I discovered this route in early 2022, when I came across a new gravel cycle path while I was on a ride out to Zipacón, a lovely colonial town in the hills SW of Bogotá, and decided to see where it went. The path follows a disused train line that used to run between Facatativá (45km SW of Bogotá) and Zipacón, before dropping down into the western lowlands. After climbing up from Facatativa the track levels off into gentle gradients through rolling hills, before descending down some fairly steep hils that I can’t believe trains were able to climb and descend. The Andean forest scenery is very pretty and the route takes you far from cars and buildings. When I last rode it, the path ended at Zipacón station, from where an 18% cobbled wall takes you the 500m up into a picturesque colonial town where you’ll find shops, restaurants, and the famous local pan de maíz. There are plans to continue building the path all the way to the town of La Mesa (about 50km in all), so it may be longer when you ride it. I’ll update this post next time I’m out that way.

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