Paisa Wilderness MTB Adventure
3-Day Mountain Bike Tour Through Antioquia
Three days of backcountry riding from Guatapé across Paisa country, through the historic Cisneros railway tunnel and on to San Rafael, followed by the return to Guatapé. Bike, lodging and all meals included. 4 to 8 riders.
The Paisa Wilderness MTB Adventure is a three-day, two-night mountain bike traverse through the heart of Antioquia. You start at Casa de Ciclistas in Guatapé and ride point to point through farm country, ridgelines, and small Paisa towns, overnighting in Santo Domingo and Cisneros before looping back toward Guatapé. It is intermediate XC and enduro riding on genuine off-road terrain, with your MBC bike, lodging, all meals, and luggage/support transport included.
At a glance
- 3 days / 2 nights
- USD $1,300 per rider
- 4 to 8 riders
- Intermediate riders
- Fitness Level 3
- MTB XC / Enduro
- MBC bike included
- All meals included
- 2 nights lodging included
- Luggage support included
- 7:30 AM starts
- From Casa de Ciclistas, Guatapé · deposit COP 150,000
Why ride Paisa
Most riders see Guatapé as a day trip. Paisa is what happens when you keep going. Over three days you cross a working Antioquia landscape that changes as you ride it: open farm roads, forested climbs, ridgeline views, river valleys, and the old railway corridor into Cisneros. You sleep in two different Paisa towns, with all meals included, and ride sections that are genuinely remote, far enough off-road that the support vehicle cannot continuously follow. It is a rider’s route through Paisa country, not a sightseeing loop.
Day 1 — Guatapé to Santo Domingo (via Alejandría)
Roll out from Casa de Ciclistas at 7:30 AM and leave the Guatapé circuit behind. Day 1 works through Antioquia farm country and drops toward Alejandría, a classic Paisa town in green, waterfall-rich hill country, where the group may pull in for a snack before pushing on. From there you climb back up to Santo Domingo, perched high in the mountains, where you overnight. A first day of descent, backcountry roads, and a solid climb to finish that sets the tone for the traverse.
Overnight: Santo Domingo.
Day 2 — Santo Domingo to Cisneros
Day 2 runs from the high country of Santo Domingo (~1,975 m) down toward the lower-elevation railway town of Cisneros (~1,050 m). It is not one continuous downhill: the route rolls, climbs, and descends through quieter, rougher backcountry, and some sections are remote and off-road enough that the support vehicle cannot continuously follow. The historic Cisneros railway tunnel is the day’s signature feature.
The Cisneros railway tunnel
Cisneros sits on a historic Antioquia rail corridor, and its long stone railway tunnel is the signature moment of the trip, ridden on Day 2. Riding the tunnel is a genuine highlight: cool, dark, and cut straight through the mountain, a piece of engineering history you experience from the saddle rather than a viewpoint. It is a distinctive on-route feature and one of the highlights of the trip.
Overnight: Cisneros.
Day 3 — Cisneros to San Roque to San Rafael, and back to Guatapé
The final day climbs back out of Cisneros toward San Roque, then works down toward San Rafael, closing the traverse through the eastern Antioquia hills. From San Rafael the group returns to Guatapé. The exact return is adapted to the group and the day’s conditions, so we keep it flexible rather than promising a fixed method.
Approximate elevation profile
Paisa moves through real Antioquia relief, from Guatapé’s highlands down to the valley town of Cisneros and back up through the eastern hills. These are approximate town elevations to show the shape of each day, not a surveyed climb total.
Elevation profiles are approximate. Exact climbing, descending and distance vary with the route selected, trail conditions, weather and the group.
What you’ll ride
Paisa is intermediate XC and enduro riding on genuine backcountry terrain: unpaved roads, forest and farm tracks, sustained climbs, fast descents, and remote sections that a vehicle cannot shadow. Expect full riding days with meaningful elevation and changing surfaces. Distances and climbing vary with conditions and the group, so we ride to the day rather than to a fixed number on a page.
The route: standard framework vs the exact track
The three-day framework (Guatapé → Alejandría → Santo Domingo → Cisneros → San Roque → San Rafael → return to Guatapé) is the standard route. The exact trails ridden on any given departure can vary with weather, trail and road conditions, access, safety, rider ability, and operating conditions. The towns and the shape of the trip stay the same; the precise track is chosen on the ground.
Who this trip is for
- Intermediate riders comfortable on loose and unpaved terrain
- Riders with Level 3 fitness who can handle back-to-back full riding days
- People who want a multi-day traverse, not a sampler loop
- Riders who like remote, off-the-tourist-track country and small-town Colombia
Who it is not for
- First-time or beginner mountain bikers
- Riders looking for a short, easy, or single-day outing (see our Guatapé day rides)
- Anyone wanting a paved or fully vehicle-supported route
What’s included
- 3 days of guided mountain biking
- MBC bike
- Lodging for both nights (Santo Domingo and Cisneros)
- All meals across the three days
- Luggage and support transport
- The return to Guatapé (method adapted to the group)
Bikes
An MBC bike is included in the price. If you prefer to ride your own bike and it is suited to this terrain, talk to us on a Discovery Call.
Lodging and meals
You overnight in Santo Domingo and Cisneros. Accommodation is arranged according to availability in each town, so we do not tie the trip to a single named property. All meals across the three days are included, so you ride fueled and eat local along the way.
Support and luggage
Your luggage moves with support transport so you are not carrying it on the bike, and support is available operationally through the trip. Because significant parts of this route are genuinely remote and off-road, the support vehicle does not follow the riders the whole way. That is part of what makes Paisa a real backcountry traverse rather than a road-shadowed tour.
Price, deposit, and group size
- USD $1,300 per rider
- Deposit COP 150,000 per rider to hold a place
- 4 to 8 riders per departure
Paisa runs with a minimum of 4 riders. If you are a smaller group and still want to ride it, book a Discovery Call and we will talk through the options.
Book the Paisa Wilderness MTB Adventure
Ready to ride? Reserve your place below. Want to talk through fitness, bikes, logistics or a private group before booking? Book a 20-minute Discovery Call.