Exploring the District of Colombia, Bogota: Best Guide 2023
Exploring the District of Colombia, Bogota: Best Guide 2023
Eplore with us the district of Colombia, Bogota and surrounding but also the best hotels, restaurants and the cheapest flights for this amazing country!
Colombia is the 26th largest state in the world and the fourth largest in South America (preceded by Brazil, Argentina and Peru), with an area twice as large as France. Considering the whole of Latin America, only Brazil and Mexico have a larger population than Colombia. The capital of Colombia is Bogotá.
Table of Contents
Colombia Map
Informations
Temperature: Colombia has two peak tourist seasons – June-August and December-February.
Language: The official language is spanish. People speak English in places frequented by tourism.
Currency: Colombian Peso (COP) aprox. 1$= 3,6 COP 1€=4,4 COP
Food Prices: Meal in a cheap restaurant=4 USD, Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant=20 USD
You can find more information about the visa here.
Now we will delight you with the 22 best places to visit in Colombia and the ultimate travel guide. Enjoy the advice we offer you for flights, activities, tours and hotels!
Things to do
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
The Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona is a Colombian national park. The park is located between Taganga near Santa Marta and runs for about 35 km between the Colombian Caribbean coast and the Sierra Nevada mountains inland to the mouth of the Río Piedras in the east. With around 250,000 people annually, it is one of the most visited in Colombia. This leads to conflicts with the indigenous people living in the area.
Islas del Rosario
The Nuestra Señora del Rosario archipelago,which belongs to Colombia, consists of 28 small islands and is located about 40 km southwest of the center of the city of Cartagena de Indias in the Caribbean Sea. The islands are administratively part of the urban area of Cartagena.
Cocora
The Cocora valley is a valley in the Quindío Department of Colombia. It is located in the Central Cordillera of the Andean mountains. “Cocora” was the name of a Quimbayan princess, daughter of the local chief Acaime, and means “star of water”
Monserrate
The Cerro de Monserrate is a 3,152 meter high mountain in the Santa Fe district of the Colombian capital Bogotá. It shapes the panorama of the capital and is visible from almost everywhere, making it the trademark of Bogotá A funicular, which runs a long way through a tunnel, and a cable car run up the Monserrate. It can also be reached via a marked hiking trail through the forest, which leads over a length of 2,240 meters from 2,693 to 3,160 meters above sea level.
Cathedral de Sal
The Cathedral de Sal is a catholic church in a mine tunnel and tourist attraction in the salt mine of Zipaquirá, in the province of Cundinamarca, Colombia. It has no official status as a cathedral and is not subject to a bishop, but it attracts thousands of visitors and pilgrims every week. It is part of the Parque de la Sal theme park.
Plaza Botero -Medellín
Botero Plaza, surrounded by the Museum of Antioquia and the Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture, is a 7,000 m² outside park that displays 23 sculptures by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who donated these and several other artworks for the museum’s renovation in 2004.
Bogotá Botanical Garden
The José Celestino Mutis botanical garden is Colombia’s biggest botanical garden. It serves both as a recreation and research center with an emphasis on Andean and Páramo ecosystems. The garden is located in Bogotá and features plants from every Colombian altitude, climate and region.
Salto del Tequendama
The Salto del Tequendama is a waterfall located southwest of the Colombian capital Bogotá in the area of the municipality of Soacha, which plunges straight down over a step 145 m. It is fed by the Bogotá River, which runs from the Sabana de Bogotá plateau to the Sumapaz River. Immediately above the falls is the village of El Charquito. The waterfall is easy to see from the national road Bogotá – El Colegio.
Puerta del Reloj
Puerta del Reloj, Torre del Reloj or Boca del Puente is the main city gate in the historic center of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia and the original entrance to the walled city. It is located between Plaza de Independencia and Plaza de los Coches.
Castle Museum
El Castillo Museum and Gardens is a Colombian museum in the El Poblado neighborhood of Medellín. It offers permanent exhibitions of porcelain and glass, stained glass, antiques, paintings and sculptures, among others. The permanent exhibition contains nine rooms and an outdoor garden
Tatacoa Desert
The Tatacoa Desert is an approximately 330 km² large desert in Colombia. The average temperature is over 28 ° C. Due to the high average temperature, the amount of precipitation of around 1000 mm per year is insufficient to compensate for evaporation. The name Tatacoa comes from a species of snake originally native to the desert, but now extinct.
