Tourism in Bogotá

The city of Bogotá is the capital of the Republic of Colombia and the main tourist destination in the country, as it has various activities and cultural heritage, is home to important universities, and hosts international events. The city also offers a wide variety of international food restaurants and places specialized in nightlife; its parks, museums, shopping centers and architecture also stand out. The city is located on the high plateau of the Bogotá savanna, from which You can see the snow-capped peaks of the Central mountain range. A few minutes from the city, on the outskirts of Facatativa it is also possible to see a panoramic view of the Magdalena River valley as well as part of the Magdalena River route and panoramic views of the towns located on the slopes of the Eastern mountain range.

Main tourist places

Monserrate

To get to the top of the Monserrate hill, the most comfortable way is by taking the cable car or the funicular whose station is located at the foot of the hill. You can also walk up, but this route is only recommended for those who have He is in very good physical condition and his lungs are accustomed to the altitude.

At the top there are a variety of things to see and enjoy. Monserrate offers a spectacular panoramic view of the city. The viewpoint next to the sanctuary is the ideal place to take photographs of the city and to appreciate it in all its extension. The Basilica of the Fallen Lord of Monserrate is a well-known Catholic church, a traditional place of pilgrimage for Bogota residents and Colombians in general, it is a good place of rest for those whose visit is a pilgrimage.

There are popular restaurants as well as elegant ones for travelers with different budgets. Calle del Candelero, a replica of a Bogotá street from the 19th century. The tour to the top can be done on foot or on raised chairs, which are reasonably priced, to appreciate the whole from above.

La Candelaria

The town of La Candelaria de Bogotá is the historical and cultural heart of the city. As the city's commercial activity initially moved downhill and northward, the colonial architecture could largely be maintained. There you can see, especially the colonial houses with their barred windows, carved gates, red tile roofs and eaves.

The institutional sector of La Candelaria, located in the lower part of the area, is characterized by grouping together the buildings that are the headquarters of the different bodies of the national government and the Capital District, since this is where the headquarters of the Presidency is located. of the Republic and presidential residence, known as the Casa de Nariño, the headquarters of the Congress of the Republic, the National Capitol, the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia and the Liévano Palace, which houses the Mayor's Office of Bogotá.

In the center of the last three buildings is the Plaza de Bolívar. Within the framework of this square there are also religious buildings of great interest, such as the Cathedral Basilica Metropolitana of Bogotá and Primada de Colombia and the Chapel of the Sagrario. The House Museum of July 20 is located on the northeast side of the place, and on the northwest side, behind the Archbishop's Palace, the Concepción Church on Tenth Street with Novena Street and the San Juan de Dios Church on Doce Street. with race Tenth.

There are other important museums such as the one from the 19th century, the Popular Arts and Traditions Museum, the Francisco José House Museum de Caldas and the Church Museum of Santa Clara, all of them located on Carrera Octava between Calles Septima and Ninth.

The sector houses cultural centers and institutions such as the La Candelaria, Libre and Colón theaters, as well as the Camarín del Carmen concert halls, the Gilberto Alzate Avendaño Foundation and the Luis Ángel Arango Library. Other sites of cultural interest are the National Printing Office, the National Astronomical Observatory, the Quinta de Bolívar, the General Archive of the Nation, the Silva Poetry House and the Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo.

Usaquén

Its name comes from Usacá, daughter of Tisquesusa, and whom Domingo de las Casas married to the Spanish captain Juan María Cortés, who received those lands as a dowry. The town was founded by the indigenous people around 1539 but later abandoned by order from the Spanish in 1777. Usaquén is also known by its inhabitants as the land of the sun.

In colonial times, the Usaquén region included La Calera, Chía and Guasca, becoming an obligatory passage for travelers to Tunja. Usaquén witnessed different confrontations during the war of independence. In 1846 it was again constituted as a municipality and in 1860 the celebrated battle of Usaquén took place between Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera and the government troops.

The Usaquén neighborhood, located in the town of the same name, is characterized by having a large number of restaurants and bars. It preserves a lot of the colonial architecture, which, although it is not very big nor does it have particularly good platforms, makes it pleasant to walk. In addition to this, it is an area that has preserved its colonial-style nature, which lives in harmony with the modern; A visit to this sector to appreciate the December lighting in the main square is very special.

