If you’re heading up to Bogotá from southern Colombia, the most direct route is through the town of Melgar. The problem is that the road is a busy highway and also just after Melgar there is a tunnel that bicycles are prohibited from using. This means either having to put your bike on a bus to get through the tunnel, or finding an alternative route. This is one of two posts on the site detailing alternative gravel routes. This one is the longer option, and follows gravel roads and single track through some gorgeous mountain scenery as you ride to within just a few kilometres of Bogotá. It’s uphill pretty much all the way, but none of the gradients are too bad, and there places to rest and villages with shops along most of the route. This route would also be great as a starting point for exploring the gravel road network of south-western Cundinamarca, something you could easily spend days or even weeks doing!

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