Living the Good Life in Cundinamarca, Colombia

There’s a beautiful corner of Colombia far off the tourist path and yet only an hour west of Bogotá. I’m talking about the lush mountains around San Francisco, Cundinamarca. Johana spent a significant part of her childhood on a family farm there and its one of our favorite places to visit when we’re in Colombia. It’s a place where you can’t help but say “this is the life!”

Although relatively unknown to international tourists, the rural areas around San Francisco and La Vega a bit farther west are somewhat popular among Bogotanos looking for a night or two away from the capital. There are plenty of “glamping” cabins and domes to be found in the region. Coffee, a delicious variety of fruits, and farm-raised trout and chickens can be found in abundance. 

We recently spent a longer stretch there as part of our gap year. Although there aren’t many formal touristic activities around, there is plenty to do. Especially if you like rural life.

The Farm

The family farm where Johana spent much of her time as a child is about 10 minutes uphill from the town of San Francisco. The house was built of packed earth and wood in a typical colorful, colonial style, including a big wrap-around porch. It’s been in the family for multiple generations and is an important gathering place. Although it’s not active as a business there are quite a few things growing there that we all enjoy, including coffee, many fruits, and a bit of yuca. Here’s a bit about what I’ve enjoyed on the farm recently, which I hope will convey a sense of the region as well.

Coffee Farming

I’m a coffee lover. I’m also a guy who enjoys the fantasy of having a farm (without knowing half of what it entails). So I was thrilled to have the chance to get my hands dirty and learn about growing coffee. A few hundred plants needed to be weeded and then fertilized. This meant hacking away at deep-rooted grass. It was hard work but I can hardly complain: I could do it in my spare time, an hour or two here and there. Plus I get to enjoy the coffee once it’s harvested and roasted! While cleaning away around the coffee plants I found myself coming up with lots of questions about the growing process. I would ask my mother-in-law these questions later on, which meant more Spanish practice for me. I look forward to being involved in other stages of the coffee production process in future trips!

Hiking

From the farm we can simply walk the driveway to the unpaved road and then follow that up to beautiful views. Lucky us! The occasional car will pass by but apart from that, it’s as good a hike as I’ve done anywhere else in terms of beauty.

For a foreigner like me who grew up in the suburbs of the United States, walking up the road to do a simple chore can feel like an adventure. Once I went with Johana to the farm of a neighbor who raises trout, about a 30-minute walk. We bought some trout and ate some berries growing off the side of the road on the way back home. Then we ate trout for lunch. If that’s not good living I don’t know what is. 

Sometimes I walk to the house of a close neighbor who has a couple of tejo courts (see below). That’s where we get our beer if we’re not in the town itself, and it’s always a chance for me to practice my Spanish.

There are some local hot springs in the area (not really deep enough to be blissful but fun nonetheless) and waterfalls as well. As far as leisurely hiking goes, for me it’s hard to beat a stroll in this part of the world.

Tejo

A Colombian pastime, tejo is for casual hanging out, beers, and friendly competition. If you’re familiar with the U.S. backyard game “cornhole” you know the idea: lob an object onto a platform across a specified distance and try to be closest to a target. That said, tejo makes cornhole look like preschool playtime. In cornhole you throw beanbags. In tejo you throw rocks. Heavy ones. Much farther. In cornhole you celebrate when your beanbag falls into a hole. In tejo you celebrate when your rock causes an explosion. Cornhole is not the same after you’ve played tejo. I mentioned the neighbor’s house where we buy beer. He has two tejo courts under a small pavilion outside his home. It’s the kind of place where neighbors used to gather all the time for some friendly sport and conversation. It still happens sometimes and it’s truly a great experience if you can find a local tejo place when you’re in rural Colombia.

Birds, Bugs, Flowers, and Fruits

You know the part of The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy steps through the door of her house after the tornado drops it in Oz, and everything changes from black and white to technicolor? That’s how I felt the first time I visited. The colors at the farm are on another level. The landscaping has given the farm a few tiers so looking around you can always appreciate several layers of vegetation. Birds of interesting hues flit between diverse tree species, sometimes feeding on ripening bananas. An occasional red squirrel lets itself be seen. A lizard in a potted plant. Flowers that demand your attention. Oranges, feijoas, guavas, nisperos, and other fruits to be picked and eaten while walking. 

A few years ago we saw a saddleback caterpillar, simultaneously disgusting and beautiful with its odd color combination. During this past visit, while weeding around some young palm trees I noticed a tarantula moving by my feet. It wasn’t moving by its own power. A giant wasp or “tarantula hawk” (which I later learned has one of the most painful insect bites known to science) was dragging it away. It was fascinating to watch and I captured some video if you’re interested.

Without really doing anything specific there’s a lot to see and appreciate around the farm, particularly in the natural sense.

Cooking and Eating

Let’s see… I’ve mentioned trout, beer, delicious fruit and amazing juices by extension. Ajiaco, a traditional thick soup containing various herbs, potatoes, and chicken. Chicken! Chicken that just tastes better. Sometimes a neighbor will put the word out that they’re going to have some food item available for sale. Recently the sister of our tejo/beer neighbor made envueltos to sell. Better believe we bought and ate some!

I’m too hungry to keep writing but it’s impossible not to mention the tamales, one of my favorite things, and a staple around the holidays.

San Francisco, Cundinamarca: the Town

San Francisco, Cundinamarca is a place I feel lucky to be able to visit. It’s not as if it has any major draw for tourists, especially from abroad, but that’s exactly why I feel lucky. If it weren’t for the fact that I married someone who grew up around here I would never know to visit, or how. This kind of place feels special to me as a traveler. I get to experience regular, local life in a small Colombian town. Simple things like sitting in the plaza and ordering the “menu del dia” in a nearby restaurant are what it’s all about. 

Although it may feel like an average town, San Francisco is not without its quirks. The “Restaurante Campestre Mi Pequeña Alemania,” with its incredible river view, is a notable example. Go and enjoy some German dishes while the owner plays a weird mix of heavy metal, traditional German music, and Colombian tunes on the keyboard or accordion. He also tends to visit each table to deliver tastes of various liqueurs.

Also in the Region

During our recent trip we visited Ecoparque La Vega, which is in large part an educational farm containing a wealth of local plant species. It’s worth going for a tour and a delicious lunch but they also have camping space and cabins. As of early 2024 they were planning to host volunteers in the near future.

I’m told there’s also some decent rafting in the area!

If you’re thinking about traveling in the region, check out some other great getaway ideas near Bogotá, Colombia.