Our Day Trip to Guatavita Lake and Zipaquira Salt Cathedral from Bogota

Guatavita Lake and Zipaquira Salt Cathedral: Our Personal Experience of the Tour

Here is the detailed breakdown of our day visiting Guatavita Lake and Zipaquira Salt Cathedral, from the time we were picked up from our accommodation in Bogota until we were dropped back.

Journey Begins

As we left Bogota behind, the landscape transformed gradually. The urban sprawl gave way to lush green farmlands, with the Andean mountains creating a dramatic backdrop.

Sergio, our guide, used this drive time for conversations and for sharing his insights about Colombian life and the regions we were passing through, pointing to interesting features.

Our first stop was a quirky, colorful house that was upside-down, called La Casa Loca. So, it made for a perfect photo opportunity. This brief stop also helped break up the journey and allowed us to stretch our legs for a bit.

Guatavita Town

After about two hours since pickup, we arrived at the picturesque town of Guatavita. Interestingly, this is not the original settlement. The old town of Guatavita was flooded when a dam was built in the 1960s, and in fact, we saw that manmade reservoir on the way here.

The new Guatavita is a planned community with distinctive whitewashed houses with terracotta roofs that give it a uniquely uniform appearance, and help retain some of the visual characteristics of the original town.

After the long journey, this stop was a also much needed bathroom break for everyone. As people took turns, we used this time to get some coffee (tinto in Colombia) from a small shop and to chat with Sergio and our driver, Andres.

This is when Andres discovered that Indranil and I can make conversations in Spanish. He was delighted! He was excited to chat with two people from India, and was proud to share with us his recommendations about Colombia.

After the break, our group moved to the main square of Guatavita town, where Sergio shared with us the area’s history and significance. We then spent some time strolling on our own, admiring the architecture and soaking in the peaceful feel of the town, before continuing our journey to the legendary lake.

Guatavita Lake

Entry and Time Slots

From the town, we drove a short distance to the entrance of the Guatavita Lake natural reserve.

Upon procuring the entrance tickets, our tour group was allotted a time slot for starting the hike. The entry time slots are defined to probably space out the groups of people over time and trail length.

Guatavita Lake authorities offer Spanish speaking guides to give tours at these designated time slots. Sergio said that we would let this group take the lead, and our group would follow them, maintaining a good distance, with Sergio guiding us in English.

Hiking to the Emerald Waters

At the stipulated time, we began our hike up the mountain path. As we climbed higher, we often paused to look back and enjoy panoramic views of the valley and the surrounding green mountains.

Although consistently uphill, we found the trail to be fairly easy.

The only challenge could be that since you are hiking to an altitude of 3000+ meters, breathing may become difficult in the thin air with lower oxygen.

So, let’s say the Guatavita Lake hike is of moderate difficulty level.

It was perfectly manageable for our mixed-age group, with several stops along the way where Sergio shared fascinating stories about the Muisca people who once considered this lake sacred.

As we climbed higher, Sergio explained us the famous legend of El Dorado.

The Origin of El Dorado Legend

Sergio told us how the Muisca tribe would perform elaborate ceremonies after choosing a new leader. The chosen one would be covered in gold dust and sail to the center of the lake on a raft, where he would throw gold and emerald offerings into the water as a sacrifice to the gods.

This ritual gave birth to the legend of El Dorado that later sparked centuries of treasure hunting and exploration by the Spanish conquerers.

But not just the ceremonies after choosing the new leader, Sergio also told us stories of what process the chosen one had to go through to prove if he is a capable leader, and how his wife was selected.

What stood out to us was the powerful angle about the Muisca women, who were decision makers. For example, the mother of the chosen leader had the responsibility of selecting the wife for her son, and she did this NOT based on the beauty of the contenders, but the selection was made based on skills, intelligence and leadership capabilities.

The Emerald Lake Views

When we finally reached the top, the circular shaped emerald-green lake was impressive on first sight. The unusual round shape of Guatavita Lake adds to its mystical quality.

From here, there are 3 different viewpoints, and you get views of various perspectives from each. The circular shape of the lake is most prominent from the third viewpoint.

Due to its shape and position, we assumed the Guatavita Lake to be a volcanic crater lake. But Sergio explained that although that was one of the early theories, it was discarded with sufficient proof, and told us about the other theories and the related evidences.

We spent about 30 minutes at the top, stopping at all the viewpoints, taking photos and simply absorbing the tranquil atmosphere, while Sergio continued sharing stories of how treasure hunters had attempted over the centuries to drain the lake in search of the legendary gold.

Hike Out

The hike back down offered different perspectives of the surrounding landscape. I liked that the trail is not out and back, that is, we followed an onward route to get out of the reserve.

At the end of the trail, we tried a traditional arepa con queso and sampled some chicha, a fermented corn drink that has been part of indigenous cultures for centuries.