La Chorrera and El Chiflón WaterfallS

A Visitor’s guide to visit the la chorrera and el Chiflón waterfall on your own!

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Looking to visit the beautiful La Chorrera and El Chiflón Waterfalls on your trip to Bogotá?

So you have spent a few days in the bustling capital of Colombia: Bogotá! And now you are looking to escape the city life and venture out to the beautiful mountains and take in Colombia’s flora and fauna! Although there are many daily tours offered that will take you outside the city, we recommend exploring like the locals to visit some amazing waterfalls in the mountainside. Here, I will share all the information you need to successfully navigate to the waterfalls on your own. I will include options such as taking an Uber, riding a bus, walking and/or paying locals for transport. Decide what works for you and enjoy the beautiful sights of La Chorrera, the tallest waterfall in Columbia. 

Las Cascadas: La Chorrera y El Chiflón

Cascada La Chorrera and El Chiflón are two breathtaking waterfalls located just outside of Bogotá, Colombia and can be visited together. Cascada La Chorrera is the tallest waterfall in Colombia, with a height of approximately 590 meters (1,935 feet). It is surrounded by lush green vegetation and is a must-see for nature lovers and adventure seekers visiting the Bogotá area.

El Chiflón is a waterfall you pass on the way to La Chorrera. It has a path you can take to walk behind the waterfall and a restaurant where you can enjoy a meal with a view of El Chiflón. El Chiflón is a series of smaller waterfalls that cascade down a rocky cliffside. It is not as tall as La Chorrera, but both La Chorrera and El Chiflón Waterfalls offer a unique opportunity to experience the beauty and majesty of Colombia.  The adventure it takes to get there provides an excellent opportunity to explore the region’s natural diversity and rich ecological heritage.

How to get there / ¿Cómo llegar?

From your hotel in Bogotá,you can take an Uber, taxi or public bus to Terminal Transoriente. The Terminal is located in the southern part of the city and since we were staying in the north part of El Chapinero neighborhood, we decided to take an Uber (approximately 20,000 COP). Once at the bus terminal, purchase a one-way ticket to La Chorrera (9,000 COP per person). The bus terminal staff will advise which bus to take. Timing of bus departures were unclear, but we learned that buses depart to the region approximately every 15 minutes. We were lucky as a bus was departing right after we purchased our tickets, so we didn’t have to wait. We advised the bus driver of our stop and the bus took approximately one hour to get there. The bus driver stopped at La Chorrera and advised us to get off.

We were dropped off opposite to the road that leads to El Parque Aventura La Chorrera. As a reference point, here is where the bus stopped (note this restaurant did not appear to be open and we did not eat there). It took us a minute to see the sign with a map of the park. A lady working at the Kiosco (food stand) across from the sign advised us to follow the path for 5 kilometers to arrive at the park.

We followed the road, keeping to the left, and took in the landscape as we went. Although it felt a bit longer, we realized it was just because we were stopping so frequently to take pictures of the beautiful landscape, play with dogs and say hi to the locals! It took us 1 hour and 30 minutes to arrive at Parque Aventura Cascada La Chorrera. We are so glad we opted for this walk as it was mostly downhill and a great start to our adventure. 

As we were approaching the entrance of the park, we were walking up a steep hill. We began to think about what the walk back would be like. Luckily during this uphill walk, we noticed a house with a sign offering transport back to the main road or Bogotá. The owner of the house came out as he noticed us reading the sign. He offered his local transportation service for our return after visiting the park. He stated that the 5 kilometer return trip from his house to the main road would be 30,000 COP. We collected his WhatsApp number and confirmed his transport services later (see how to get back section).

El Parque La Chorrera

Once we arrived at the Parque Aventura Cascada La Chorrera, we were greeted by a park guide! She explained the park and directed us to an outdoor seating and film area to watch a brief welcome video that explained the park and how to appropriately enjoy our stay. We then followed her to the front desk to purchase our entrance packet.

There were three main packet options to choose from (see photo). We decided to purchase Packet 2, which included the entrance ticket, lunch, and a small branded drawstring bag that had inside a water bottle, snacks, fruit, pancho and tissues. They had a menu of meals, including a vegetarian option. We could specify if we wanted our lunch at the start or end of our hike at the restaurant at the base of the El Chiflón Waterfall. We selected the vegetarian meal and indicated that we wanted it after the hike.

