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.^[2]

La Calera
Municipality and town
La Calera viewed from a mountain to the west, just before a storm
Flag Seal
Location of the municipality and town of La Calera in Colombia
La Calera Location in Colombia
Coordinates: 4°45′11″N 73°55′12″W
Country	Colombia
Department	Cundinamarca
Province	Guavio Province
Founded	16 December 1772
Founded by	Pedro de Tovar y Buendía
Government
• Mayor	Carlos Cenen Rioja (2020-2023)
Area
• Municipality and town	326.5 km2 (126.1 sq mi)
• Urban	1.51 km2 (0.58 sq mi)
Elevation	2,718 m (8,917 ft)
Population  (2018 census)[1]
• Municipality and town	29,868
• Density	91/km2 (240/sq mi)
• Urban	13,470
• Urban density	8,900/km2 (23,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
Website	Official website

Etymology

The name of the town is derived from the limestone mine, called calera.^[2]

History

The area of La Calera was before the Spanish conquest inhabited by the Muisca. La Calera, just behind the mountains bordering Bacatá was ruled by the zipa based in the southern capital.

Modern La Calera was founded on December 16, 1772 by Pedro de Tovar y Buendía.^[2]

Economy

Main economical activity in La Calera is cement mining. The geological formation outcropping in the municipality is the Guaduas Formation.^[2]

Born in La Calera

• Israel Corredor, former professional cyclist