Overview
As part of our big South America tour, we had the chance to spend one day in Bogota in November 2023. One day is obviously way too short to really understand a city or a country, but I wanted to share my brief experience anyway.
We flew Turkish Airlines on the Istanbul-Bogota-Panama City route as a direct flight. The flight had a noticeably different passenger profile than what we were used to. A large group that clearly wasn't your typical tourist or business crowd. The cabin smelled terrible for most of the flight. At one point, someone behind us smoked weed in the lavatory. The crew caught on from the smell and it turned into a whole scene. We assumed this crowd was heading to Panama City, but they all got off in Bogota. Most of them stayed at the airport to connect onward to other destinations. From what we gathered, they were migrants making their way from Africa through South America. This kind of irregular migration routing is something that's going to become a much bigger issue for developed countries in the coming years.
What to See
If you start exploring Bogota's city center without any prior knowledge, you might be quite surprised. The center is remarkably green, with a mix of large buildings both old and new. Graffiti is everywhere throughout the city, and the quality is phenomenal.
Monserrate offers a cable car ride to the summit with a beautiful panoramic city view, perfect for sunset. We started heading back around 5:30 PM and faced an incredible funicular queue. If you plan to catch the sunset, be prepared for the descent line. We waited nearly an hour.
The La Candelaria neighborhood is wonderfully colorful with colonial-era buildings, houses, and a vibe reminiscent of Spain and Portugal. Bolivar Square, however, was completely covered in trash, quite shocking for the most central plaza. As it got later, some sketchy characters started following our tourist group around. We didn't have any security incidents, but these types were clearly circling us looking for any opportunity to snatch something. Stay alert.
Parque Nacional Enrique Olaya Herrera was full of people living in tents.
Where to Stay
We stayed at the Best Western Plus 93 Park Hotel. While it's a bit far from the center, the hotel is brand new and very nice. The breakfast options were good too. We were quite happy with it overall.
Tips & Advice
The city was surprisingly well-maintained. Yellow, red, and blue colors dominate the cityscape, making it visually quite appealing. A city that's enjoyable for tourism but demands caution while exploring.