It is bordered to the north, by Calle 240, with the municipality of Chía in the department of Cundinamarca, to the south by Calle 100 in the town of Chapinero, to the east by the eastern hills that separate it from the municipality of La Calera and to the west with the North Highway, located in the town of Suba.

International Center

It extends from Calle 24 to Calle 32, between Carreras 5 and 14, and was established as the first financial sector of the city. The area offers great wealth that includes historical, cultural, recreational and natural values. The church of San Diego, a Franciscan temple on Carrera 7 and Calle 26, is a symbol around which one of the most unique architectural complexes in Bogotá is developed. In front is a commercial, financial and tourist services complex.

Several of the buildings of the International Center have been declared National Monument: the aforementioned church of San Diego; the National Museum of Colombia (Carrera 7 con Calle 28), a former penitentiary that houses the most complete collection of pieces that synthesize the history of Colombia; the Torres del Parque (Calle 27 and Carrera 5), a residential complex whose design has earned international recognition, the La Santa María bullring and the Tequendama hotel.

Museums

Bogotá has a wide variety of museums, among which the Gold Museum stands out. Its current headquarters was designed by Germán Samper Gnecco and inaugurated in 1968. It is located on the eastern side of Santander Park, in the historic center from Bogota. It has 35 thousand pieces of gold and tumbaga, the largest collection of gold work in the world, and almost 30 thousand objects in ceramics, stone, shell, bone and textiles.

The Botero museum donated by the artist Fernando Botero and which has some of his works and several paintings that belonged to his private collection. Another museum worth highlighting is the National Museum of Colombia, which is the oldest in the country and has an important art collection and frequently holds temporary international exhibitions.

Did you mean: <pOtro de los museos destacados es Maloka definido como el parque temático sobre ciencia y tecnología más grande de Sur América.

Adventure and nature tourism

There are several lagoons, reservoirs and National Parks that you can visit near Bogotá, some are easily accessible. Within Bogotá the most representative at first glance are the eastern hills, they are a reference element to locate the east in the city. There are many routes in the mountains of Bogotá. The La Vieja ravine is located on 71st Street with Circunvalar Avenue.

There the high Andean forest is easily perceived in this place along with some other introduced species that mix with the diversity of the tropics. Las Delicias ravine is located in the heart of the mountain between Calle 62 and Calle 57. It has three crystal-clear water wells and a 42-meter waterfall located on the basic route of the place.

Other sites of ecological interest are Las Moyas, La Cueva de la Laja, La Cruz de la Peña, Cerro del Águila in the National Park, Cerro del Águila on 109th Street, the Camino del Indio from La Calera to the entrance to the Arboretum on the Bogotá - La Calera highway.

Bogotá has surrounding sectors of natural reserves where camping, mountaineering and excursion activities, among others, are carried out. One of the most important reserves is the Páramo de Sumapaz, which is considered the largest páramo in the world. It is located one hour from the town of Usme to the south of the city. There you can find several animal species such as the spectacled bear, deer, eagles and condors. This moor is part of the Bogotá Savannah which has numerous forest reserves and camping sites, as well as lagoons and tourist towns such as Guatavita, Neusa or Chingaza.

Tourism in Bogotá is definitely more than Monserrate and La Candelaria, there are many excursions along magical trails that you can take. These activities are also known as: hiking, backpacking, walking, mountaineering, hiking or trekking.

Events and festivals

Bogotá has important international events such as the Ibero-American Theater Festival of Bogotá that takes place every two years in the city and which offers a large number of street theater and theater plays from the most leading theater companies in the world. It is considered the largest theatrical meeting in the world.

The International Book Fair, the Bogotá Carnival and the Rock al Parque music festival also stand out. It also has international events with a children's and youth atmosphere such as the Kids Choice Awards Colombia', "SOFA" and the Club Media Fest.

Transportation

Bogotá has Transmilenio, the city's mass transportation system. This allows users to move through the city avoiding vehicular traffic that is normally excessively high. During rush hours it is common to find long waiting lines to access the service and buses saturated with people until they exceed their capacity.

The option of taking a taxi within the city is very safe, but not always the most agile in terms of the route, it is the city with the most taxis in Colombia and they can be found at any time of the day.

Bogotá has a wide network of exclusive bicycle routes, or cycle routes. On Sundays and holidays, several major avenues are closed to cars and thousands of people who go out on bicycles, skates and on foot.

