Search for Bogotá on TikTok and you'll find a bunch of videos of people being robbed or wading through massive puddles in the rain.
Bogotá gets a lot of hate. Travel vloggers will tell you to skip it altogether. Go to Medellín or Cartagena instead. Even people from Bogotá don't get what I could possibly like about their city. "What's there to love?" they ask me.
Before I tell you what I love about Bogotá, it's important that you know I love a *hard to love* city. I gravitate towards cities like Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Antonio, none of which have obvious starting points or singular identities. You have to find your people and your places. I really enjoy the process of uncovering what my relationship should be to the city. It's less likely that you'll do that visiting New York or Paris or Rome, because where to go and what to do is well tread territory.
Don't come to Bogotá and expect it to greet you with an obvious itinerary. You get to decide what your version of this place is.
So why I do love it here so much?
I found that Bogotá has this perfect rhythm that's better experienced than described. There's a ton going on every day and you will never get bored, but even during rush hour, you'll notice plenty of people find the time to stop, have a cup of coffee and chat while hovering around a street vendor. The streetscape here is super alive with most businesses embracing an indoor/outdoor use of space. Storefronts are fully open to the street and most restaurants have glorious terraces layered with plants. It's pretty delightful in the rain to sit on one of these terraces and have a hot tamal or a café campesino.
Speaking of the rain, it does rain in Bogotá but I don't think it's as bad as people say. It's been sunny most mornings here and then afternoons is when it rains a bit but it's usually fairly light and not that disruptive to your day. Only 3 days in the last few months has it been a real storm that made it uncomfortable to be outside. Get an umbrella and you'll be fine. Watch out for the sidewalk tiles though. If they get loose, they'll get you with a vertical splash when you step on them. Everyone says to watch your cell phone in the street, and you should, but more important is watching the sidewalk holes because they are deep as hell.
The temperature here is ideal for me. It's sweatshirt weather all the time, rarely too hot or too cold. Not very windy. Not often humid or dry. It reminds me of San Francisco with a bit more rain.
Bogotá is big but I find it easy to navigate. Locals and travelers alike will complain about the traffic. Is there a major city where people don't do that??? Everyone thinks their traffic is the worst. But the best way to navigate the city is by bike. There's lots of protected bike lanes, the streets are fairly flat and the public bike system is available everywhere. It's easy to get your bearings because the streets are all numbered in both directions and the mountain always indicates which side is East. And damn are the mountains beautiful.
Bogotá is the home of the original Ciclovía. Every Sunday and on holidays, the city shuts down several streets for walking, biking, and skating. I went nearly every Sunday and it's one of the most fun ways to get to know the city. The Carrera 7 route is my favorite because it goes through 4 major districts from Usaquén on the North side down to La Candelaria to the South.
The art scene here is a real highlight. Bogotá is famous for its street art but it also has tons of indie movie theaters, art galleries, museums, dance classes, theaters and music venues. I've been spending a lot of time at the movies but I've been meaning to make it to some plays too since the gorgeous national theater is here: Teatro Colón. Bogotá's also known for fashion and the street style is insanely fun for people watching.
I'm not a foodie, and you should take my food recommendations with a thick grain of salt, but from my perspective, it's hard to have a bad meal in Bogotá. There's lots of traditional Colombian food like arepas and Bandeja Paisa and Bogotá is well known for its soups and stews like ajiaco and changua. You can also find any type of global cuisine you want. I thought I would lose weight with all the walking and biking, but Bogotá had other plans. I'm writing this with a full belly of salchipapa. Obviously, the coffee is exquisite, hot chocolate is popular and fresh juices abound. Maracuya juice or soda is a treat and a half. And I've eaten my weight in roscones and buñuelos.
Bogotá is an international business hub and it's home to ambitious entrepreneurs, artists and innovators but it's also a great hang out town. You can opt into your own scene and your own pace. You can find whatever you're looking for here or nearby. Within an hour or two in any direction are quaint towns, cloud forests, epic waterfalls and peaceful farms. It's a super beautiful region. Locals both in the city and outside of it are friendly and love talking about their favorite spots should you need some recommendations. A little bit of Spanish goes a long way towards making your trip here rewarding.
