Trekking the El Cocuy Mountain Range

Pereira, Colombia

5 DAYS

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Duration

5 DAYS

Group Type

PRIVATE

Language

en, es

Confirmation

On Request

Overview

Trek through Colombia's best area for big mountains, glaciers and glacial lakes. See some of the most magnificent landscapes in the country.

Highlights

Immerse yourself in páramos, unique ecosystems found only in Colombia and two other countries.
See glaciated mountains, towering rock walls and crystalline glacier lakes.
Hike through the diverse and scenic landscapes of El Cocuy National Natural Park

What's Included

Inclusions

Entrance fees.
Mountain insurance for 3 days.
Guiding service.
All meals from lunch of Day 1 to lunch of Day 5 including snacks and trail food.
Accommodations.
Transportation from Bogotá and back (via public bus) and within the Cocuy area (using private vehicles).

Exclusions

Travel insurance.
Personal trekking gear (backpack, boots, poles).

Itinerary

The town of El Cocuy

From Bogota, you take the long bus ride to the town of El Cocuy, passing through quaint pueblos and scenic countryside along the way. When you arrive in El Cocuy you check into your hostel and do a quick tour of the town and its surroundings before having dinner and getting some rest for your first day of trekking.

Lagunillas

You begin your hiking adventure in the southern part of El Cocuy mountain range and trek to the Lagunillas, an area with small lakes surrounded by mountains. From there you can see some of El Cocuy's most well-known and imaginatively named peaks: Pan de Azucar (sugar loaf) and the two Campanillas (bells) – Negro and Blanco. After about 7 hours of trekking you end the day at the scenic Pulpito mountain cabanas.

Laguna Grande de la Sierra

Today you hike to the Laguna Grande, the largest of El Cocuy's glacial lakes. You trek through the Valley of the frailejones, an area filled with the strange-looking succulents, before arriving at the sandy shore of the lake. If not for the five snow-capped mountains surrounding you, you might think you were at the beach. Millennia of glacier movement has ground rock into fine sand. The sapphire blue lake and its backdrop of sheer rock faces and snowy peaks create one of the most impressive landscapes in Colombia. Your 7 to 8-hour trek ends at the Hacienda de la Esperanza, a charming inn and sheep farm in the mountains.