Los Nevados National Park
The Los Nevados National Park is a protected area in the Central Cordillera in Colombia. There are hot springs, lakes and a waterfall to be seen. One of the highlights of the third most visited park in Colombia is the 5300 meter high Nevado del Ruiz volcano. Another seven volcanoes are in the area. Another attraction is Lake Otún, which consists of glacial meltwater and where you can see some endangered species of birds. You should not cross the park alone, a tour guide is required. Sleep options and meals are usually included in the tours.
Santuario de Nuestra Señora
de las Lajas
The Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Lajas is a Catholic minor basilica that was built in honor of the Nuestra Señora de las Lajas. It is located in the canyon of the Río Guáitara in Ipiales, in southern Colombia. It has been a popular pilgrimage destination since the 18th century.
Christ King statue
The Christ King in Cali is a 26 meter high statue of Christ on the “crystal hill” west of the city of Santiago de Cali in Colombia. The hill is named for the large number of quartz crystals that were collected in the area. The reinforced concrete statue stands on a five-meter-high base at 1,440 meters above sea level. M. It weighs 464 tons. It was inaugurated on October 25, 1953 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Guerra de los Mil Días.
Parque Nacional del Café
Colombia.Parque del Café is a theme park in the department of Quindío, Colombia, 4 km southwest of the city of Montenegro and 11 km west of the departmental capital Armenia.
Parque Arví
Arví Park is both an ecological nature preserve and a pre-Hispanic archaeological site on the eastern slopes of the Aburrá Valley in the northeastern area of Medellín, Colombia. The park covers several other municipalities in Antioquia, including Envigado, Bello and Copacabana
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is a fortress in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. The castle was built in 1536 and is located on San Lázaro Hill in a strategic location, dominating the approaches to the city by land or sea. It was originally known as Castillo de San Lázaro
The rock of Guatapé
The rock of Guatapé, also rock of El Peñol or simply La Piedra or El Peñol, is a striking island mountain made of granite in Colombia. It is located in the municipality of Guatapé, Antioquia. The municipality of El Peñol bordering on Guatapé also lays claim to the rock. The rock is part of the Antioquia batholith.
Ciudad Perdida Tayrona
Ciudad Perdida is located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia and, along with Machu Picchu, is one of the largest rediscovered pre-Columbian cities in South America.
Caño Cristales
The Caño Cristales is a river in the Department of Meta in Colombia, which rises in the Serranía de la Macarena National Park, a mountain range, and flows into the Guayabero. Because of its variety of colors from July to November, it is known as the “five-color river” or the “liquid rainbow”. The colors come from the vegetation on the river bed and vary between yellow, green, blue, black and red. The plants of the Macarenia clavigera from the family Podostemaceae, for example, appear in red.
Iglesia Ermita
La Ermita church is a Catholic temple located in Santiago de Cali, Colombia. It was originally a straw-colored construction from the beginning of the 17th century, established near the Cali River and dedicated to Our Lady of Solitude and the Lord of Caña.
Nutibara Hill
Nutibara Hill is a rocky hill formation located in the Colombian city of Medellin, in the geographic center of the Aburrá Valley and on the west bank of the Medellín River. It is one of the few ecosystems that is preserved in Medellín and is considered one of the seven “guardian” hills of the city.
Where to stay
A good night’s sleep is particularly important when you are travelling. Colombia offers its guests a host of luxurious, charming and also out-of-the-ordinary accommodation.
Whether in the heart of the city, near the lake or surrounded by nature – Colombia‘s hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses guarantee a relaxing and invigorating stay.
We managed to find the best three companies that offer hotels, holiday homes and transportation. These are: Booking.com, Trip.com and Vrbo. We have already tested these companies and we warmly recommend them. As a result this will just bring you good deals for your next vacation in Colombia.
Top hotels we recommend in Bogota: Grand Hyatt Bogota, Hilton Garden Inn Bogota Airport, Sonesta Hotel Bogotá, HAB Hotel Bogotá.
Top hotels we recommend in Medellin: Hotel York Luxury Suites Medellin , Marquee Medellín, Four Points by Sheraton Medellín, The Click Clack Hotel Medellín.
Top hotels we recommend in Cartagena:Hotel Boutique Casona del Colegio, Bastión Luxury Hotel, Oz Hotel Luxury, Hyatt Regency Cartagena.
What to eat
Traditional dishes to try in Colombia
- Bandeja Paisa – The bandeja paisa is Colombia’s unofficial national dish. It consists of rice, plantain, arepa (corn cakes), avocado, minced meat, chorizo, black sausage and fried pork rind.