Overall, I just find Bogotá suits me. I feel both relaxed and inspired here. And I can't wait to come back. Below I'm sharing some of my favorite spots in case you come through on a trip.
Neighborhoods
Bogotá has 20 districts and I spent most of my time in 5 of them.
Chapinero
My favorite area to hang out in. Feels very safe to me with plenty of people around but is not as touristy as La Candelaria. This is a good area to stay in.
- Zona G: The foodie neighborhood with some of the city's most expensive restaurants and one of my favorite indie movie theaters, Cinema Paraíso.
- Zona T: The shopping district. This is where I picked up all my home goods and where chains are like Adidas and H&M. Also plenty of good restaurants.
- Chicó Norte: Nice area with lots of hotels, restaurants and shops. Famous for Parque 93.
- Quinta Camacho: Little European looking enclave in the middle of a business district. Tons of good coffee shops here.
- El Nogal: One of Bogotá's high end design and fashion areas and also a good neighborhood for coworking cafes. Very pretty right up next to the mountain.
Barrios Unidos
If you want a little more peace and quiet, Barrios Unidos is perfect. This is where I've been living and it's way less touristy than Chapinero and La Candelaria, but it's cute and safe. Just feels more like a neighborhood than a mall.
- Polo Club: Fancy residential area. Not really much to do here, but well located for living with plenty of stores and markets nearby. Close to Zona T in Chapinero.
- San Felipe: Art district micro neighborhood just West of Chapinero. Filled with galleries and some small music venues.
- La Castellana: Chill neighborhood with good bakeries and parks. Close to Chicó Norte on the Chapinero side and just North of Polo Club.
La Candelaria
This is the old town and the most touristy, crowded region I experienced here. It's where you'll find most of the museums and famous monuments and it's where you get those famous views of colorful colonial buildings against the mountain. It's also where you'll find the base station of Monserrate. Worth visiting La Candelaria but I am glad I didn't stay here because it's too hectic for me.
Usaquén
If you find yourself thinking wow, I haven't seen enough Americans and foreigners lately then you should head up to Usaquén. This is a very nice neighborhood that seemed fancier and calmer than Chapinero to me. It's not just Americans and Australians that gravitate there. This is where I encountered the most foreigners in one place. It's kind of out of the way of everything else. It's very far north so I wouldn't stay here, but if you don't need to go anywhere or like spending a lot of time in the car, it's a perfectly wonderful area. They have a Sunday flea market and it's a good destination to hit during Ciclovía because it's right off the Carrera 7 route.
Teusaquillo
I didn't spend that much time here, but Teusaquillo is known for its Victorian architecture and also for having lots of parks, including Simón Bolívar park which might be the largest park in Bogotá. It's cute to walk around in this area and it can be a great place to stay if you can find a spot here too. If you don't stay here, come have a meal over here and just walk around.
There's a whole bunch of other districts I didn't spend time in just because I didn't want to be in the car much. Ask around and people will share cool places to check out. I've heard the North and West sides of Bogotá are the safest but I have yet to experience any safety issues here anywhere.
Coffee Shops
You can get a really good cup of coffee nearly anywhere, but if you want to meet up with someone or get some work done, here's a few of my favorite coffee shops.
Azahar (Nogal location) They have nearly anything you could want to drink, a solid food menu (I love the chicken salad) and a great, secluded front patio.
Tropicalia Coffee (Nogal) This place usually gets too busy for working but it's great for a meeting or getting coffee to go. Quite picturesque.
Libertario (Zona G location) Gorgeous spot with a big outdoor space, perfectly executed coffee and good food. I like the lentil bowl.
Café Cultor (Quinta Camacho) The ultimate coffee craftsmen. These guys are true artists who would love to chat about coffee with you or do a tasting and this place has adorable, peaceful front and back patios.
Colo Coffee (Usaquén) Kind of inconveniently located unless you're staying up here, but they have a huge wrap around covered deck and all day breakfast. This is a chain and they have a bunch of locations but this one is the nicest.
Honorable mention for Café Amor which is a great place to pick up beans, buy equipment or meet a friend but I didn't find their shops as comfortable for working.
