[2] Its name ("The Table" in Spanish) comes from its geographical position, located on the top of a plateau with an area of 14 km2 (2.5 sq mi) in the centre of the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes.

This town is famed for the Botanical Expedition on the New Kingdom of Granada which commenced from there in 1783 led by the biologist José Celestino Mutis.

Antonio Nariño transited in September 1813 commanding the Cundinamarca army of the South campaign of the Independence cause.

The Santa Isabel snow hills, located to the west and the Magdalena River opposite the Central Mountain Range can also be seen.

The year round average temperature is 24 °C (75 °F) Fossil remains of Eonatator coellensis were found in La Mesa and described in 2013.