Colombia’s capital has worked hard to reinvent itself since the dark days of the 1980s. Now it charms visitors with its vibrant culture and its alluring lifestyle.
The Colombian capital, Bogotá, is one of the highest cities in South America. A modern metropolis perched on top of a mountain range, this city in the sky is earning a reputation as a hub of modern culture.
In the late 20th century, Colombia was notorious for drug trafficking and a high crime rate. More recently, Bogotá has embarked on a two-decade program to become a "safe city". This is a city that has worked hard to reinvent itself and now it is beginning to enjoy the rewards.
Walk around the historic town centre, a lovely neighbourhood by the name of La Candelaria. There you will find the National Museum of Colombia, the nation’s largest and oldest museum. Take a journey through Colombia’s long history, starting in pre-colonial times and passing through the era of Spanish rule to independence and the present.
Head to the Botero Museum to admire the strange beauty and comic grotesquerie of the work of Fernando Botero, one of Colombia’s most illustrious modern artists. Botero is celebrated for his distinctive style of painting and sculpture, which depicts people and animals in distorted, over-plump proportion. At the nearby Emerald District, you can browse and shop for gemstones.
Take time to slow down and enjoy the unstructured cultural life of Bogotá. Colombia is famous for its coffee, and rightly so, but you might also try a sugarcane drink by the name of aguardiente.
Visit the Salitre Mágico amusement park. Make your way across the Simón Bolívar Park to the José Celestino Botanical Gardens, a tranquil locale where you can see plants and flowers from all over Colombia.
The Monserrate Mountain looms large over the centre of the city. Take the gondola or funicular train to its peak, or climb up hundreds of steps in an hour-long hike.
Bogotá’s elevation of 2,625 metres (8,612 feet) means the city is usually quite cool, despite being near the equator. Note that, while the city has made great advances in terms of safety, all the usual caution required in a large foreign city still applies.
