Agritourism It surrounds the city and is a great source of water and food, a real pantry for the capital. In addition to its beautiful landscapes, there are hundreds of farms where farmers develop their lives.
This area produces products such as potatoes, strawberries, vegetables, and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt, among others.
Thinking about the importance of Bogota's peasant culture and its contribution to the city, several organizations began to promote the so-called “pedagogical” tourism, which seeks that visitors learn more about peasant life, its importance, and the beauty of our countryside.
This “other face” of the capital is practically unknown to millions of people who live in the urban area, whose daily life is the daily grind and commitments of a city life.
The Ciudad Bolívar locality is an example of this emerging tourism, with routes designed for the inhabitants of Bogota to learn about and practice agricultural work.
Just 15 kilometers from Portal Tunal, in villages such as Pasquilla, Pasquillita and Santa Bárbara, there are farms dedicated to providing visitors with the experience of living in the countryside and being surrounded by nature.
Luis Enrique Ramírez of the Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios Ambientales Rurales (Asoproam) is one of the farmers who has found ecotourism to be an alternative that benefits both farmers and tourists. “We have organized ourselves at the community level to offer visitors more alternatives, more farms and places to go,” he explains.
One of the tourist routes allows visitors to learn about the work of a therapeutic garden, learn about apitherapy (which uses elements such as honey, royal jelly, bee bread, beeswax and propolis) and experience phytotherapy (the science that studies the use of plant products for therapeutic purposes: to alleviate symptoms, prevent disease or restore health).
There are also talks on clean production, recycling, planting, and adoption of trees that serve to maintain the vegetation cover and preserve the natural environment. The use of clean energies such as solar panels and the production of organic fertilizers.
The San Luis ecotourism, therapeutic and environmental farm is one of the attractions to learn more about the biodiversity and the rural culture of Bogota.
These farms offer experiences such as hiking, milking, learning about the curd making process, horseback riding, playing tejo and camping. In addition, dozens of cyclists take advantage of the roads and the fresh air to practice this sport away from the pollution and smoke of the city.
The river Río Tunjuelo crosses very close to these villages and is alive in this area, with crystalline waters, recently born in the moorland Páramo de Sumapaz.
“Most of the inhabitants of Bogota live in the concrete jungle and do not know these 9 villages in the Ciudad Bolívar locality and many others on the other side of the Río Tunjuelo in the Usme locality. We invite you to visit these wonders of rural Bogota, now open to organized and environmentally responsible tourism,” says Luis Enrique Ramírez.
The south of the capital, in its rural area, is a paradise of riches. To learn more about rural tourism in Ciudad Bolívar you can enter social networks and find tour operators such as Asoproam, which will guide you through scheduled tours for groups of 10 or more people.
To support ecotourism is to help the farmers of Bogota enjoy a better quality of life. Knowing the rural culture will open the doors to ancestral knowledge, care of the land and life in communion with the life essence.
“It is our duty to show people the beauty of the countryside and motivate them to take ownership of our rural culture. Come, visit us, and recognize the wonders of the countryside in Bogota” reiterates Luis Enrique.
