So you’ve touched down in Bogotá – Colombia’s capital city and the third highest capital in South America – now what…?
Here is my summary of what to see, what to do, what to expect and where to stay in what currently stands as my favourite city in this wonderful country, with some important additions made by my fiancé and travel companion, Adam.
The Altitude
First things first, we need to talk about altitude and its potential effect on your body. Coming in at 2640m above sea-level Bogotá is not your average city break (especially if you are coming from somewhere like the UK as we were!). Altitude sickness is real, and it’s definitely something worth preparing for.
Adam and I both felt a little short of breath when walking uphill – very much out of the norm as we both love walking long distances – and a slight muzzy head/headache feeling. These symptoms lessen over the course of a few days but it may be worth bringing some medication with you to lessen the discomfort. You could also try drinking some coca tea, a tea made from coca leaves, known for their ability to relieve altitude sickness symptoms.
At The Airport
Hop into a registered yellow taxi once you land to take you to your accommodation. These are a great choice for solo travelers, those in smaller groups, and those with less luggage. White taxis are also available, but we heard they run without meters meaning they can overcharge. We also felt more comfortable going for a yellow cab with easily identifiable credentials on their doors/window screen.
Uber is also a viable option with journeys costing significantly less than taxis. However it is important to note that the service is technically illegal in the country (although seemingly allowed in the big cities). Your driver will probably ask you/someone in your group to sit in the front seat, which we understood was used as an attempt to show it was a ‘family pickup’, not a ride hailing service. We’d heard there had been incidents of uber’s being attacked by taxis, however we took a couple uber trips during our stay and never had any issues.
It’s unlikely your driver will speak much English (although one of ours was very fluent thanks to some time spent in the U.S.). If your Spanish still needs some work we’d therefore suggest showing the location of your destination on your phone, and keeping track of your route throughout the journey.
TOP TIP: We highly recommend downloading an offline city map via the Google Maps app prior to landing as internet connection can be hit and miss throughout the city. With an offline app you can get your bearings with ease.
Every taxi we took during our time in Colombia was great. The drivers were always friendly and we never felt uneasy. It was one of our concerns pre-trip as there was a lot of info on government websites about dodgy pickups. Our advice would be to always pick an authorized taxi service and where possible book via an app/your accommodation.
The Currency
Exchanging your dollars for Colombian pesos is a must before visiting Bogotá. Pesos are Colombia’s legal tender and you will not be able to get by with dollars alone. Prior to our trip we’d read in other blogs that you could mix and match and pay with dollars here and there however we didn’t use our dollars once!
If you are coming from the UK be sure to get your currency sorted earlier rather than later too. We left it until the last minute and quickly realised that Colombian pesos were not readily available and had to be ordered-in everywhere we enquired for them. This included Heathrow airport.
Once in the country you’ll generally need your passport to hand when exchanging currency. You’ll also need to fill out some forms; accommodation details, phone number etc, so be sure to have this info to hand.
Where We Stayed
Our friends who had travelled South America a couple of years ago suggested that we stay at The Cranky Croc hostel, and we are so thankful for their recommendation! The Cranky Croc is a perfect base, not only because of its location, but because of how well run it is.
The Cranky Croc offers fabulous food and drinks in its restaurant, runs lots of tours and excursions (whether you want to soak up some culture or have a boozy night out!) and has a comfortable, homely feel about it. The staff are just the best and you are guaranteed a warm welcome and great stay. Did I mention it’s also super clean too? This was a biggie for me, especially as we shared a bathroom with other travellers.
Which Neighbourhood?
Adam and I would resoundingly say that La Candelaria is your best bet when looking for the perfect neighbourhood to base yourself in the city of Bogotá. It is one of the city’s most historic areas and is a wonderful place to get lost wandering around its sprawling markets and colourful streets.
The city was actually founded in this area way back in 1538 too and was the city’s first square (Plaza de Bolivar). La Candelaria almost seems unchanged since then, as you will notice with its cobbled streets and architecture just how cultural and historic this part of the city is. Be sure to take the time to look into all the tucked away nooks and crannies – behind every unassuming door will be a shop, cafe/restaurant or museum begging to be explored!
