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Suba is not just the Juan Amarillo wetland or the largest shopping mall in the city. For those who walk, Suba is above all a terrain: a locality that rises from the banks of the wetland up to the edges of the Cerros de Suba, and that is connected by a system of pedestrian staircases that very few people outside the neighborhood know about. These staircases are the real mobility infrastructure for thousands of residents who go up and down every day between the flat part and the upper neighborhoods.
Geography rules. The locality is organized in bands that go from the low (banks of the Juan Amarillo, sectors like Tibabuyes and Rincón) to the high (hillside neighborhoods like Suba Compartir, La Gaitana or Bilbao). Between one band and another there are not always comfortable vehicular roads, and that is why the staircases fulfill a function that in other localities is done by bridges or avenues: they are the pedestrian shortcut that connects the home with the feeder route, the school, the store or the library.
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In this verified Malokal guide you will find reference costs and times for walking Suba; use the interactive cards for each place on malokal.com to check the safe map by neighborhood (Locals vs. Foreigners), live holiday schedules and book directly via WhatsApp. The prices you will see below are for reference and may vary.
Hillside staircases in Suba Compartir and La Gaitana
These are the classic hillside neighborhood staircases: concrete sections with metal handrails, some with more than a hundred steps, that climb between one- and two-story houses. They have no official name or tourist signage; they are known by the neighborhood or by the block. Their use is completely everyday: neighbors with groceries, students with backpacks, elderly people going down to the feeder stop. 70% of the residents of the upper part use them daily to reach transportation, school or the store.
Staircases and trails along the edge of the Juan Amarillo wetland
In the lower band, the Juan Amarillo wetland (Tibabuyes) has trails and pedestrian accesses that connect sectors like Tibabuyes with the feeder route and with the neighborhoods on the edge. The Chibcha name Tibabuyes means land of farming or of farmers, and the sector was a Muisca meeting point for agriculture and fishing. Today the trail is mostly flat, with some sections of steps where the terrain rises. It is a different walk from the hillside one: more about birdwatching and vegetation than physical effort.
Biblioteca Pública de Suba Francisco José de Caldas
The library is a good reference point for planning a walk because it is in the flat part and functions as a node of the BibloRed network, created within the 1982 agreement with the District's Metropolitan Library System (SIMBID). Arriving on foot from the upper neighborhoods means going down hillside staircases; the reverse journey is the one that puts your legs to the test. The building is a meeting point for students and neighbors, and serves as the finish line or starting point of the suggested walking route below.
Updated costs
Walking Suba is free. The pedestrian staircases are public space and have no charge. The real costs of a walk are in transportation and in food or coffee stops. Note: there are no stores along the staircase section, so buy your water and snacks before you start.
- Public transportation: the TransMilenio and SITP fare is around $3,000 COP with card per trip; the feeder that goes up to the upper neighborhoods is usually included in the trunk line fare. Check the current fare before you leave.
- Water and snacks: a bottle of water at a neighborhood store costs between $2,000 and $3,500 COP; a tinto or machine coffee between $1,500 and $3,000 COP; an empanada or arepa from the neighborhood store between $2,000 and $4,000 COP. Buy in the lower part or at the store closest to the start of the staircases.
- Backup taxi or app: if the walk runs long or it rains, a short trip within the locality is usually between $8,000 and $15,000 COP depending on distance and time. Price subject to change, check directly in the app.
- Library: access to the Biblioteca Pública de Suba Francisco José de Caldas is free, like the rest of the BibloRed network.
Estimated times
Times depend heavily on the slope and on physical condition. These are estimates for a person with a normal pace, not counting long stops.
- One hillside staircase section (100 to 150 steps): between 3 and 6 minutes going up, between 2 and 4 minutes going down. It seems short, but chaining three or four sections changes things.
- Walk between the upper part and the flat part (for example, from a hillside neighborhood to the Biblioteca de Suba): between 25 and 45 minutes depending on the starting point and the stops.
- Route along the edge of the Juan Amarillo wetland: between 40 minutes and 1 hour and a half, depending on the section and whether you walk calmly watching birds.
- Complete suggested walking route (one way): calculate between 1 hour and 1 hour and a half with short stops. The return along the same path usually takes less because you already know the sections.
Practical tips
These recommendations come from the logic of the terrain and the everyday use of the neighbors, not from a tourist brochure.
- Walk during the day. The hillside staircases do not have uniform lighting in all sections. The neighbors' recommendation is to do them between morning and mid-afternoon; after 6 p.m. it is better to use the vehicular road or transportation.
- Go up by the staircases and down by the road. It is the trick of many neighbors: go up by the pedestrian shortcut and down by the vehicular road, which is gentler on the knees.
- Footwear with grip. The concrete of the staircases gets polished with use and with rain. Sneakers with adherent soles, not sandals.
- Bring water and a light jacket. In Suba the weather changes quickly between the lower and upper parts; the temperature and wind are not the same up there as down below.
- Ask about the section before you start. Not all staircases connect where you think. A shopkeeper or a neighbor will orient you better than any map.
- Respect everyday use. These staircases are not a tourist attraction: they are the route to work and school for many people. Walk to one side, do not block the way and say hello.
- Do not go alone if you do not know the area. As in any hillside area of Bogotá, walk accompanied the first time and follow the routes that the neighbors use.
Suggested walking route
A verifiable route of medium difficulty: start at the Suba Compartir feeder stop, go down the hillside staircases to the flat part and end at the Biblioteca Pública de Suba Francisco José de Caldas, where you can rest, use the bathroom and drink water. The return is done by the vehicular road or by feeder. It is an out-and-back route that can be done in a morning. If you want to add the natural component, extend the route toward the edge of the Juan Amarillo wetland, where the terrain is flatter and the landscape changes completely.
Safety and schedules: what the neighbors say
The golden rule in Suba is simple: during the day and accompanied. The hillside staircases are used massively during school and work entry and exit hours, and that is the best time to walk them because there are people. Avoid doing them at night or alone. If you go with a backpack or camera, put it away in the loneliest sections. And if it starts to rain hard, wait: wet concrete on a slope is slippery.
Closing: what the topography of Suba reveals
The locality of Suba shows something that Bogotá maps usually hide: mobility is not solved only with trunk lines and avenues. On the hillsides, the infrastructure that sustains daily life is a set of concrete staircases that no one inaugurated with a ribbon. 70% of the residents of the upper part use them daily to reach transportation, school or the store.
Frequently asked questions
Are the staircases of Suba safe to walk?
Yes, if you walk them during the day, accompanied and along the sections that the neighbors use. Avoid doing them at night or alone, and follow the usual routes for school and work entry and exit.
How much does it cost to walk the staircases of Suba?
Nothing: they are public space and have no charge. The only expenses are public transportation (around $3,000 COP with card per trip) and what
