Here you find some examples of interesting places to visit, like the many parks to walk, or sit and relax that Bogota has to offer.
Museo del Oro, or Gold Museum, is probably the most famous museum in Bogotá and Colombia. It is one of the most spectacular exhibits of pre-Hispanic art, culture and tradition ever displayed. More than 55,000 pieces of gold artifacts rest inside the museum, with descriptions and historical facts about each one in both Spanish and English. It is the biggest display of gold artifacts in the world, with most of the pieces having been discovered and excavated in Colombia. You need a couple of hours to see all corners of this spectacular place. The museum is close to the Spanish-colonial neighborhood, La Candelaria.
Visiting La Candelaria, the most historic and beautiful neighborhood of Bogotá, is like going back in time and taking a walk through the Spanish colonial era. Almost every building has a wooden balcony on the street side, with beautiful doors and colourful entryways. Many museums, universities and libraries are concentrated in this area, each with unique architecture and history. You can take the opportunity to eat at one of the many restaurants that still show the colonial architecture.
Jardín Botánico, the Botanical Garden of Bogota is the biggest and most diverse in Colombia, featuring flora from every climate and region of the country. An amazing peaceful place in the city, that will make you easily forget the hectic city life, for a moment. There can be found around 130,000 Colombian plant species in the garden. And it is known for a huge collection of orchids that grow in abundance in the region’s ecosystems. You can stay the whole day for an entry fee of about US$5.
You can do a Graffiti walking tour of the city. Graffiti has been a part of Bogota for decades, with street artists working under the cover of darkness to express themselves and their talents on walls across the city.
Monserrate Mountain towers over Colombia’s capital city at over 3000 meters above sea level. The mountain has been known as a pilgrim destination since the early 1600’s. Monseratte is famous for its statue of ‘El Señor Caido’ or The Fallen Saint, which depicts Jesus Christ after being taken off the cross.
Bogota, Colombia is a beautiful city from all angles, but a truly breathtaking experience of Bogota is viewing the large city from Monserrate Mountain. At the peak you can see the entire city of Bogota, offering a spectacular view of the city, as well as a beautiful landscape of mountains opposite of Bogota. It is recommended to use the comfort of the funicular train and cable car to go up and down the hill in just a few minutes, which is really cheap. For more information: http://www.cerromonserrate.com/en/.
Best known as ‘Parque Simon Bolivar,’ this is the largest green space in Bogota and is located right in the middle of the city. At 400 acres of lake, trees, public facilities, events arenas, an Olympic swimming pool, gym, sauna, motocross track, amusement park and water park! Including all of the adjacent green spaces which connect to the park, Simon Bolivar Park extends over 970 acres, making it larger than New York’s Central Park and earning it the nickname, ‘Lung of the City.’ This is an amazing way to escape the city, without actually having to leave the city!
