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Bogotá
Bogotá is the massive capital city of Colombia. It is up in the Andes which makes for an even different
climate than other cities like Medellín and Cartagena. It may often be overlooked and I truly think it's one
of the most underrated cities. There's a lot of fun to be had and countless things to do. It has world class
nightlife and is full of international restaurants as well as delicious Colombian cuisine. Here is my travel
guide for Bogotá.
There are two fantastic museums that are worth visiting in the La Candelaria area of the
city. Museo Botero is a museum full of art made by the famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero. You can see
paintings and sculptures with the signature big look that he became famous for. Also it's completely free to
visit! Just a short walk away is the museum of gold (museo de oro). This is full of old artificats from the
people's who inhabited the area many centuries ago. There are tons of cool golden artifacts and lots of history
that you can learn about. It's only 4000 cop to get in which is about 1 usd. So for 1 usd you can visit two
awesome museums.
Monserrate is the large mountain to the East of the city. You can get to the top by the
cable car near La Candelaria. You have a great view of the city from the top and there are some interesting
things to see like churches and a market area with restaurants and souvenirs. My advice would be to go on a
clear day if possible. The day I went was quite cloudly and then ended up raining. The best views would be on a
clear day. It's a great activity in Bogotá!
Plaza de Bolívar is a large plaza in La Candelaria and is one of the main attractions in the area. It's a beautiful plaza to visit. It's
surrounded by historic and important buildings. During the Spanish colonial period, Bolívar Square was the stage for circus acts, public markets and bullfights.
There are plenty of restaurants throughout the city. In general food is quite cheap and
you can find large full course meals for a few dollars. It might be advertised as "Cominda casera". You can
often get a soup, plate of rice, beans, meat, plantain, salad and a desert. Arepas rellenas are a must try in
Bogotá. They are like a bread made of maize dough often filled with beef, chicken, pork, chorizo or a
combination. Chapinero is a bit more high end so you'll find a large range of prices and variety here. I found
La Candelaria to have cheaper food prices overall and had more street food options. Another thing you will
notice are panaderias (bakeries). They are always stocked with delicious treats such as ice cream, flan or
pastries. Definitely worth stopping by one. I even found one with the same name as me!
Bogotá is a huge city and there are many, many neighbourhoods. I've spent about a week of my life in Bogotá and
have only really visited and stayed in La Candelaria and Chapinero. I'd love to explore more of the city but
will only comment on the places I've visited on my page.
La Candelaria is the historic center of the city and is certainly the best area to visit
as a tourist. All of the activities I mentioned above are in this area and it's easy to walk around and do many
different things in one day. There are many restaurants both indoor and street food style as well as events and
some of the best street art anywhere in the world. Definitely visit the museums and plaza that I mentioned above
while in La Candelaria. There are also good nightlife options here however I would say that the nightlife is
overall better in Chapinero. I was told to be careful in La Candelaria during the night and it did feel less
safe at night than Chapinero did as well. This shouldn't deter you from visiting or staying there as it's really
a great area of the city to explore.
On my recent, second trip to Bogotá I decided to stay in Chapinero to explore a different
part of the city. Chapinero is a bit more upper class and you will find lots of nightlife, restaurants and
shopping here. I'd say this is the best part of the city for nightlife. Zona Rosa is full of classy bars and
restaurants both local and international style. The streets are bustling with action and it really is an
exciting place to be. Parque 93 is a great area to visit and enjoy the nice weather in the afternoons. You'll
see tons of people gathering in the park, as well as eating and drinking in the several businesses in the area.
I also felt safe here walking around at night alone. One con is that it's more expensive than other areas of the
city. Some of the bars in Zona Rosa charge prices similar to in Canada.
