Cocuy Services

The national park office in El Cocuy. Photo by Lorraine Caputo

V!VA User‘s Description

Tourism Office

The national park office is the first place to visit upon arriving in El Cocuy. Not only can the friendly staff help to orientate you on the park’s attractions, but also supply you with information on transportation, hotels and restaurants in El Cocuy and Güicán villages, and the current prices of lodging, meals, horse rental and guide services of inns located at the edge of the park. (Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-noon, 2-5 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-noon. Corner of Carrera 5 and Calle 8, Tel.: 8-789-0359, E-mail: pnncocuphp@yahoo.com / pnncocuy@hotmail.com, URL: parquesnacionales.gov.co). The village’s official website is www.elcocuyboyaca.com.

Money

Banco Agrario is the only money institution in El Cocuy. It has no ATM or other exchange services (Calle 8, between Carrera 3 and 4). Obtain plenty of pesos before coming to the region. Tunja and Málaga are the nearest cities with facilities.

Keeping in Touch

The Telecom office in El Cocuy village is closed indefinitely. Local shops charge $0.15 per minute for local and national calls. The lone internet café in El Cocuy has a slow connection costing $1.05 per hour (Monday-Saturday afternoons. Calle 7 3-60).

If the internet fails you, you can always send your loved ones a post card through Adpostal (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-noon, 2-5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-noon. Carrera 3 7-55).

Medical

Hospital San José (Tel.: 8-789-0011) and the Cruz Roja (8-789-0042) are at the entrance to El Cocuy village on Calle 11 and Carrera 6. The hamlet has few pharmacies: one at Carrera 3 and Calle and another at Calle 7, between Carreras 5 and 6 on the plaza.

Camera

Galería Cocuyana is the only shop in the PNN El Cocuy area is in El Cocuy village, owned by photographer Pío Avedaño. He keeps black and white, slide and 100ASA color film in stock, and has cameras for sale. You can also purchase calendars, posters and key chains with his graphic work. Sometimes the gallery may be closed, when Señor Avedaño is out in the field (daily 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Calle 5 4-20, Tel.: 8-789-0167 / 311-513-9214).