Embalse del Neusa - Colombia

Paula Suárez
Mar 23, 2017
3 min read

Embalse del Neusa is a big reserve near Cogua and Zipaquira, located 2 hours from Bogota, Colombia. This is my favorite place near Bogota, because when it is not so busy,it is the perfect place to draw, talk with friends, have a BBQ, or spend your time on the grass and watch the clouds in differents forms.

The sun is strong in this park, so it is important that you don't forget to use sunscreen. Sometimes is cold, so you need be prepare for everything, have a good jacket and a nice hat. It is normal to see people playing ultimate (Frisbee), soccer, lift kite, paying with dogs, kayaking, fishing, and taking boats around the lake.

This place has three different areas:

1. The first stop is on the top of the mountain,here you can find a restaurant, a camping zone, activities for kids, and parking for your car. If you want spend the night, in this part you can't make fires, because it is close to the trees and doesn't have a lot of space near to the water.

2. The second stop is my favorite place, to spend the night in the park. In this area you can find a lot of people with tents, cars, fire, alcohol and food. It's a common places for students at night and families in the afternoon, however, if you want find a place quiet, you have a lot of space to choose from. In this part there is only one restaurant, and this one is located the farthest from public access. It is open only on weekends and you can find breakfast, lunch and dinner; the most famous dish is the Trout shrimp in bechamel sauce. Next to the restaurant there are bathrooms with showers.

3. The third and final stop is the best place if you want to have a BBQ, because there aren’t a lot of trees here and so it is not dangerous. This part is flat and has ten official BBQs, this place is

very busy on weekends, that's why my advice is to get up early or go in the week.

When you arrive, you need pay the entrance to the park and pay the additional price if you want to spend the night in the park.

Transport:

You have two or three different options:

1. Take a ''flota'' or ''intermunicipal'' on Autopista Norte towards Cogua. This will take 2 hours, when you arrive in Cogua ask for a van to Embalse del Neusa. This trip will take 40 minutes, because the van stops along the road and sometimes you need to wait for 2 to 4 minutes.

https://transportesalianza.jimdo.com/rutas-y-horarios/cogua-terminal-bta/

2. Take your car and drive for 2 hours. There are two routes, the first way is ''Bogota - Chia - Cajica - Zipaquira - Embalse del Neusa'', and the second is ''Bogota - Calera - Sopo - Zipaquira - Embalse del Neusa''. Both are easy because the roads are in really good condition.

3. Ride your bike for 4 hours. After Cogua, when you take the route by Neusa, the way is steep, if you want to have strong legs, of course this route is for you and your bike. Don't forget to be careful, because the cars only have one lane, and sometimes can't see you.