The story of La Gloria Reserva begins with Gloria Rodríguez de Luque, also known as “La Doctora” and mother of the current owner of the reserve, who in the 70s had the dream of buying land on the outskirts of Bogotá to raise cows and make cheeses
With a small inheritance that he received from his family, he bought a piece of land on the road to La Calera where he began his dream with two cows. This area of Cundinamarca is very particular, since it produces a lot of water, is located in high mountains and is part of the Andean subparamo forest. Recently widowed and with four children, La Doctora began to work the land and expand her project. As time went by, he had 25 bushels to produce exquisite cheeses, which on their own would become renowned in Bogotá.
A few years later, La Doctora decided to sell this land and bought a new one right next door, Tres Esquinas, which is where the reserve is located today. This land, unfortunately, had been mistreated for years with the use of chemicals to grow potatoes, in addition to the eventual use to raise cows, leaving a mark that would be difficult to undo years later. The peasants, neighbors of the doctor, had strong perspectives on the role that women should fulfill, which is why they made her work very difficult and complicated. With great perseverance and determination to live and work in a completely rural area, the doctor managed to maintain her cow and cheese business for 15 consecutive years until they came to respect her for her tenacity. Their cheeses began to be sold in Bogotá, with the majority of their customers being foreigners and good tasters of flavors.
Unexpectedly, one day he fell in love again and traveled to the United States, leaving the farm for a time in the hands of neighbors/people who did not have the same vision for the place. In 2019 the doctor returns to Colombia, but no longer with the strength to manage the farm. One of her sons, who supported and accompanied her throughout her life, decided to take the reins of the project, not only out of love for his mother but also out of love for nature and the place where he had created memories as a child. The dream of cheese and cows expanded into a dream of returning to Mother Earth. This is how La Gloria Reserva was born in 2019 as a business project designed beyond traditional ecotourism, seeking to return the land to its initial splendor.
Today the reserve focuses on rethinking the use of the land to restore the life it lost after so many years of extreme treatment. The reserve seeks to become independent through self-sustainability, which has been implemented since the project began. Some of the elements that are part of this are the repopulation of the forest, the organic garden that maintains the Reserve’s kitchen and the use of gray water and rain. In the long term, we hope to be able to expand this idea so that it is implemented not only by the farmers of the area, but also by Colombian ecotourism. Being at 70% of total self-sufficiency, we can already see the fruits of the work of more than 30 people. Native animals in the area, such as bears, have begun to return to their natural habitat thanks to the reforestation work being carried out. This is just the beginning of the dream we have here at La Gloria Reserva. We are creating a model that can be implemented by other nature lovers, we invite you to be part of this dream!