The circular crater lake where Muisca chiefs were covered in gold dust and rowed out with offerings, the ritual that gave rise to the El Dorado legend. Access is by guided walk only, on stepped paths through paramo and frailejon scrub to viewpoints over the jade-green water. Below, the vast Embalse de Tomine reservoir and the rebuilt white village of Guatavita fill out a full day.
| Distance | 57 km northeast of Bogota |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 1.5-2 hours by bus and local shuttle; about 1.5 hours by car |
| Getting there | Mode: Bus; Detail: Bus from Portal del Norte to Sesquile or Guatavita, then a shared jeep or taxi up the 14 km access road to the reserve entrance |
| Cost | Reserve entry about COP 18,000-25,000 (about USD 5.71-7.94) depending on residency, plus bus and jeep fares of roughly COP 30,000 (about USD 9.52) return |
| Address | Reserva Laguna del Cacique Guatavita, Via Sesquile - Guatavita Km 14, Sesquile, Cundinamarca, Colombia |
How to get there
- Bus: Portal del Norte to Sesquile, COP 9,000-12,000 (about USD 2.86-3.81), then a local jeep to the lagoon gate
- Bus: Portal del Norte direct to Guatavita town beside the Embalse de Tomine
- Car: Autopista Norte to Briceno, then the Sesquile road around the Tomine reservoir
- Organised tour: full-day tours pairing Guatavita with the Salt Cathedral
Location
Reserva Laguna del Cacique Guatavita, Via Sesquile - Guatavita Km 14, Sesquile, Cundinamarca, Colombia
4.9769, -73.7761 View on map
Highlights
- The crater-rim viewpoints over the sacred Muisca lagoon
- Paramo vegetation with frailejones and hummingbirds on the ascent
- Sailing and windsurfing on the Embalse de Tomine
- The whitewashed relocated village of Guatavita above the reservoir
Tips for visiting
- Entry is by scheduled guided group only and the last walk sets out in the early afternoon - arriving before 13:00 is essential
- Swimming and boating on the lagoon itself are prohibited; water activities happen on the Tomine reservoir instead
- The rim sits above 3,000 m, so the climb feels harder than its length suggests
- The reserve closes on Mondays outside public holidays