The Eastern Hills of Bogotá are not just mountains to the east of Bogotá, Colombia. They are silent witnesses to history, guardians of biodiversity, waterways, and trails where every view of the city reminds us that Bogotá lives and breathes between nature and urban life.
Here, the hills are part of the city. They are not seen from afar — they live with you. You wake up with them, catch glimpses from almost anywhere, and sometimes the fog wraps the hills, as if trying to embrace them.
At more than 2,600 meters above sea level, the air is cool and thin. The weather can change in a matter of minutes: intense sun at noon, brief afternoon rain, and a golden sunset that quickly disappears behind the mountains.
The Eastern Hills are part of the Eastern Cordillera, which in turn belongs to the immense Andes Mountains — that great backbone that runs along the South American continent. When the Andes reach Colombia, they split into three branches — western, central, and eastern — and it is the latter that embraces Bogotá from the east, as if protecting it.
But the hills are not just geography. They are water.
Many of the rivers and streams that cross the city are born there. Long before avenues and buildings existed, these waterways were already flowing down the mountains in search of the valley. The city grew around them, but they are still there, persistent.
They are also memory.
Long before Bogotá had this name, this territory was inhabited by the Muisca people, who saw these mountains as sacred spaces. For them, the relationship with nature was not just scenery — it was a bond.
And they are biodiversity.
In just a few steps you can move from urban noise to a high Andean forest where young frailejones, shrubs, and mosses grow, holding moisture as if guarding ancient secrets. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you might spot birds you never imagined could live in a city of eight million people. It is a humid mountain ecosystem, with persistent mist and soils that seem to breathe water.
I don’t always go up to the hills. Many times it is enough just to look at them from below. Knowing that they are there — watchful, strong, immovable, persistent — gives me peace.
You know… I prefer the mountains.
And yes, I have climbed the hills before, but I will talk about that in a future entry.
Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Every trip leaves something more than photographs: it leaves questions, memories, and new ways of seeing the world.
If you would like to explore other destinations that have shaped my path, you can visit the Travel and personal stories section.
And if you would like to know more about this space and my readings, I invite you to visit the main page of My Journey to Reading.
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