Monserrate
Cerro de Monserrate
A city-sacred mountain at about 3,150 metres, with a white church on the summit overlooking all of Bogotá. You can reach the top by cable car or funicular.
Monserrate rises about 500 metres above the city. The Sanctuary of the Fallen Christ (Santuario del Señor Caído), built in the 17th century, is an important place of pilgrimage in Colombia, and crowds gather there on Sundays and during Holy Week. From the summit terrace you get a 180° view of Bogotá, from the Chapinero skyscrapers in the north to the grassland-like Sabana plain in the west. On clear days you can see the snow-capped Tolima mountains in the distance, and the city lights coming on in the evening are also very beautiful. There are three ways up. (1) The aerial cable car (Teleférico) takes about 4 minutes. (2) The funicular railway takes about 8 minutes and passes through a tunnel. (3) A stone-step walking trail is about 2.4 km long, gains 500 metres in height and takes 1 to 1.5 hours. It is tough at this altitude. Opening times are as announced officially, usually early morning until early afternoon. Return cable car tickets cost about 35,000 pesos, with discounts on Sundays and early in the morning. Cable cars run about 06:30–22:00 Monday to Saturday and about 05:30–17:00 on Sundays and public holidays. Two long-established restaurants, Casa Santa Clara and Casa San Isidro, and a snack street are at the summit. Note that the summit is at 3,150 metres, so it is cold and the UV is strong, so bring a jacket and sunscreen. From the city centre to the cable car station, take a taxi. Walk the trail only during the day and when there are other people around.
Opening hours
Cable car Mon–Sat approx. 06:30–22:00; Sun and public holidays approx. 05:30–17:00
Nearby sights
- Quinta de Bolívar
- Museum of Modern Art of Bogotá (MAMBO)
- Colpatria Tower
- National Museum of Colombia
- Chorro de Quevedo
- La Candelaria
- Gold Museum
- International Emerald Museum