After what feels like forever of being tucked away at home, we’re back! And what better way to celebrate our return than with a post about Mamba’s newfound favorite style of travel? We recently decided that we were sick of being inside and went camping near Suesca, Cundinamarca. Here’s the low down on everything we did on our night away!
Where is Suesca, Cundinamarca?
Located just an hour and a half outside of Bogotá, Suesca is famous with local travelers for extreme sports. People flock there to go rock climbing, mountain biking, and trekking.
Taking local transportation from Bogotá to Suesca
There are a few options if you’re traveling from Bogotá to Suesca. The first option is to take a local bus from the Portal Norte (the bus terminal). The ticket should cost about 8,000 COP (about 2 USD) for a one-way trip. You’ll also find plenty of buses to take you.
If you’re going into town, the bus will make a stop there and it will be clear once you’ve arrived. If you’re planning to camp, ask the driver to drop you off at the entrance to the Rocas de Suesca). He’ll be happy to do so as well. You’ll know you’re close when you start to see climbing schools on the right-hand side.
Driving from Bogotá to Suesca
On the other hand, if you’re driving there yourself, it’ll be easy to arrive using Google Maps or Waze. Type in “Rocas de Suesca” into the search bar and your phone should give you the best route there.
When we drove, we took Séptima out of the city. If you take this route, you’ll have to pay for 2 tolls on the way there. The cost of these was about 9,000 COP or about 3 USD each. Luckily for us, we were prepared to deal with Mamba’s car sickness. We laid the back seat of the car totally flat and that allowed for her to sleep comfortably, without sliding. Win!
Camping at Campo Base Suesca
Before leaving we did a quick search and found that one of the most popular spots for camping near Suesca is “Campo Base”. They don’t have a website and they don’t have a social media presence either, but that’s fine because you don’t need to book anything in advance. You can literally just show up.
The rocks and the campsite are both just outside of Suesca. Keep your eyes peeled for the line of restaurants and climbing shops I mentioned earlier. This will be the telling sign that you’ve arrived.
“But, where do I camp? There’s nothing here…”
That’s where the fun begins! Turns out, the campsites are all about a 10-minute walk away from this strip. Because the railroad tracks run along the rocks, there’s no way for a car to make the trip (trust us, we tried). You need to park up here, unload your gear, and start walking.
We found a great overnight parking spot just off the tracks that had many cars in there and felt like the best place to stop. The overnight fee was 30,000 COP (8 USD) and the guys there watch over the cars 24/7.
Now, because we’re over-packers – especially with Mamba – we found someone who would help us carry our stuff. Don’t worry, they don’t actually carry it, they push it along the tracks on a little cart. This cost us 20,000 COP (5 USD) but it was definitely worth it; we would’ve had to make 2 trips if we wanted to bring all our junk out with us.
Once you’ve made it to Campo Base, someone will sign you in, give you a wristband, and point you to a giant field. The night per person at Campo Base costs 15,000 COP (about 4 USD). There are small fire pits dotted around the camp as well as little wooden tables. We decided to stick to the right side of the field because a) it looked emptier, b) there was a rowdy crowd to the left, and c) we didn’t want too much noise.
What to pack to go camping near Suesca
Like I said before: we’re over-packers. But, man, do we sleep well in that tent. We’d read about how cold the nights could get so we packed a set of blankets to make sure we were cozy. We also brought pillows! Sleeping on a folded-up t-shirt wasn’t going to cut it (been there, done that, wouldn’t recommend). Then, we had all of the basics: our blow-up mattresses, sleeping bags, a picnic blanket, two picnic chairs, and Mamba’s bed.
What can you eat while camping near Suesca?
We knew there weren’t going to be many restaurants nearby the site, so we came prepared with a mighty “snack box”. It had a little bit of everything to get us through: some chips, fruit, ramen, eggs, and wine.
Campo Base sells packs of firewood that you can buy for just 6,000 COP (1.50 USD). They also have fuel and lighters (both for 4,000 COP or 1 USD) to get the fire going. There are also grills you can place over the firepit for 2,000 COP (50 cents). These make for really easy cooking!
John managed to get the fire going pretty quickly that evening. This means we were able to cook up an absolute feast for dinner: ramen with mushrooms and a hard-boiled egg. I’d also brought a pack of peanuts and a pack of dried seaweed for an added touch of fancy schmancy. I recommend going easy if it’s your first time cooking over an open fire. We were nervous about managing to do any of it, but all turned out really well in the end. Our confidence is now through the roof. We’re thinking of bringing some popcorn along for next time to go with our movie night.
The next morning was a bit more of a challenge, but we persevered. For breakfast, we had scrambled eggs with mushrooms and sausages. Unfortunately for us, neither John nor I remembered to pack any milk. This means our first campsite tea experience didn’t go as planned. But we learned our lesson and it won’t happen again.
Things to do while camping near Suesca
The great thing about choosing the Suesca Rocks is that there are plenty of outdoor activities to keep you entertained.
