| Gachalá | |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality and town |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Pushpin Map: | Colombia |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Colombia |
| Coordinates: | 4.6931°N -73.52°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Colombia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Department |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Guavio Province |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Germán Martínez Beltrán |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 22 February 1810 |
| Founder: | Mariano de Mendoza y Bueno |
| Area Total Km2: | 448.29 |
| Population As Of: | 2015 |
| Population Total: | 5715 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Urban: | 2025 |
| Timezone: | Colombia Standard Time |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 1712 |
Gachalá is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Guavio Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre of Gachalá is situated at a distance of 148km (92miles) from the capital Bogotá at an altitude of 1712m (5,617feet) in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The municipality borders the western portion of the split municipality Ubalá and the department of Boyacá in the north, the eastern part of Ubalá and Medina in the east, Fómeque, Junín and Gama in the west and Fómeque, Medina and the department of Meta in the south.[1]
The name of Gachalá is derived from Chibcha and means "clay vessel of the night" or "defeat of the night".[1] [2]
Before the Spanish conquest of the Muisca, Gachalá was inhabited by the Chío tribe, belonging to the Muisca. As of 1548, the terrain of Gachalá belonged to the cacique of Guatavita.[2]
Modern Gachalá was founded on February 22, 1810, by Mariano de Mendoza y Bueno.[1]
Main economical activity in Gachalá is the hydroelectric plant of the Guavio Reservoir.[2] Also emerald mining is an important source of income for Gachalá. The 858carat Gachalá Emerald was found in and named after Gachalá.