This area is also home to a university which means there is lots of emerging infrastructure. Head over to ‘City U’ (a student accommodation hub) in Las Aguas where you will find tech shops, Ara (a supermarket) and a Miniso (cute Japanese store).
Our hostel just so happened to be in this area, and we are forever grateful for that!
Plaza de Bolivar
As I mentioned earlier, Plaza de Bolivar is at the center of Bogotá’s history, being the very first square of the city. Back in the day it was a marketplace where bullfighting among other things, occurred. Today, it is still very much a cultural hub where many important social and public events still take place. For example, the day we left Bogotá was the day that the new president, Gustavo Petro, was being sworn in.
Plaza de Bolivar is a hive of activity on any given day of the week, for locals and tourists alike. I would highly recommend taking a slow wander around, taking in the sights, from vendors selling their wares and foods to artists showcasing their work. It’s delightfully manic!
While you’re in the area you could also pay a visit to the various museums, the library or the church nearby.
Botero Museum
Another gem of the Plaza de Bolivar area is the Botero Art Museum. In 2000, beloved Colombian artist Fernando Botero donated over 200 pieces of his art to Banco de la República and it was from this collection that the museum was founded. You can visit the museum for free every day of the week except on Tuesdays. Adam and I absolutely loved Botero’s work – it’s colourful, charming and whimsical. The museum is also home to all kinds of other artists too – Klimt and Picasso to name a few.
Monserrate
Monserrate mountain towers over Bogotá’s city skyline at over 3152 meters above sea level. There are a few ways of getting to the top of the mountain – hiking, cable car or funicular – where you will find a church with a shrine dedicated to El Señor Caído and lots of great dining options in the form of fancy restaurants too!
Monserrate’s dense and lush foliage is home to all kinds of birds and animals. Highlights for us included hummingbirds and llamas (not sure they were local) as well as some stunning foliage and flowers. Also if you do happen to make your way to the top on foot you will find lots of rest stop options along the way, with street vendors selling drinks and food and locals going about their day tending to their livestock.
I would definitely recommend hiking due to the bird watching opportunities, views and the local vendors. Just perhaps don’t do what we did, and attempt to climb the 1500 plus steps to the very top on your first day in Bogotá while you’re still very much trying to get to grips with the altitude. The climb was tough for us, but very much worth the pay-off as you see some beautiful sights both at the top and along the way. We found it endlessly fascinating that locals would run both up and down the winding and steep stairways making the climb look easy – sometimes zig-zagging and even going backwards!
Food Tour/ Restaurant Guide
One of our highlights of our stay in Bogotá was going on the local food tour offered to us by our hostel. We loved it because we were able to spend the better part of 5 hours in a small group being led all around the Candelaria district by a lovely local guide who showcased all the very best of Bogotá’s food scene to us.
One thing’s for sure – you will be thoroughly spoiled for choice when it comes to dining in Bogotá. Read more about our food tour experience here.
The Graffiti
Whether you opt to go on an official graffiti tour or not, it would be impossible to visit Bogotá and not be in awe of the incredible works of art situated all over Bogotá’s Candelaria neighbourhood. I’ve included a very small handful of the murals and graffiti we saw when walking around below, but just know there are seemingly endless incredible pieces on display all over the city.
How Long to Stay?
Adam and I spent 6 days in Bogotá and that was more than enough time for us to fall in love with the place! You could easily spend more time here if you go on every tour available and also want to go shopping etc.
We would recommend spending a week to really soak up everything that the city has to offer – we only really scratched the surface ourselves!
From its incredible food scene to its wonderfully welcoming people, Bogotá will forever hold a special place in my heart as the city that kicked-off our South American backpacking adventures. I would encourage anyone looking to begin exploring this corner of the world to make Colombia, and more importantly Bogotá, their first stop.
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
P.S Read more about how my experience here differs vastly from what you may have heard about Bogotá here.