Parks and squares

Bogotá has an extensive system of parks that integrates each of these through pedestrian corridors and cycle routes, in addition to being a city that has known how to conserve and maintain each of its emblematic places and advance the construction of recreational spaces modern ones that interact in perfect harmony with the ancient ones.

The Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park is a set of parks, green areas and an excellent development center of the city that is located in the geographical center of the city, near the El Salitre area and the National University of Colombia. It began construction in 1966 and for some time it only housed a sports hut. In 1968, on the occasion of the visit of Pope Paul VI for the 39th International Eucharistic Congress, a small temple was built, which was called the Eucharistic Temple. By that time the park already had lakes and the first trees were planted. Later, a second temple was built for the visit of Pope John Paul II in June 1986.

Currently the park has an infrastructure of bicycle lanes, pedestrian paths, parking for cars and a ceremonial plaza (known as the Events Plaza) with capacity for 140,000 people; Most of this infrastructure was remodeled, restored or readjusted in addition to the additions of cycle paths, avenues and other important works. Currently this park is the scene of many cultural and recreational events such as concerts, fairs, festivals and competitions.

The José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden The José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden was created in 1955, giving it this name in honor of the botanist of the same name, who was one of the first to study and classify the Flora of the viceroyalty of New Granada. In its 20 hectares it houses more than 18,206 accessions of live plants, specializing in those from the Andean area. It is a multicultural setting where you can enjoy a lake and a very rich wild nature, one of the largest Cera Palm forests in the country, and adaptations and living natural representations of the paramo, Amazon jungle, Andean landscape, Orinoquía plain., swamp, etc.

El Parque de la 93 is located in the El Chicó neighborhood, one of the most distinguished areas of the city, it is a hub of commercial development, it is international in style and around it you can find important restaurants with international cuisine, bars and shopping centers.

El Tunal Metropolitan Park is a park located in the south of the city that can be reached by TransMilenio. It is located near the populous Bogotá neighborhood of El Tunal, a residential area that nearby includes one of the oldest shopping centers in the metropolis, Centro Comercial Ciudad Tunal. It is integrated into the El Tunal Library, managed by Biblored and includes different complete areas for practicing sports, playgrounds, a stage for events, food points and different small lakes; It is in one of the most contaminated points in the south of Bogotá.

Independence Park is located right in front of the International Center of Bogotá, considered one of the most traditional parks in the city; It was inaugurated in 1910 to celebrate the first centenary of Colombia's independence. The Pavilion or Kiosk of Light is well known, a beautiful architectural piece in the neoclassical style, the work of the Italian architect Pietro Cantini. It is also well known within the Bogotá Planetarium and the Bullring, in addition to a harmonious group that they form together with the Museum of Modern Art on this sloping terrain full of eucalyptus forests.

The Olaya Herrera National Park has 283 hectares and heights between 2,600 and 3,154 meters high. The western sector concentrates the historical, cultural and recreational values of the place: El Parque children's theater, soccer fields, micro-soccer, tennis, volleyball, basketball and hockey. The eastern sector, between Circunvalar avenue and the Eastern hills, is provided with great biodiversity in flora and fauna, abundant water sources and generous arborization, with eucalyptus, acacia, urapan and cypress forests predominating.

Amusement parks

El Salitre Park is a recreational area that is part of the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park that includes mechanical attractions; the amusement park known for the panoramic wheel from where you can have a perfect view of the entire city (similar to the London eye in London) and the three high-impact roller coasters unique in Colombia as well as attractions for the whole family.

Among the main facilities is the Magic Salitre. El Segundo, this amusement park was built on the grounds of the old El Salitre park and offers one of the most complete entertainment offerings in the country, it has a water park and two of the most modern roller coasters in Colombia, as well as attractions for all ages. ages, skill play areas, meals and ample parking.

El Mundo Aventura, a theme park that is perhaps the most popular in the city, where you can find different areas for each age, an example of this is Mundo Pombo; a place for children with attractions for the little ones. Among its most famous attractions are its Paintball Area, the Skycoaster, the Extreme and the Troncos, a family attraction where people travel in boats and descend from two waterfalls where they are completely splashed with water. Currently in the Mundo Aventura Park The Terror in the Park Event is held during the weekends of October, in which tourists can watch shows and visit the horror stations in the middle of a Halloween atmosphere.

