The Laguna de Guatavita or Lake Guatavita is located not far from Bogotá. Once a sacred site for the indigenous peoples, gold discovered there helped launch the legend of El Dorado. The lake today is gorgeous and a neat day trip from Bogotá, especially for those who want a break from the big city to enjoy some nature. Read on to learn how to visit Lake Guatavita and what to see in the legendary Laguna de Guatavita.
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Introduction – Why Visit Lake Guatavita
If you have ever been to Bogotá, you know that it is a huge, sprawling city, a tad grungy, and has horrible traffic. Actually, I think Bogotá sometimes gets a bit of a bad rep as there is a fair amount of green space and some vibrant culture in the city. However, the largeness and loudness of it all can still get a bit oppressive sometimes.
If you’d like to get outside the city a bit and do a half to full day trip that includes some hiking and a pretty natural area where you can also learn a bit of history, a visit to Guatavita and the nearby lake is a great choice.
Susana and I finally recently made it here as it had been one of the things to do in Bogotá we hadn’t had a chance to see yet. We thought it was lovely. Here I’ll share a bit about the history behind the lake, what to see at Lake Guatavita, how to get there, and what else to see in the town itself so you can plan your own visit to the Laguna de Guatavita.
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Where is the Laguna de Guatavita?
The Guatavita Lagoon is located in the foothills of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, not far from the towns of Guatavita and Sesquille, north east of Bogotá. The lake, surrounded on all sides by the mountain was thought to be a crater, but most theories now believe it is a sink hole resulting from the dissolution of salt deposits below it sometime in the distant past.
What’s the History Behind it?
The lake was a sacred site for the Muisca indigenous peoples that inhabited this area of present day Colombia. According to legend, whenever there was a new Zipa or leader of the Muisca, an elaborate ritual was performed here.
The Zipa would be adorned in gold dust and head out on the lake in an elaborate raft. Once in the center, he and the other chiefs, as well as spectators around the lake would throw gold into the lake as an offering to the gods. There is a famous gold raft on display at the Bogotá Gold Museum that alludes to this legend.
Hearing of this legend fueled the Spanish colonizers belief in an El Dorado, and there were numerous attempts to drain the lake and recover the gold. Some attempts did partially drain it and there were some gold pieces found but never to the extent the legend would seem to suggest.
What to See at the Laguna de Guatavita
Well the lake, of course!
Ok, all obviousness aside, the lake is part of a reserved area. When arriving, you’ll be assigned a guide, who will tell you about the history as well as point out some of the significant trees and plants that grow nearby.
You’ll make a brief stop at a replica indigenous meeting house where the guide will tell you a bit about the history and culture of the Muisca people before heading up the path up the mountain.The hike isn’t too tough but you might notice the altitude making your breath a bit harder.
The path is mostly made up of rocks, so it shouldn’t get too muddy, but you’ll definitely want a comfortable pair of walking shoes or hiking boots. Having a good jacket is also good as it can get chilly if the sun isn’t out or it’s breezy.
Once you get to the top, you can take in the gorgeous view of the lake. If it is a sunny day, it should have a glowing turquoise color. It’s really pretty! Ditto for the surrounding hills.
Our guide left us here to walk along the path around the lake on our own before heading down. At the end of the path there is a little place where you can get a drink or snack if you want. All in all, I would say the hike takes between 1 and 2 hours depending on pace and how long you stay at the top.
A quick tip: single use plastics have been prohibited in Colombian natural areas. The guide let me carry a plastic bottle of water in my bag but asked me not to drink from it. It’s best to take along a refillable bottle if you have one.
How to Get to the Lake Guatavita?
You have a few options for getting here. I’m going to assume you are coming from Bogotá, the closest big city.
Option 1: Book a Tour
It’s possible to book a private tour to the lake, or if you want to combine another popular attraction near Bogotá, this tourthat goes to Guatavita and the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is a great option (you can also do this as a private tour).
Option 2: Go on Your Own
You do not need to go in a tour to visit the Laguna de Guatavita. It is fairly easily reached by combination of a few buses. There a few options here.
The easiest is to get a bus to Guatavita from the Portal del Norte bus terminal (this can be reached easily on the Transmilenio bus system). The bus will pass first through Sesquille, where you can get off and then get a taxi to the park and trail head if you like.
Or, you can head to the town of Guatavita itself, which is what we did and what I’d recommend. There, from the area known as Parqueadero Principal, just across from the Plaza de Toros, you can hire roundtrip transportation to and from the park. They leave when full around 11 and 1 most days. If you like you can contact Nelson, who took us via Whatsapp at (+57) 311 279-6317 to double check availability and price. It cost us $20,000 pesos roundtrip in November 2021.
It’s also possible to get off the bus about halfway between Sesquille and Guatavita where the turn off for the lake is and then walk. I wouldn’t recommend that is it’s quite a long walk, and the end of the trail is not at the start, which makes the transportation from Guatavita all the more convenient since they pick you up at the end.
To get back to Bogotá, you can get the bus at the parqueadero.
Anything Else to See in Guatavita?
Actually, there is. It’s a pretty little town. While maybe not quite as impressive as larger and more famous towns like Villa de Leyva and Barichara, we thought it was charming to walk around and there are a few more sites to see around town.
We had lunch at Origenes located on a pretty little plaza behind the main plaza. There are several good looking restaurants around this area, and the plaza, church, and monuments nearby are pretty.
Across the way you can see the former Plaza de Toros, which is kind of a neat building and houses an artisan museum today. You can also see the Puente de los Enamorados (Lover’s Bridge) and the Pozo de la Dicha (a small well). Finally, you can walk down to the Embalse Tominé (a reservoir).
It looks like its also possible to do little boat rides out on the reservoir nearby and there are some eco-cabins outside of town if you wanted to spend the night. All in all, I’d definitely recommend stopping for lunch and strolling town before heading out if you come on your own.
Guatavita Lake Conclusion
There you have it, a complete guide to the Laguna Guatavita. It’s a nice escape from the big city of Bogotá and I highly recommend a visit to get some fresh air and see this really pretty and neat looking place. If you want to to, I hope this guide helped you plan your visit and even more importantly, that you enjoy it. If you did go, I’d love to hear what you liked the most in the comments below!
Cheers and Happy Exploring!
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