Hiking in the Los Nevados park: a self-guided 3-day hike in Colombia’s beautiful national park

Los Nevados National Park is an incredibly diverse and beautiful area of Colombia. It’s a great spot to get away from the built-up cities, as it seems really remote but is actually quite accessible! This blog will go through an excellent self-guided and really budget option to explore the area.

The route

Day 1

EL CEDRAL

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The starting point for the walk, there is a little cafe/shop, as well as an accommodation option should you need it.

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Starting in El Cedral, the path takes you up the valley on a clearly marked route. Do not underestimate this section of the hike as it gains over 1300m elevation over less than 15km! A lot of the path is in the shade, which offers some relief. There are also two places along the route where you can buy a hot or cold drink, snacks, and a hot meal.

After 4 hours of quite steep uphill (not including stops) we arrived at the campsite. The route is really easy to follow, just following the path up through the valley. We used maps.me to check we were heading the right way but there really is just one way up.

Finca el Jordán

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This charming finca is run by a family in a very low-key way: there’s loads of camping space, and also 8 dorm beds available.

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Be aware, although really warm in the sun, this camp spot is at altitude, and gets really cold after sunset, especially if the wind picks up. Make sure you pack some layers!

Day 2

The second day was a bit more relaxed, especially if you had to carry up all your camping gear on day 1! You can leave the bulk of your stuff at the finca, and head off with some food, water and warm clothes (including wind proofs).

Lake Otún

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Very picturesque, this lake made a perfect picnic spot and end point of our hike. There is accommodation here, but with the extra elevation comes another few degrees temperature drop, and we really didn’t feel the need to stay a night up here.

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Using maps.me for the route, we walked 9.5 km up to the lake. The path was pretty clear, but there is one point where you have to duck under a fence. The return hike took about 7 hours at a leisurely pace.

Day 3

On our last day we set off early to hike the 4 hours back to the starting point of the walk.

Logistics

Getting there

Victoria Mall

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This is the bus stop for getting the chiva or bus to El Cedral. Just check with someone if you’re unsure! It’s on the plaza, on the opposite side of the road to the mall.

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We caught the 9am bus from Plaza Victoria, which took just over an hour and a half to arrive at El Cedral. The second half of the journey is pretty much off-road, so gets very bumpy!

Accomodation

Arriving at the finca was really easy, we were able to set up camp in the field for 8,000 COP per person with no booking required.

Dorm beds were first come first serve, at 30,000 COP per bed. Although these would save having to carry up a lot of camping gear, don’t expect any luxury, and make sure you bring some warm clothes as the building was quite flimsy.

‌They serve food, with vegetarian options, and offer hot showers for a 3,000 COP fee. Meals were really affordable, between 10-15,000 COP per meal.

Getting away

Double check with the owner of the finca, but the bus or chiva should leave from El Cedral at 12:30 each day, or there is an option to get a later bus at about 4 pm.

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