Hiking up to Bogotá’s Cerro Aguanoso

The impressive slab of Andean mountain that dominates downtown Bogotá is Cerro Aguanoso, a 3,500 meter (11,500 feet) peak that is the highest of the Cerros Orientales bordering the city, just south of La Candelaria. The return hike from Guadalupe Sanctuary is around 3 or 4 hours depending on your speed. Kids can also enjoy the hike, but bring warm jackets as the wind howls over the peak most days. The trail opens Saturdays, Sundays and Festivos (Bank Holidays) but might close at short notice in wet weather. Entrance is free but you need to book ahead online, see below.

June 2023. For older hiking posts see: Entrenubes, the Best View in Bogotá, and Bogotá Hiking: Quebrada La Vieja, and A Short Hike to Juaica, or Bogotá: Up to Monserrate.

On the roof of Bogotá: Cerro Aguanoso, the watery hill, is a beautiful hike in the Cerros Orientales, the Eastern Hills.
On the roof of Bogotá: Cerro Aguanoso, the watery hill, is a beautiful hike in the Cerros Orientales, the Eastern Hills.

Cerro Aguanoso, or ‘Watery Hill’, is appropriately managed by the Bogotá water company (Acueducto, or ‘EAAB’), which opens the trail for free on weekends, when it is also guarded by police. Why the guards? All the hills close to Bogotá are close to barrios humildes (poor areas of the city) and there is a long tradition of local gangs robbing hikers on the trails. Visitors are advised to only take these trails at official opening times, which requires booking ahead on the Caminos de Los Cerros Orientales website, at present (June 2023) it’s free. The main difference with other main hiking trails such as Quebrada La Vieja (see my post here) which is accessbile from the city streets, to hike to Aguanosa starts from the religious sanctuary (church and large Jeses statue) at Guadalupe, 10kms from the city. You can take a taxi, bus or drive to Guadalupe, I’ll put instructions below.

Cerro Aguanoso dominates downtown Bogota, and is refreshingly free of religous clutter.
Cerro Aguanoso dominates downtown Bogota, and is refreshingly free of religous clutter.

Booking in to Cerro Agaunoso…

(These instructions are valid for 2023, and could change). After entering the Cerros Orientales landing page, choose the Guadalupe-Aguanosa then Reserva Aqui then select ´Guadalupe a la cumbre Cerro Aguanoso´(for the walk to the peak). The page will show you any dates/times with spaces available (and how many places, in case you are planning as a group).

  • ADDING PEOPLE: The form is easy and you can ‘agregar participantes´ to add family and friends, don’t forget to add your email address and tick the boxes to end the process, and confirmation will arrive by email.
  • CANCELING: you can easily cancel your reservation using the link in the same booking email, if your plans change.
  • NO SHOWS: if you fail to show up, your name and ID will be blocked from further bookings for 2 weeks.
  • BOOK EARLY: Since it is only open on weekends, spaces fill up fast, so try and book a week ahead.
  • LAST MINUTE SPACES:often people cancel the day before, so also worth trying the day before for a space.
  • PRIVATE TOURS: none that I can find at present, but it is possible in the future you can book a paid trip.
Guadalupe and Cerro Aguanoso behind , this photo was taken f
Guadalupe and Cerro Aguanoso behind , this photo was taken from the religous sanctuary at Monserrate, another hike.

Getting to Guadalupe

Guadalupe entrance to Cerro Aguanoso trail.
Chapel at the Guadalupe Sanctuary.
  • Drive (if you have a car) navigate to Monserrate then take the Circunvalar south and exit on the Choachi Road. The turnoff to Guadalupe is at Km 6.5. Remember that Sundays and Festivos is ‘Ciclovia’ so some roads are closed, but you can find a way up to the Circunvalar (Ring Road) you will be OK. You can park at the Guadalupe sanctuary for 3,000 pesos.
  • Taxi to Guadalupe: best to negotiate the fee beforehand.
  • Bus: get a Tranmilenio to Tercer Milenio Transmilenio station and walk half a block to Carrera 10 with Calle 6, there you will find buses to Choachí and Guadalupe, usually running from 6am. EAAB has said that on Saturdays there will be 2 special buses to Guadalupe for hikers, similar to the service provided on Sundays, at 6.30am abd 7.30am, but I haven’t checked this. Sundays is easier for buses since many people go to Guadalupe for the church service.
  • Cycle: Guadalupe is a popular destination for weekend cyclists, but you need to be fit..

On arrival present your name and ID to the Cerros Ambientales staff and they will send you onto the trail. Don’t worry if you are a bit late, they are usually flexible.

Preparing for the hike

The hike is quite easy since it starts at 3,300 metres (Guadalupe) and only climbs 200 metres (650 feet) to the Cerro Aguanoso peak. Because of the high altitude (see my post Do You have an Altitude Problem?) it is preferable to be acclimatised to at least Bogotá (2,600 metres) Bring warm clothes for the top, and water and snacks.

On clear days you can see across the city to the volcanic Cordillera Central and Volcan de Tolima (left) and Ruiz (obscured by smoke from a city blaze). On most days the hills cloud in after around 9am, so trek early for the views.
On clear days you can see across the city to the volcanic Cordillera Central and Volcan de Tolima (left) and Ruiz (obscured by smoke from a city blaze). On most days the hills cloud in after around 9am, so trek early for the views.
The last 30 minutes of the hike is steep and usually cloudy, but not too tricky.
The last 30 minutes of the hike is steep and usually cloudy, but not too tricky. This is páramo, Andean moorland.
The tough páramo shrubs and stunted trees are often in flower.
On Cerro Aguanoso, the tough páramo shrubs and stunted trees are often in flower.
Military Police guarding the Cerro Aguanoso trail on weekends. Other times are dangerous.
Military Police guarding the Cerro Aguanoso trail on weekends. Other times are dangerous.
Andean Freilejon plant left, and right misty at the peak…but hang around as the wind can quickly blow away the clouds.
When it does clear the views from Cerro Aguanoso over Bogotá city are amazing...
When it does clear the views from Cerro Aguanoso over Bogotá city are amazing…
The Aguanoso trail leads through pleasant pine woods where you can stop and picnic.
The Aguanoso trail leads through pleasant pine woods where you can stop and picnic.
500 years of resistance: people of Muisca descent doing a cleansing ritual at Guadalupe. The Andean peaks are sacred to indigenous people throughout South America, one reason the Spanish colonists put Catholic shrines, sanctuaries or crosses on so many of them....
500 years of resistance: people of Muisca descent doing a cleansing ritual at Guadalupe. The Andean peaks are sacred to indigenous people throughout South America, one reason the Spanish colonists put Catholic shrines, sanctuaries or crosses on so many of them….