Colombia: Bucaramanga > Malaga > El Cucoy

Jan 2026 |

After my leisurely rides from Bogota to Bucaramanga, it was time to put my intermediate-level skills to the test, heading deeper into the Andes for some initial exposure to the mountain roads of South America. This 2-stop route was great, highly recommended.

Ride 1: Bucaramanga > Malaga

After 1 night in Bucaramanga, I backtracked 40 minutes south to Los Curos and the start of the road to Malaga, known to be one of the most dangerous in Colombia. This route quickly got steep, and the pavement ended fast -- the start of a multi-hour ride on a decent, hard-packed, dust-free, dirt road that runs through jungle and then farmland on steep mountain sides. Much of the road is narrow, even single-track, transversed by every type of vehicle, from compact cars to large buses. I didn't find it overly dangerous, but it was obvious you wouldn't want to speed around blind corners and discover a bus is coming straight at you. I guess many accidents on this road involve full-size vehicles, not motorcycles.

I ended the day in Malaga, a nondescript place, where I was the only gringo in town. On iOverlander, I found a decent hotel with parking, a good stay.

Ride: 153 km / 5 hours

R2: Malaga to El Cucoy

A great ride, many differnet landscapes. The first section of the road runs through a dry river valley. Next, you turn off and do a steep climb into the mountains up to El Cucoy, a small high elevaton colonial town, where temperatures went down to 10 at night. It's isolated, with limited tourist infrastructure. I stayed 2 nights.

Ride: 155 km / 6 hours

R3: El Cucoy National Park Loop

This was the highlight ride, a loop that runs above El Cucoy, along a single-track farm road, up to the ranger station. On the way up and down, you get stunning views of the valley and mountains. But the real highlight is the surreal sight at the ranger station, where you see the mountain tops and the glaciers on them, including El Diablo, a bizarre rock outcrop that looks man-made (maybe aliens made it?). If you want to hike further, you can go from here.

Ride: 54 km / 4 hours