Today I am going to talk about what to visit in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. Bogota is located 2600 meters above sea level and is one of the oldest cities in the country. Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada founded the city in 1537 in a place known as “El Chorro de Quevedo”. It is a very large city with numerous buildings and is surrounded by beautiful nature. The hills border the city and in its interior there are more than 5,000 parks.
Best Viewpoints in Bogotá
Although there are many things you can do in Bogota, today I want to introduce you to four viewpoints from which you can enjoy the best views of the city: Monserrate, El Cerro de Guadalupe, Colpatria Tower and La Calera.
Monserrate
Your first destination in Bogota should be the most famous mountain in the city, Monserrate. To get there, you can choose to go up by cable car or walking. If you decide to take the cable car, it will be the fastest option. You only have to buy the tickets at the Monserrate entrance booth and in less than five minutes you will be at the top of the hill. The cost of the round trip tickets for the cable car is 22,000 Colombian pesos, approximately 5 dollars. Here you have the link where you can check all the rates and schedules to go up. However, if you are looking for more adventure or want to do some exercise, you can choose to walk up Monserrate. Next to the cable car entrance, you will find the access to the pedestrian path. The ascent has numerous stairs (7000 in total) and can be a bit demanding if you are not used to the altitude, as it can make breathing difficult. However, I recommend doing the hike, as the route is more scenic and you can do it at your own pace. The ascent time can vary between 40 and 70 minutes, depending on how fast you decide to go. When you get to the top, you will be amazed.
From there you can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city of Bogota. It is one of the best viewpoints to contemplate the city, especially on sunny days. At the top of Monserrate you will also find several handicraft stores and a church. This church is considered very miraculous, as it houses the image of the Fallen Lord of Monserrate, and many people come to visit it to ask for miracles. You may see barefoot people, as many climb the 7000 stairs on foot as an act of pilgrimage and devotion.
El Cerro de Guadalupe
If you want to continue exploring the best views of Bogota, I recommend three other places. The first is the Cerro de Guadalupe, which is located behind Monserrate. To access this place, you will need to take a cab or an Uber, as it can only be reached by car. On this mountain you will also find a church, and from there you can see all of Bogota, Monserrate and other mountains in the hills. I recommend this place, as it is less known than Monserrate but equally beautiful, and it may even surprise you even more.
La Torre Colpatria
Another place to enjoy excellent views of the city is the Colpatria Tower. You can only visit it on weekends and the entrance fee is 10,000 Colombian pesos, approximately 2.5 dollars. This is the second tallest tower in Bogota after Bacatá, and is an icon of the city, especially for its lighting. Every night, from 6 to 11 p.m., the building displays a variety of dynamic images on its facade, which is covered with LED lights. Here you have the link with information about opening hours and the history of the Colpatria Tower, in case you want to visit it.
La Calera
Finally, the last place you can visit to enjoy the best views of Bogota is little known by tourists, and personally is one of my favorite places for a sunset. It is the viewpoints of La Calera. La Calera is a town near Bogota, but on the road to this town there are many stops that have a beautiful view of the whole city, and they have barbecues with delicious food. The mazorcas del asador, or the arepa de choclo are my favorite, and in these viewpoints you can get the best ones in all Bogotá.
Los mejores lugares en la Candelaria
Well, I already mentioned 4 places where you can have spectacular views of Bogota. Now, I am going to tell you which are the best places to go during your visit. If you only have one day, I recommend you to do a free walking tour of La Candelaria, because it will be the best way to go to all the important places and learn about its history. But if you prefer to do the tour on your own, I am going to propose you an itinerary. First, you should know that this neighborhood is full of color and is probably the favorite of tourists in Bogota. La Candelaria is also known for its colonial buildings, as it was a place where the Spanish came to settle and live in the city. Bogota was a very important city in colonial times, and that is why you will find that we have a whole neighborhood with these beautiful old houses, which remind us of the history of colonization and our strong link with Spain.
The best thing to do in this neighborhood is to walk around without a destination, wander through its streets, discover its houses, restaurants and stores. There are many hostels in this area, and there are also many universities, so you will probably find that there are always people, music, and tourists enjoying the city. If wandering around aimlessly is not your thing, I also recommend going to a few specific places.
The Plaza Bolivar
First, the Plaza Bolivar, which is the main square of the city. The name of this square comes from the monument of Simon Bolivar that is in the center of the square. He was the liberator of our country (and many other Latin American countries) and guided us on our way to independence from the Spanish. In this square are concentrated the major powers of our country. On one side you will find the power of religion, with the primate cathedral of Colombia. It is very beautiful on the outside and inside, so I recommend you to go inside if you find the cathedral open. Next to it you will find the capitol, which shows the power of legislation. There is also the mayor’s office of Bogota, representing the power of the district, and finally the palace of justice, representing the judicial power. As you can see, this is a very big square, and very important in our city. For this reason, many of the protests are held here because it is an open space, close to all branches of power.
Casa del Florero de Llorente
From this square you can reach many places, but there are some that are attractive to you if you are interested in history. The first one is “la casa del florero de Llorente”. Although this name does not say much, this house is crucial in our history, as it was where the first cry for independence was given on July 20, 1810.
Divorce Street
Another historical site, and a bit funny, is the Divorce Street, which is one of the most famous streets in the city. Legends say that in this street was the women’s prison, where, in the old days, a man could send his partner if she had been unfaithful. In this street, then, was where couples said goodbye, as men sent their wives to jail. Some superstitious people do not cross this street with their partners, to avoid bad luck that could lead to a divorce.
Chorro de Quevedo
One of my favorite places in Candelaria is the Chorro de Quevedo. Earlier I mentioned that this site is the place where Bogotá was founded, but today it is a place full of urban art. From the plaza del chorro you will see a narrow street called “la calle del embudo”. If you start walking down there you will be amazed by the murals and graffiti you will see. Bogota is an open air museum, and this small street is one of its best galleries. If you like urban art I also recommend you to take a free bike tour through the graffiti district. I leave you the link in the description so you can see the whole tour, but I warn you that, although it is free, the tour is 14 km long, so I recommend it only to people who are comfortable riding a bike so they can enjoy the ride.
Merlín Library
If you like bookstores, I recommend you to go to Merlin. This small bookstore is a second hand store, that is, they sell used books, but it is the biggest bookstore I have ever visited in my life. There are books everywhere, and I assure you that if you want a book and you haven’t found it, you can get it here. They also sell old postcards, posters, and different collectibles.
Seventh Avenue
The last place you can visit in La Candelaria is carrera séptima. This is probably one of the most traveled streets in Bogota, as it connects the whole city. In this street you will find many street artists, music, and on the weekends there will be many people who go for a walk here for a “septimazo”, and enjoy the street life of Bogota.
Read more about Bogotá here
Conclusion
All these sites that I recommended are, in my opinion, the most important things to visit, but I also wanted to give you a very important warning. Try to do this whole tour in the morning or during the day. La Candelaria is the center of Bogota, and like all big city centers, this neighborhood becomes unsafe at night, so I don’t recommend you to visit it after 6pm. It is also worth mentioning that it is the neighborhood with the highest number of tourists in the city, and therefore, the highest number of thieves because they always want to go after tourists. So, even if you go during the day, I recommend you to be careful with your cell phone or camera, always have it at hand or put it away, because pickpockets can take advantage of any carelessness.
