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The small town of Suesca is a short drive north of Bogotá. It’s regarded as one of the best extreme sports destinations in Colombia.
Introduction to Suesca
Suesca, which was originally inhabited by the Muisca people, is derived from the Chibcha word Suejica, Sueica, or Suesuca, which translates to “Rock of the birds” or “Tail of the macaw”. It was an important center of Muisca pottery and a market was held there every four days.
Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1509-1579) arrived in the area on March 14, 1537, and immediately founded the town. He was impressed by the natural beauty and the hospitality of the locals. He often used the town as his resting place, especially in his later years.
Today, the main economic activity in Suesca is flower cultivation. Tourism is also important, especially for extreme sports such as rock climbing and mountain biking. Although we didn’t visit for that purpose, it was a great place to break up our drive to Boyacá. We took a couple hours in the morning to check out what outdoor activities are available.
Getting Around Suesca
You can get to Suesca on a short bus ride from Bogotá. Getting around town can be done on foot. The city center is compact and a short walk from the rocks as well.
Where to Stay in Suesca
We spent one night in town.
Casona Quesada
We stayed at Casona Quesada, a historic mansion originally built in 1572 and restored as a hotel in 2013. It’s easily the most luxurious place in town, and we enjoyed the cozy rooms and wonderful service. We would happily stay there again.
The hotel features a restaurant, bar, and spa (none of which are open daily), as well as a beautiful courtyard in the center. Free private parking is located near the hotel’s garden, which often hosts cookouts for guests.
Ask the staff to show you the spacious and nicely decorated suites if they’re not occupied, and the bar if it’s not open.
Where to Eat in Suesca
During our visit, Suesca lacked good choices for food. There were mostly fast food places in the center near our hotel.
La Parrilla Brava
If you’re looking for something better, try La Parrilla Brava. They serve grilled meats as well as fast food. It’s not the best, but the prices are good. The restaurant is located on the main road to town. During our visit, it was on the second floor of a building a block west of the plaza.
Plaza
The town plaza is a small, quiet, and pleasant space with a fountain in the middle. It’s surrounded by colonial buildings and there’s a monument on the southeast corner.. Strangely, I didn’t feel like I was in Colombia. The only negative was the garbage that seemed to be scattered everywhere.
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary
The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Rosario) is on the east side of the plaza. It was built around 1665 by the Dominicans. Other than the reconstruction of the bell tower in 1834, the structure remains largely unchanged. The high altar is made of gilded wood and was brought from a chapel in Bogotá.
Suesca Rocks
While you can find mountain biking, hiking, caving, rappelling, paintball, bungee jumping, and white water rafting, the biggest draw for extreme sports in Suesca is the rock climbing. In fact, the Suesca Rocks (Rocas de Suesca) are the first place in Colombia where rock climbing was practiced. They’re a short walk outside of town down the railroad tracks.
The rocks are a line of natural sandstone cliffs about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long. There are both traditional climbing route but also bolted routes as well. Climbs should only be done with an authorized guide. It’s very easy to find a bilingual guide once in Suesca by simply asking at one of the shops or hostels near the rocks. Also, there’s a campground and reasonably priced hostels and lodging nearby.
Sisga Reservoir
If you’re heading north towards Boyacá, not too far from town is a rest area next to the Sisga Reservoir (Embalse del Sisga). The dam, which is 52 meters high, was built between 1948 and 1951 to control flooding in the savanna of Bogotá.
There are two places to stop and have a look at the reservoir as well as grab a snack. We stopped at the first one just before the large bridge. There are also recreational opportunities at the reservoir, including fishing and boating.
