The falls
A 132 m drop in the mist.
Johan Andrés Toro — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Johan Andrés Toro — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Petruss — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Felipe Restrepo Acosta — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Johan Andrés Toro — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Petruss — CC BY-SA 3.0
Tequendama Falls is a 132-metre waterfall on the Bogotá River, in the municipality of Soacha south-west of the capital. The river surges through a rocky gorge that narrows to about 18 metres at the brink, then drops into a deep valley of forest and mist. Above the drop stands an old hotel, now a museum. Muisca legend says the hero Bochica made the falls, breaking the rock with his staff to release the water that covered the Bogotá plain. Its Chibcha name means he who fell downward. The American artist Frederic Church painted it in 1854. It has long been a well-known outing from the capital. The famous image is the balconied building hanging on the cliff edge facing the falls. It is a museum today, and sources say it is being restored with French support. When the river is full, spray and mist rise over the valley, revealing rock walls and cloud forest. When water is low the fall thins to a ribbon, and sources say it can run completely dry in December. It is 24.6 km in a straight line west of Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, and sources give about 32 km from the capital. You should know that the river is heavily polluted by the capital's wastewater and you may smell it, so stay away from the water. Fog is common, and morning usually offers the best view. Bring a jacket, as it is cold and damp.
A 132 m drop in the mist.
An old hotel on the cliff edge.
Rock walls and dense green.
Soacha municipality, near Bogotá, Cundinamarca department
No, the river carries the capital's wastewater and may smell, so enjoy it from a distance.
No, sources say it thins and can dry up in December, and it is strongest when the river is high.