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7 things to do in Sopó, Colombia.
Off the beaten track.
My favorite part of traveling is waking up in a new town. First, the newness of a place, getting to know the streets and local coffee shops. Then, sitting and watching the people walk by, seeing what they are eating, buying, and how they interact with each other.
I prefer finding adventures in cities that most tourists will skip over due to either needing more time to visit or only wanting to hit the hotspots. However, the best parts of traveling are those little hidden towns you never hear about; to me, that shows me the realness of an area.
Last week I spent five days in a little town called Sopó, located in Cundinamarca, Colombia. I took the bus from Zipaquirá, which took me about 45 minutes and cost approx 1 USD.
I caught the bus on the street, as it was labeled Sopó; I asked the driver how long and how much and hopped on. It is that easy to get a bus in Colombia. All the buses will have where they go on the front, so no surprises, but still ask!
Sopó is 39 km from the capital city Bogotá, and you can also take a bus from Bogotá. You will need to go to Transmilenio Portal del Norte and find the window that says Sopó; it could take as little as 30 minutes or up to an hour.
History of Sopó
The indigenous groups initially inhabited the area during the Herrera Period, and later the Muisca, before the arrival of the Spanish in 1537.
Sopó is home to the 3rd largest Colombian dairy company Alpina, founded in 1945. Alpina was founded by two Swiss men who escaped Europe during WW2, Max Banziger and Walter Guggel. It was also the first company to make and distribute Arequipe in 1980.
Sopó is known for its dairy and desserts! I have eaten through every dessert in town; luckily, there is also much hiking nearby to keep the balance.
Sopó is not on the typical backpacker route, as I have not seen any other foreigners since I arrived. Yet there are plenty of Colombian tourists, so brush up on your Spanish before coming here.
