A road trip from Bogotá, always a good idea. We should do that way more often. But when we go, we really enjoy the unknown Colombia. Because although I have already seen a lot around Bogotá, there are still many undiscovered places left. This article is the first part of our day road trip through Cundinamarca, where we visited a beautiful lake, came face to face with a group of llamas and wandered around an interesting cemetery. Colombia did it again: what an amazing country! Discover Colombia off the beaten track!
Embalse del Sisga
With two friends, we get in the car and follow the route I mapped out the day before. On the map I found a lake I did not yet know: Embalse del Sisga. The location at 2600 meters altitude and today also heartily cloudy is the combination for low temperatures. Wrapped in a thick cardigan and scarf, I walk to the lake, which turns out to be amazingly beautiful. Represa del Sisga is just like the lake of Neusa and Embalse de Tominé, a reservoir created to regulate water in Cundinamarca. The lake is deep enough for scuba diving, and you can also do great hiking through the nature around the lake. I intensely enjoy the views, the fresh and especially clean air and the peace.
Face to face with a pair of llamas
At the restaurant near Lake Sisga, we come across a group of llamas just like that. You don’t see many of those in Colombia. I wonder if they originally occurred here at all. Anyway: this did come as a pleasant surprise. On a large piece of land next to the lake, the llamas have that fantastic view every day. And yes: there is also a cow among them! With my fascination with cows I can finally take another picture of such a beautiful cow. My day can’t go wrong anymore.
How photogenic those animals are, especially in that beautiful nature!
On the way to the next destination, we pass by even more beauty.
Chocontá: a village in the middle of Muisca territory
A little north of Lake Sisga, we come to the village of Chocontá. A village with about 13,000 inhabitants and a very large central square. The church is also amazingly large. Unfortunately, we can’t enter, as there seems to be a funeral going on. Chocontá is located in the middle of Muisca area and is the largest producer of strawberries in Colombia. We wander through the cute little streets to eventually end up at a very special cemetery.
Just people watching.
Chocontá: a special cemetery
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a cemetery. Usually I don’t just wander around a cemetery either, but sometimes a cemetery is so special that I do want to check it out. Like this one in Chocontá. As we drove into the village, out of the corner of our eye we saw a cemetery that looked more like a village. And so it turned out. Very large graves in cottages, families together and also very old graves. For example, I saw one from the year 1899. It is a beautiful quiet place. Graves of all colors, many flowers, few people and a beautiful little church. After seeing everything, we drove on in silence.
By the way, I also found the entrance very special.
Colombia off the beaten track
I love nothing more than exploring non-touristy Colombia. Drive and see what we encounter along the way. Experiencing how the locals live in the countryside, how beautiful nature is even off the beaten path and spontaneously ending up in unplanned places. Enjoy this… Would you also like to explore the country by car? Click herefor more information! Spending the night in or near Chocontá? Click herefor options.
Next time, the continuation of our road trip: a forgotten village and an unexpected invitation to a coffee finca.
For more inspiration for traveling off the beaten path in Colombia, click here.
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