The Hike: Moderate to Strenuous

The hike from the visitor center to the La Chorrera Waterfall (passing El Chiflón on the way) and back is a moderate to strenuous trail. It takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete. The trail is well-maintained and includes some steep inclines and rocky terrain, so it’s recommended to wear sturdy hiking shoes and bring plenty of water. Along the way, visitors can enjoy stunning views of the mountains and the lush forests that surround the waterfall. In total we hiked 20,000 steps that day.

How to get back / ¿Cómo regresar?

After enjoying our lunch at the base of the El Chiflón and taking the short walk behind the waterfall, it was here that we used the wifi to WhatsApp the gentleman to confirm our transportation back to the main road. He responded promptly and gave us some additional information. He offered that if we wanted to be collected from the park entrance (versus his house) it would be 40,000 COP. We decided to walk the extra 10 minutes outside the park to his house so that the ride back would be 30,000 COP. It was a bumpy ride back, with lots of honking at passers by! It was at this moment that we inferred that honking is a way of saying hello. 

He dropped us off at the main road where we had started. At the small Kiosco (food stand) we were able to confirm with the employee that a bus back to Bogotá would arrive in 10-15 minutes. She confirmed that we could pay on the bus and did not need to purchase a ticket in advance. Like clockwork, a bus arrived within 10 minutes. Although it was full, we were welcomed to stand for the twisty and turny ride back. Bring headphones to distract yourself from the curvy, cliffhanging ride! We returned to the bus terminal we started at and paid as we exited. From here we booked our Uber back to our hotel in the northern area of the city. 

Itinerary / Timing Breakdown

• 9:30am: Departed from our hotel (Selina Parque 93)
• 10:15am: Arrived to Terminal Transoriente
• 10:20am: Departed from Terminal Transoriente
• 11:20am: Arrived to La Chorrera town and began walk to the Parque Aventura Cascada La Chorrera
• 12:50pm: Arrived to the Parque Aventura Cascada La Chorrera entrance
• 1:10pm: Started the walk to the waterfalls
• 2:20pm: Arrived to the La Chorrera Waterfall
• 3:30pm: Arrived back to the base of the El Chiflón Waterfall for lunch
• 4:20pm: Departed from the gentleman’s house for the local transport to the main road
• 5:00pm: Departed on bus back to Bogotá
• 5:45pm: Arrived back to Terminal Transoriente
• 6:00: Departed in Uber back to hotel (Selina Parque 93)

Total Cost (with pricing as of April 2023)

• Uber to/from Bus Station: ~40,000 COP total
• Bus Tickets to/from La Chorrera: 18,000 COP round trip per person
• Parque Aventura Cascada La Chorrera Entrance Ticket: 40,000-80,000 COP per person depending on which packet you purchase (we purchased Packet 2 for 60,000 COP pp)
• Local Ride from park entrance to main road: 30,000 COP total
• Total Per Person (if split between 2 people): 113,000 COP (approximately $25 USD, which is half to one fourth the price of the average guided tour offered to this waterfall)

Packing List

During the month we visited (April), it was known to periodically rain. We packed our rain jackets and wore closed-toed hiking shoes. We wore long pants to keep warm and protect our legs from the mud and flora we passed closely during the hike. The hike does involve some intense uphills, so I wore a tank-top throughout the duration of the hiking portion of the day trip. My friend who runs a bit colder, wore an outer layer for the duration of the hiking portion and then wore a tank top for the more strenuous portions. While there are many trees throughout, there are many patches with direct sunlight, so sunglasses and a hat will be beneficial. Here is what to wear in list form:

• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Rain Jacket
• Long Sleeve outer layer
• Hiking Shoes
• Pants that are breathable and moveable

Here is a list of items to pack:

• Small backpack to carry belongings and layers
• Water (note: purchasing water from locals along the way will be available + a bottle is provided with your entrance ticket)
• Sunscreen
• Chapstick (Bogotá in general is very dry!)
• Camera (or smartphone can work great too!)
• Snacks

We hope you have a wonderful day trip to La Chorrera and El Chiflón Waterfalls!