La Calera, Cundinamarca

La Calera is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Guavio Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. La Calera is a common weekend destination, mainly for the many restaurants, as it is approximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) over land from Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. La Calera is located in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, east of the capital and overlooking part of it. La Calera borders Guasca, Sopó and Chía in the north, Guasca and Junín in the east, Bogotá in the west and Choachí and Fómeque in the south.

Situated between 2,600 and 3,000 meters above sea level, the area encompasses both cold climate zones and páramo (high-altitude tundra). Its economy is diverse, including:

• Traditional agriculture (potatoes, corn, cubios, carrots, etc.)
• Livestock farming (cattle, horses, sheep, goats), trout farming
• Limestone and sand mining
• Former cement production (Cementos Samper, relocated in 1998), now operated by Cemex
• Bottled water production (Manantial Water, by The Coca-Cola Company)

Within the municipality lies the San Rafael Reservoir, a key water source for Bogotá’s aqueduct system. It also provides access to the Chuza Reservoir, which is fed by the Chingaza Lagoon in the municipality of Fómeque—all part of the water supply subsystem for Bogotá and nearby municipalities.

Tourism plays a significant role thanks to access to the Chingaza National Natural Park, various scenic viewpoints, clubs along the Bogotá–La Calera highway, and countryside vacation homes.