Bogota is a great city in Colombia, and is a perfect city for someone wanting to familiarize themselves with Colombia. In Bogota you will meet nice and interesting people, wander through the streets safely, and experience different vibrant neighbourhoods each with their own eclectic charm.
With four days to spend in Bogota, I used a hostel just on the edge of Zona Rosa as my home base. La Candelaria is also a popular spot for hotels and hostels, and is another great location to stay. I chose Zona Rosa because I liked the accommodation, and Zona Rosa has a vibrant upscale restaurant and pub scene with vibrant nightlife.
My plan was to see as much as possible of Bogota on foot, walk a lot, use a taxi or Uber sparingly, and meet interesting people on the way. I felt if I just stuck to the “tourist zones”, I wouldn’t get a chance to really get a taste of the real Bogota. So, I ventured out into the neighbourhoods that looked interesting. I hit up other neighbourhoods that I didn’t originally plan for, but they turned out to be great as I walked through them just to get from point A to point B.
From Zona Rosa to La Candelaria (or vice versa) is a couple of hours or more on foot, depending on your speed, but including, stopping for coffee breaks, diverging off into new neighbourhoods, and just generally enjoying taking photos of interesting things. So, on day one. This is what I did. I initiated my own street photography pilgrimage from Zona Rosa to La Candelaria – on foot!
On this walk, you will be able to pass through large public squares, gathering points, and see street food vendors, and street performers. Some of the neighbourhoods, you’ll have a chance to walk through include Zona Rosa (filled with upscale shopping, restaurants, bars, and night clubs. It’s busy during the day and night.), Chapinero (here, also take a stroll through Quinta Camacho if you are interested in seeing some very big fancy rich houses. The neighbourhood is pleasant to walk through and has many trees and beautiful buildings. It’s relatively quiet.), Zona G (lot’s of restaraunts and shopping), Avenida Carrera 10, 13 & 14 (energetic avenues that connect Zona Rosa to La Candelaria and beyond), and Santa Fe.
Other areas I took time out to see as extensively as possible, include. Usaquen, El Retiro, and Chico Norte.
Here are some photos I took during many long days of walking all over Bogota in variety of weather conditions from sunny, to cold and overcast, to extensive rain downpours.