Restaurants
El Árabe (Zona G) Lebanese food with a Colombian twist. Pretty fancy, good for special dinners.
Árbol del Pan (Zona G) Great any time of day. Good bakery and nice light meal options. Pretty small so go on an off hour.
Vapiano (Zona T) Solid Italian restaurant with great pasta and salads.
Purple Flame (Zona T) I actually never ate here in person but this is my go to Rappi order. Really good Indian food that packs well for travel.
La Esquina del Pan de Dios (San Felipe) My favorite breakfast spot. They make anything you can think of and they have excellent tamales, roscones and buñuelos.
Têt (Quinta Camacho) Superb Vietnamese fusion and a great place for a healthy meal.
VII Panadería Artesanal (San Felipe) The best bakery in Bogotá.
Places to Go
Dame Tu Lengua This is a cultural center and language exchange spot where you can practice Spanish and other languages. They have stuff going on every night including art classes, writing groups and dance lessons. They also have a cafe so you just order something when you're there hanging out.
Gringo Tuesday Pretty overwhelming to be honest but worth going once. This is a language exchange that happens in cities across Colombia and I went to the one in Medellín a couple years ago. Bogotá's Gringo Tuesday is huge. They take over a multistory club in Zona T area and make every table a different language and a different level. Surprisingly a great way to meet locals.
Cinema Paraíso and Cinemanía Artsy, indie movie theaters.
Teatro Colón The big, gorgeous national theater.
Theatron Bogotá's biggest club and one of the biggest dance clubs in the world. It has 20 different themed rooms.
Ciclovía Every Sunday and on holidays, the streets are for walking and riding. Worth going to if you're here on a Sunday! Cra 7, Cra 15, Calle 72, and Calle 116 were the routes I rode most often. Cra 11 and Cra 24 also have bike lanes. Download the Tembici app to rent city bikes and buy a helmet near Simón Bolívar park or somewhere along Cra 24 where a bunch of bike and motorcycyle shops are located.
Also the malls are pretty fun and fancy in Bogotá (and in Colombia in general). I spend a good amount of time in them due to the movie theaters being there.
Sights to See
Jardín Botánico Great place to spend the afternoon walking around. Get the tropical garden ticket too.
Planetarium You can go see all kinds of planetary inspired shows here. They have something different every day. This is close to the national museum and the national park and it's on the Ciclovía route.
The museums I'm not gonna list them all but I went to the Botero Museum and the Museo del Oro and if you go on Sunday, they're both free (Botero is always free).
The markets Paloquemao is the famous fruit market here but I also like Mercado 7 de Agosto and some of the smaller neighborhood markets. Colombia is known for its produce and its fruit in particular and it's not to be missed! Get a juice or grab some fruits to try.
The parks Especially Simón Bolívar park and the national park but Parque de los Hippies, Parque de los Novios and Parque de la 93 are great too.
Monserrate You can take the cable car or the funicular up. You can also walk if you're bold. This place has a breathtaking view of the city and is worth making time for if you're here for a couple days, if only because everyone's gonna ask if you went. There's some restaurants and stores up there as well as an active church.
La Chorrera and Choachí Colombia's biggest waterfall is unbelievable! The hike out here was intense for me. I'm not much of a hiker, but it was worth it. I've never seen such a big waterfall. It's 10x the height of Niagara Falls. There's snacks all along your way here and the park gives you snacks too when you buy your entrance ticket. I fucking love Colombia.
The Salt Cathedral and Zipaquirá Massive underground cathedral built into the salt mines. Truly spectacular and only 90ish minutes or less from central Bogotá.
Guatavita I didn't make it here but heard a lot about it. Also a short day trip from the city, it has a lagoon with a legend related to the gold mines. It also has a tourist attraction called Casa Loco which is an upside down house. You can do Guatavita and Zipaquirá in the same day (and many tour groups do) because they're both North.
Bogotá also has lots of festivals, fairs, conferences, sporting events, major concerts, etc. Check the city calendars and look for flyers on Instagram when you visit. Also, if you stay for a while, reach out to my Spanish school Learn More Than Spanish and take some drop-in classes or ask them about events and day trips they're running.
