is cold, wet and above three thousand metres, so walking is harder than the distances suggest. Cloud frequently sits on the paramo all day and you see almost nothing.

Nearby

Guasca, La Calera and the Guatavita lake lie on the way back to Bogota.

Key facts