+31 61 055 6678 | The Hague | info@travoley.nl

0
Your Cart is Empty

Bogotá

Travoley
Bogotá
Weather data of this location not found.

Bogotá Travel Guide

  • About Bogotá
From your first steps into the creaking, pastel-coloured neighbourhood of La Candelaria, there’s the sense of something unusual about Bogotá. It’s not quite like anywhere else in Colombia – or South America for that matter.There’s solemn beauty in its soaring neoclassical spires and greying colonialist architecture, but that’s not it. It’s the impression that Bogotá is a city all too used to standing alone.For years, Bogotá felt more like Imperial Spain than the rest of Colombia. A sprawling metropolis nestled in the lofty Andes; the capital can still feel isolated.Travellers often skip it, seeing the city as unwelcoming and dangerous. But a lot has changed since the all-out-war between the government and guerrillas raged in the 1990s.Today Bogotá is staging an incredible comeback. The arts have burgeoned, security has tightened and several enlightened city schemes have been introduced. Bogotá now has one of the widest choices of restaurants in South America, several world-class museums, lively street art, frequent festivals and a pulsating nightlife. It even has a cable car running up into the Andean peaks.Then there’s the abundance of colonial churches and mansions to wonder at. One of the nation’s grandest sights can be found in Plaza Bolivar, where a great statue of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator, stands. Surreally, llamas trot around him, available to ride for a few pesos.Comparatively, downtown seems a bit ugly, but there’s a buzz about the area: the streets are crowded with people chowing down street food and watching Michael Jackson impersonators. Further north are the trendy districts of Chapinero and Zona T, awash with bars and restaurants.Yes, Bogotá still has its share of problems (poverty, congestion, crime and pollution persist), and riots still flare up, but instead of a returning to the dark ages of instability, protests are a reminder of the perils of leaving people behind as the country rapidly develops.Bogotá looks set to steer Colombia into a bright and exciting future, and although its standalone spirit will surely remain, the capital now has the responsibility of pioneering a nation towards a hopeful destiny.
  • Bogotá History
Bogotá’s origins can be traced back to 1538 when Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada decided it was a good location to found a settlement for his fellow Spaniards. Originally called Santa Fe, it was actually built on the site of Teusaquillo, a small indigenous settlement in the area that was predominantly inhabited by Chibcha speaking people.The city steadily grew and soon became the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada and the Royal Court was established there in 1550. By the beginning of the 19th century, its population had reached 30,000 and its cultural, academic and artistic offerings showed all the characteristics of a true national capital, with three universities, a large number of monasteries, convents and schools, as well as numerous collections of paintings, carvings and sculptures.A new chapter in the town’s life began on 20 July 1810 when the independence movement started. A charismatic Simon Bolivar (still very much in the minds and hearts of the today’s Latin America) was elected president of the new republic which desperately tried to run away from the despotic, greedy and parasitic rule of the Spanish court. In 1819 the city changed its name to Bogotá.The city has since developed its infrastructure and established itself as the country’s main urban centre. Interestingly, the 20th century remained a fairly dictator-free period, something that cannot be said for the rest of continent.Bogotá earned a bad reputation, however, through its notoriously poor record for safety, mainly to do with the narco-mafia and organised crime that plagued the city in the 1980s and early 1990s.On 6 November 1985, the city was rocked when the Palace of Justice was besieged by 35 guerrillas from the 19th of April Movement who demanded that President Belisario Betancur “stand trial”. They held some 300 lawyers, judges, and Supreme Court magistrates hostage. A day later, 115 people were dead.The city’s stability improved substantially in the 2000s after the former NYC mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s crime fighting policies were implemented by Colombia’s 31st president Alvaro Uribe.
  • Did you know?
Began in 1998, the cycle lane network in Bogotá is now the most extensive in South America. In 2013, Jhonathan Florez broke four wingsuit world records when he jumped from a helicopter over Monserrate in Bogotá. They included the longest duration, the highest jump and the greatest horizontal distance ever travelled. The Bavaria Brewery, which still exists today, started its operations in Bogotá in 1889.
  • Weather in Bogotá
The climate in Bogotá does not vary a great deal, so the Columbian capital can be visited at any time of the year. Stack the odds in your favour by staying between December and March during the driest season and avoiding the city in April and October when the chance of rain is vaguely higher. Throughout the year, the mercury hovers around 20°C (69°F), dipping to 18°C (64°F) or 19°C (66°F) from June to October. One of the city’s biggest festivals is Bogotá Carnival in August when the streets come to life with colourful costumes, music and dance.

CONTACT A TRAVEL EXPERT

1-to-1 Service | Reply within 24hrs | Expert’s Advice

Click here