The name of the mountain – “Monserrate” derives from the majestic mountain in Spain, in Catalonia, near Barcelona to be exact. (I am attaching a photo of it because it really is impressive. I am lucky enough to be able to say that I also climbed it a few months ago:)) Why? Simply because it was, and still is, a very important religious sanctuary for Catholic Spain and Colombia was colonized by the Spanish conquistadors from 1499 onwards.
Montserrat in Spain. source
But this mountain was important for local far before.
Monserrate has been considered an important sacred place since before the arrival of the Spanish: the local Muisca indigenous people called the mountain quijicha caca, or ‘grandmother’s foot’, and considered it important to their religious traditions, due to the fact that the sun rises directly behind the mountain during the solstice in June. This is visible from the modern Plaza Bolivar and is thought to be why the first cathedral of the city was constructed there.
source
This is a mountain of 3152 meters above sea level and can be seen from many areas of Bogota, the capital of Colombia. Obviously, it offers a stunning view over the city, as it is overlooking Bogota.
So as you can imagine I wanted to climb Monserrate Mountain as soon as possible :) I decided to do it the next day after arriving, as my first attraction. Such a nice way to get to know this city of contradictions.
I took a public bus to get to the city centre from the district where I was staying. I will definitely concentrate in one of my posts on the terms of safety in Bogota, as it is a little tricky. Once in the centre you just cannot miss the mountain, you see it and, furthermore, there are people heading to this touristic attraction. So basically it will be enough if you keep following them ;)
How to get to Monserrate Mountain?
There are three options that will lead you to the top of Monserrate Mountain, you can either:
take a funicular railway (opened in 1929);
take a cable car (opened in 1955; it is said that it offers breath-taking, panoramic view along the way because it has large windows on all sides) or
choose to walk.
Two warnings if you decide to have a hike. It is advised that you are:
- in a good physical condition, and
- aware of a risk of being mugged. (This was one of the first things that i was hearing from the locals like my hosts, a bus driver and a policeman. Personally I didn't experience or see anything disturbing.)
I always walk so there was no doubt that I will opt for this option.
It was super hot, with a very strong sun, although the sky was partially cloudy. The climb takes approximately an hour. If you decide to have a hike, you are entering the path for free, there is no entrance fee. But just because of this crazy heat it really makes sense to do it only if you are feeling good and stay in shape.
Once on the top, you can visit the sanctuary, buy some souvenirs or simply enjoy stunning views over Bogota. You can then enjoy a coffee or a meal as there are 2 restaurants open to hosting you. One of them - Santa Clara House – offers typical Colombian food, and the other one - San Isidro House – serves French! menu. I didn’t eat in either of them so I cannot recommend them to you. ;)
Throughout the climb, there are a few stands where locals sell water and snacks. I would expect it to be super expensive but it wasn’t, I guess partially because there are so many Colombians taking this walk every day.
Because I have heard that there is this possibility to be mugged I decided that I need to find some friendly looking souls and do the climb in a group. This way I met 2 young Colombians, a girl and a boy, a couple. They were both students at the local University and was supposed to have their exams soon. So they did what any reasonable person would do – go to a place of religious cult in order to pray to God for good grades, haha 😅 🍀 Well, we must remember that Colombia is, just like the rest of Latin America, really religious and, what is more important and significant, Catholics here are actually practising.
Thank you for being here with me. I hope until next time!
Pura Vida and enjoy your journey! ❤
More about me here: You can travel without being wealthy aka a girl from a "struggling" family chasing her dreams!
Some of my recent stories from South America:
Boldspirit and the death road - la ruta de la muerte - Bolivia (part 1)
BoldspiritTravels on a budget: From Costa Rica to Colombia. #2 Crossing the border [Solo backpacking on a budget in Latin America]