Maloka was the first interactive science center in Latin America, it is located in the Ciudad Salitre sector, near the Salitre Plaza Shopping Center, it is almost entirely underground and contains different modules where technology concepts and science in an interactive way, such as telecommunications, biodiversity, space, the city, physics, mathematics, etc. In addition to this, it has a store, a restaurant and a dome theater, called Cinedomo, where they present special effects films and documentaries of general interest.

Libraries

Bogotá has the most complete library coverage in the country, which made it the World Book Capital in 2007. These are some of these cultural centers that are poles of pedagogical development in the city. The Virgilio Barco Library is located in a very central sector of the city, near the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park, in its surroundings you can enjoy green areas and bike paths. It has underground parking service, and the library designed by architect Rogelio Salmona houses 150,000 volumes in an area of 16,092 square meters. The library is considered a milestone in contemporary Colombian architecture and one of the best works of its author.

The El Tunal Library is located south of the city and is part of the El Tunal Park; Inside there are spaces for the spread of culture, in total it houses 110,000 volumes. It has a reading room with electronic catalogs, a newspaper library, rooms for group work, computer rooms for Internet, multimedia and training. There is also a video library, sound library, reprographics with printing of digital documents. The children's area consists of a reading room, computers, playroom and patios for outdoor activities. All this is located in a construction of 6,826 square meters.

In the city center

The National Library of Colombia was the first national library in America, it is located in front of the Independence Park, near the International Center of Bogotá; was founded in the 18th century and has nearly two million publications within which you can find true editorial gems of Colombian and universal history. Its collection includes 48 universal incunabula, 610 volumes of manuscripts, numerous Elzevirian editions, nearly 30,000 books published before 1800 and numerous rare and curious books.

The first Colombian publications from 1738 share their space with the first prints from Peru and Mexico (from the XVI century). The Manuel del Socorro Rodríguez Newspaper Archive has a complete collection of Colombian press from the 19th century that includes the Earthquake Notice , the first known newspaper in the history of Colombia. The library has practically all the books printed in Colombia since 1830.

The Luis Ángel Arango Library is located in the La Candelaria sector, it is the most important library in the country and one of the largest in Latin America, it is the largest library and cultural center in the city, although it is not part of the BibloRed public library network, since it is not managed by the Mayor's Office. It is located in the La Candelaria neighborhood, in the historic center. With about 10,000 daily users. It also has an online loan system that makes it possible to deliver publications to your home.

Other places of cultural interest

The Planetarium of Bogotá is located in the International Center, in the Parque de la Independencia, it was opened in 1969 and since then it has hosted a series of projections of the constellations and the universe in addition to having fragments on display of the Apollo mission and a room of the Bogotá Museum.

The Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center was the last work of the Colombian architect Rogelio Salmona, it has several alternatives to eat and drink coffee, as well as squares and patios with fountains, exhibition rooms and a bookstore; all located in La Candelaria, the cultural heart of the city.

The University City of Bogotá or "white city" It is the largest university campus in Colombia, it belongs to the National University. Its architecture is representative of the modern influence on the city during the 20th century. It is located to the west of the city. It is also the headquarters of the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra.

La Quinta de Bolívar is a museum dedicated to Simón Bolívar, located at the foot of the Monserrate hill at the end of the Environmental Axis where his objects such as his sword, clothing are kept and it is represented in a colonial farm.

The La Media Torta Cultural Center was the first open-air theater that Colombia had, located on Circunvalar Avenue, where free events such as dance, theater, music, etc. are held.

The Gilberto Alzate Avendaño Foundation is a cultural center in La Candelaria, run by the district government, where you can find different exhibition rooms, a library and an auditorium.

Corferias is an epicenter of business and cultural events. The world-renowned book fair is held here annually. In 2008 it was an important center in the Ibero-American Theater Festival, where it was awarded the nickname 'the theater city', another equally important event held in June of the same year was Campus Party.

The Colpatria Viewpoint is one of the main viewpoints in the city, a privileged place to observe the city in all its immensity from the terrace of the tallest building in Bogotá, it has telescopes to observe curious details about the capital's streets.

Created in 1836, the Central Cemetery is the oldest in the city, declared a national monument and considered a museum for its historical, architectural and cultural value; The remains of several heroes, presidents, writers and leaders of the country are housed there. Guided tourist tours are regularly scheduled there.