Rock climbing in Suesca
Without a doubt, one of the most popular things to do in Suesca is to go rock climbing. You’ll be spoiled for choice when you arrive: there are tons of schools and instructors just waiting for you.
We weren’t planning on testing it out – I hate heights and John had a bad neck – but I’ve heard it can get a little pricey. However, with so many routes available at all levels, it’s worth it if you’re interested.
Cycling in Suesca
Mountain biking is also a popular sport for people who travel to Suesca. There are a lot of trails around town with demanding climbs and bumpy downhill rides that will surely get your heart racing. Adrenaline junkies will have a field day exploring the many trails. If you’d like to plan ahead, here are a few Suesca cycling routes that might interest you!
Trekking in Suesca
John and I opted for this since we had Mamba with us and we’d heard great things about the trails that go along the rocks. “Crazy views, breathtaking climbs, and a descent that makes it all worth it” said someone we’d met in town. We were buzzing, totally unaware of what would happen next.
Buckle up, this is a fun one.
Our trekking in Suesca experience
According to what we’d read, what we’d heard, and our own calculations, we’d have to walk all the way along the train tracks to reach the end of the rocks (they start getting smaller and smaller until they reach ground level) and then turn right and climb up. It seemed easy enough.
Starting the walk along the tracks
The walk started all the way back at the parking lot where we’d packed up our things to make sure we were ready to leave as soon as we were back in this area of town. We walked past Campo Base and then carried on for a while until we reached a sign that read Reserva Natural El Turpial. A man standing outside told us it was a 1 km walk along the river and surrounded by nature. We figured we might as well get off the tracks for a bit and catch a glimpse of the fauna that lives around the area. Tickets were 3,000 COP (1 USD) per person to walk through.
The walk feels quite short, but there are a lot of hidden trails you can take around the park if you’d like to extend your stay there. There’s a hanging bridge that John half-crossed, there’s a tiny cave near the end, and there are paths that take you to the edge of the river where you can sit down to rest your feet and have a snack.
Once we were out of the reservoir, we hit the tracks again to carry on. This is where things started to get a little heavy because the tracks are surrounded on both sides by very rocky ground. This meant walking was hard on all of us, but it was especially hard on Mamba. She kept veering off to the side to walk on the tiny patch of grass or trying to hop from plank to plank in order to avoid touching the rocks. It got to the point where John had to put her inside his backpack. Basically, my advice is to either pack special dog shoes for your pup or make sure you’re willing to carry them.
As we hurried on, we started to feel less and less hopeful. We’d heard the walk was about 5k total, but we’d already done at least 3k just going and there seemed to be no end in sight. As Mamba complained about being in the pack, we decided to give it a rest as John hurried up ahead of us to try and find the magical spot where the rocks ended and we could loop back.
Turns out, we were just under 1km away from that spot where we’d decided to stop. With Mamba in John’s arms, we hurried along the tracks until we made it to the entrance. Although it seems blocked off, there’s a small opening big enough for a person to walk through. We’re guessing this is so cars don’t drive up there and destroy the peace.
Starting the climb up the Rocas de Suesca
The climb went on and on, but we were surrounded by lush vegetation and the weather had gotten a little bit chilly so it wasn’t too tough. However, after having walked along the tracks for what seemed like forever, a steep climb was the last thing we needed. But we kept going. And going. And going. Until we reached a fence with a giant “DO NOT CROSS SIGN”. We were stuck again and there was no way we were turning back. Luckily, a little kid ran up to the gate and let us pass through.
Once we started to descend, John started to feel like we’d done something wrong. Why would people recommend a hike with a closed gate? Why were we moving so far from the edge of the rock was along the edge? How did we get to a random dirt track with cars whizzing by? Once we’d made it to the main road, we knew we’d done something wrong. And, to top it all off, the map said we were still 50 minutes away from the parking spot.
Defeated and exhausted, we managed to flag down a taxi and rode back to town with our tail between our legs. We’re not sure where we went wrong, but John insists there was a right turn we could’ve taken that would have led us along the rocks and back down. If you do decide to do the hike, make sure you ask around or even hire a guide to take you.
Our experience camping near Suesca
Overall, we had a really great time camping near Suesca and I’m sure we’d do it again in a heartbeat. We’d read online that Campo Base can get pretty rowdy at nighttime and that was true. There was a group of people who kept their music on through the night and only stopped at 7 AM after the power came off. Although we managed to mostly sleep through it, if you find it difficult to sleep with noise, you might be better off finding somewhere else to camp.
The nights get really cold – almost damp cold – so make sure to pack enough layers and clothes to keep you nice and toasty. We both regretted not bringing a hat, so definitely do that! Also, pack an extra pair of socks because your feet will feel constantly wet and, if you can, bring a hooded sweatshirt.
Have you been camping near Suesca? Is there anything else we might have missed? Let us know in the comments!
