Bogota to Hacienda Coloma and Tequendama Falls: Day trip

Hacienda Coloma is a colonial-era coffee plantation that has opened its doors to the public for an informative and immersive Colombian coffee experience. A guided tour starts in the hacienda’s lush garden, where an abundance of native species showcase how rich and fertile the soil is. Afterwards, you’ll make your way through the fully operational plantation to see the many varieties of shade-grown Arabica coffee, and the time-consuming process of picking, washing, drying, and extracting the beans. After this comes the most critical step: the roasting process that gives coffee its characteristic color, aroma and taste. The tour ends with a coffee tasting, where you’ll get to enjoy the plantation’s final product and learn professional coffee tasting techniques. Of course, there’s also a shop where you can get some beans to bring with you, as well as other products, like Coloma’s coffee liqueur.

The Tequendama Falls Museum is housed in a lavish mountain mansion that was originally built for a successful architect in the 1920s. Positioned on a lush cliffside with clear views of the beautiful Tequendama Falls, the building was going to be expanded into an 18-story hotel complex during the 1950s, but these plans fell through. The manor retained its charming French-style architecture, and served as a more modest hotel for a few years before being abandoned. Today, the building has been restored to its former glory, offering visitors stupendous views of the forested cliffs and powerful waterfalls from its balcony. On weekends and holidays, visitors can tour the museum inside to learn more about the environment and local history.