Files

The General Archive of the Nation was the first archive in Colombia and the work of architect Rogelio Salmona, it is a building that keeps the historical archives of the nation, built in brick with its spaces distributed in small squares and gardens.

The Bogotá Archive is designed as a cultural center where the historical memory of the city is kept. It has an exhibition room and auditorium, among other services; It is located in the town of Santa Fe a few blocks from the Plaza de Bolívar.

Shopping centers

Unicentro was inaugurated in 1976. It is one of the first examples of a growing trend towards the development of large Multiplex shopping centers in Colombia that began in the 1970s and 1980s, characterizing the commercial development of the areas near the race 15 and 127th Street in the north of Bogotá.

The Santafé Shopping Center is the second largest shopping center in Colombia, inaugurated on May 13, 2006. It has an area of 21.5 hectares, distributed in about 500 stores on three floors (including a food court with 26 stores and 1,500 seats) and 10 movie theaters. It has two thousand three hundred parking spaces; It also has an auditorium. It is in the town of Suba, north of Bogotá, on the North Highway with Calle 183. It has access by buses from the municipalities surrounding the city and by the feeder route of the TransMilenio system from the Portal del Norte.

The Mayor Center is located in the south of the city. It is the largest shopping center in Colombia and the third in Latin America. The project was carried out on land that had been urbanized and designated for this purpose since the 1980s, located in the Villa Mayor sector, on Avenida NQS with Calle 38 Sur, equidistant from three large commercial points in the south of Bogotá: Venecia, Restrepo and Plaza de las Américas. Construction began in February 2008 and it opened on March 26, 2010.

Salitre Plaza is located in the Ciudad Salitre sector and has 286 stores to satisfy its public, it has large spaces, small squares and a hallway with natural light on each of its floors as well as three greenhouses. Distributed over five floors, two of which are covered parking basements with capacity for 982 vehicles.

Finally, the Gran Estación Shopping Center was inaugurated in 2006. It is located 10 minutes from El Dorado International Airport. It has a public square, with colors like chess. A monument to chess. This small square is called Plaza Metropolitana de Los Alfiles. It has 362 stores and a constructed area of 126,000 m².

Nightlife

The city of Bogotá has several areas of nightclubs, bars and cafes.

La Macarena, at the height of Carrera Cuarta between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-eighth streets, has restaurants and bars of different styles, the place being known as zone M.

The Zona Rosa, located north of the city, between streets 79 and 85 and streets 11 and 15, near the Andino shopping center. In front of its exit is the T zone, which is a cobblestone pedestrian passage where there are restaurants, cafes, stores and jewelry stores with attractive display cases and a traveling gallery where photography exhibitions are held.

Usaquén, one of the northernmost towns in the capital. Towards the eastern side of Carrera Séptima between 1116 and 122 streets, in the middle of Republican mansions and pedestrian streets, there are numerous bars, nightclubs and cafes.

La Calera, a municipality neighboring Bogotá, brings together numerous nightclubs visited especially at night, taking advantage of the excellent view over the capital.

Other leisure areas located to the south of the city are Avenida Primero de Mayo at the height of Avenida Boyacá and the Restrepo neighborhood. In addition, a prominent area of bars and nightclubs is growing near the neighboring municipality of Chía.

Pilgrimages and religious tourism

In Bogotá there are several temples dedicated to religious rites, mostly Catholic, an example of this is the adoration of El Divino Niño in the temple of the same name, located in the 20 de Julio neighborhood in the south of the city; There is also the famous pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the Fallen Lord of Monserrate, in addition to this the location of the sanctuary, 3,200 m s. n. m., provides a viewpoint of the city. Mechanical access is by air (cable car) or land (funicular), in the middle of eucalyptus forests.

There is also the cult of the Virgin of Carmen in the sanctuary of the same name, located in La Candelaria, celebrated every July 16, a rite of great devotion by many sectors of the city and the country in general. She has traditionally been considered the virgin protector of drivers.

Among others is the visit to the Sanctuary of Guadalupe, the Metropolitan and Primate Basilica Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Saint Peter's, the Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes, the Parish of San Alfonso María de Ligorio - Señor de los Milagros, to the nearby Salt Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and Saint Anthony of Padua in Zipaquirá.