Exploring Bogotá, Colombia

Bogotá is the often-overlooked sprawling, high-altitude capital and largest city in Colombia. I decided to fly here direct from JFK and explore, making it my first stop in Colombia. It’s a melting pot of people from around the country, diverse and multicultural, with a blend of modern and colonial architecture. Bogotá is much colder than most of Colombia due to an altitude of 2600 meters (8530 feet) above sea level. It is the 3rd highest capital city in South America.

The city’s cultural cobblestoned epicenter is La Candelaria. It features multiple colonial-era landmarks, museums and eateries. In Bogotá, it is easy to hang out with locals as they are quite well known for being approachable. Bogotá doesn’t really have seasons, but June and July are the best times to visit.

My 20 Fun facts about Bogotá:

1. Bogotá is at an altitude of 8530 feet above sea level and was a bit chilly when I arrived. I visited late July and needed a sweater right off the plane, so bring a sweater, hoodie or big shawl. The locals say that Bogotá can have all 4 seasons in one day. I experienced this so always have an umbrella.
2. Getting out of the airport. Immigration, Yikes!! Lines were ridiculously long as 4 international flights dumped passengers at once. Bring your patience.
3. Airport transfers. Take an official yellow taxi even if the lines are long! Do not follow the uncles saying “taxi, taxi izza yellow cab too, I take you”. There is no Uber at the airport.
4. Local currency. You can exchange money at the airport, they claim “no fees” but their rates were appalling. I used the ATM outside the terminal. I saw some shuttles but I was too tired to inquire.
5. Let me say this loud. GOOGLE TRANSLATE is your friend!!! One more time, download it and make sure you have it in offline mode too. The conversation mode totally rocks.
6. I had a cute Airbnb suite in a downtown building with an amazing view. Photos are in the Photo reel. My hosts and the concierge folks were super helpful. There are many name brand hotels too.
7. As a self declared coffee head, can we talk about the coffee? Order a Tinto. It’s like an Americano but with less concentration of coffee and more water. Simply put the small Colombian family owned cafes had some of the best coffee. Yes, they have my staple Starbucks and the local franchise Juan Valdez both of which I sampled. We shall not discuss how much coffee was in my luggage coming back.
8. It was easy to eat in Bogotá as there were plenty of mom and pop shops scattered all over the area. I ate at Restaurante Mabue and the food was simple, fresh and tasty. Photos in the reel. Bogota’s restaurant scene is known for its cheap and delicious menus, which can start as low as just a couple of dollars for a full meal including a drink, often a fresh-squeezed juice.
9. Are you vegan or vegetarian? You are in luck as Bogotá features a number of vegan and vegetarian spots, with many styles of food for any budget.
10. Sightseeing. Do a walking tour. I chose the graffiti walking tour. You will learn so much, meet new people and find restaurants/shops you would never know about.
11. Graffiti is often used to tell political and community outcry stories. Who knew that some graffiti artists are lawyers, DJs and even anthropologists. ? ? ?. Stingfish and Naichos are the top 5 and most sought-after ones here.
12. Bolívar square is centrally located and often a meeting point for walking tours. It’s the main square in the capital city.
13. Monserrate is a city center mountain at 10,300 feet above sea level with a church. It is a must do in Bogotá. I took the cable car up and rode the “funicular” back down, basically a sloping train with an 8000Kg limit. How do they decide who weighs what? ? ? ? If you have a fear of heights this is not for you.
14. Explore the City by Bike. Bogotá has some of the worst traffic, so Sundays are dedicated to cycling. Locals and tourists get a chance to cruise the car free city streets. During Ciclovia, many streets are closed to cars on Sundays and holidays from 7:00am to 2:00pm, so plan accordingly.
15. Getting here from the USA is easy, especially using Points and Miles. Bogotá is really easy to fly to, as many major airlines fly from the US to the Colombian capital city, offering opportunities to use up those points and miles. Avianca, a Star Alliance member, American, LAN, Spirit and Delta all offer nonstop 4-5-hour flights.
16. Visit a fruit market. Colombia is home to some of the most exotic and tropical fruit in the world, so you’ll discover an entirely new palette of flavors.
17. Visit the Bogota Gold Museum. It contains close to 34,000 gold pieces, plus 20,000 bone, stone, ceramic, and textile articles. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Sundays and holidays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. I’ll be back to see this one.
18. Sports and beer fans should head to a Tejo bar to Try out Tejo and sample some beer. Tejo is played by throwing metal pucks at a target board. The targets have gunpowder in them, and when you make a hit, the target makes a tiny explosion!
19. Free Art and Architecture. Fernando Botero one of Colombia’s most famous artists has his work displayed here too. While the museum in Medellín has a small fee to get in, the Botero Museum in Bogotá is free to visit.
20. If you are up for some late-night clubbing, bar hopping and dancing they have a lot of that too.

Final thoughts on Bogotá? I’ll be back a few times as I have so much more I want to see, especially the day trips to nearby cities.