Parque Ecologico Matarredonda: Laguna Teusaca and Cascadas de la Abuela

Parque Ecologico Matarredonda is a 2,375-hectare reserve in the Paramo de Cruz Verde, at km 12 of the Bogota-Choachi road east of Bogota, Colombia. It is the closest true paramo to central Bogota, and the Teusaca and Palmar rivers rise within it. The reserve opens daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with the last hiking entry at 2:00 p.m. No advance permit is needed. Entry costs about COP 12,000 per person and parking about COP 6,000, and cash is advisable because card payment is unreliable. Dogs are allowed only on the Laguna Teusaca route.

The drive from the Avenida Circunvalar takes about 45 minutes by taxi or private car, and intermunicipal buses toward Choachi stop at the entrance. Six marked trails fan out from the gate, and the two most popular are the Laguna Teusaca route and the Cascadas de la Abuela route. Each is about 7 km round trip and takes 2 to 3 hours. Walkers move between roughly 3,200 m and 3,500 m and gain about 250 m, which is moderate mainly because of altitude and wet ground. The Teusaca route follows an old stone camino real before crossing peat bog and frailejon grassland to the lagoon, while the waterfall route descends through high Andean forest to a chain of cascades.

Surfaces range from cobbled stone to muddy paramo paths and forest steps. The upper sections are fully exposed to wind, mist and strong ultraviolet light, while the forest below the falls provides shade. Landmarks are the lagoon, the waterfalls and stands of frailejones, and the usual turn-around point on each route is the lagoon or the last cascade. Drinking water is not available on the trails, so walkers must carry their own. There are no huts along the routes, although the entrance area has basic facilities. Weather can change quickly: mist, drizzle and near-freezing wind are possible at any time of year. Visitors should stay on the marked paths to protect the fragile vegetation and plan to be back at the gate before closing at 4:00 p.m.