- Empanadas
- Sancocho – This traditional Colombian stew often includes chicken, pork or beef.
- Fritanga is a wonderful mix of fried offal.
- Arroz con pollo – rice and chicken
- Tamales are a mix of maize dough, chicken, pork, and peas, and depending on the region, they can contain rice, carrot, and other vegetables.
- Lechona is a mixture of chickpeas, pork meat, spices and occasionally rice which is often served with an arepa.
- Ajiaco – This dish is a white soup made with chicken, a variety of two or three kinds of potato, corn, sour cream and usually white rice and avocado.
- Rondon – Fish and Pork Stew
- Arepas can come in a number of varieties, including arepas de choco (made from corn and filled with cheese), arepas con queso (filled with cheese), and arepas de huevo (an arepa which is deep-fried with an egg cracked inside and then refried).
- Colombian Merengón – Pavlova
- Torta Negra – Black Cake
- Salpicón de Frutas – fruit cocktail
- Nidos de Fresa -Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Milhojas
Restaurants
- Considered one of the best rated restaurants in Colombia, Charrua’s Parrilla is popular for its flavorful, crispy, and juicy suckling pig, along with some gelato and pancakes.
- Platillos Voladores – The restaurant combines Pacific ingredients and flavours with international cuisines resulting in mouth-watering fusions.
- Storia D’amore – Zona T features an extensive menu highlighting the refined flavors of Italy, from pasta to pizza to desserts.
- Opened in 2018, Celele is one of Colombia’s most popular local restaurants that offer authentic Caribbean dishes
- A popular brunch spot in Bogota, Abasto serves a wide food selection, from pancakes to sandwiches to aromatic and robust coffee.
- Located in Medellin, La Pampa provides exquisite fine dining in Colombia, serving premium-quality meat, artisan burgers, and decadent desserts.
- Ajiacos & Mondongos – It specialises in traditional dishes like ajiaco, a chicken and potato soup hailing from Bogotá and mondongo, a soup made from tripe and slow-cooked vegetables.
- El Chato combines flavours of the world with Colombian ingredients to create plates like lamb served with coconut rice and white trout in filo pastry.
- Pajares Salinas serves well-prepared dishes that highlight the distinct and bold flavors of Spanish cuisine.
- Inspired by Asian cuisine and combining its techniques and flavours with Colombian ingredients, Oci.Mde is a hit restaurant
Saving Tips
- Avoid staying in areas with lots of tourists and expats like Poblado in Medellín, Cartagena’s Old Town, or Park 93 in Bogotá
- Avoid the hostels on the Caribbean coast
- Avoid drinking cocktails – are very expensive
- Ask for the “Menu Del Día” at lunchtime. You will get a lot of food for a small amount of money.
- Avoid Carulla for your grocery shopping. Rather, go to Exito
- Use local Spanish-language airline websites for the cheapest fares
- Overnight buses can save you money
- Agree on taxi fares before committing
- Avoid traveling in December and January
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Shopping
What to buy from Colombia : emeralds, jewelry, footwear and leather items, columbian coffee, handicrafts, clothing.
World Fashion Center / Medellin – It is located in the center of the city where you can give yourself a taste buying clothes and even crafts from all over Colombia.
Plaza Bocagrande-Cartagena Shopping Center – you can buy whatever you like, from clothes, handicrafts and food. Boutiques of recognized designers like Ricardo Pava and Silvia Tcherassi and many others are part of this wonderful place.
Andean Shopping Center/Bogota – One of the largest Malls in South America, here you can find the most recognized national and international brands.
Hacienda Santa Barbara Shopping Center/Bogota – Clothes, shoes, cafes, restaurants and many other stores of recognized brands. The ideal place for a whole day of shopping.
La Candelaria / Bogota – A whole area to go shopping in the city, you can spend all day touring the town without knowing where to choose to buy from so many places you will see.
Getting Around
With buses, the wide range of options in comfort and quality is compounded by the size and diversity of the country; it’s a good idea to shop around at different companies’ kiosks within larger stations. Generally, the larger, long-distance buses have reclining seats, toilets, music and videos. For shorter trips, you’re better off sacrificing comfort and price for speed by buying a ticket on a buseta, colectivo or any similarly sized minibus or minivan that departs when full.
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Getting here
Colombia has 5 international airports located around the cities of Bogota, Barranquilla, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin. Travelling to Colombia is often cheaper via USA through Avianca, American Airlines, or Continental Airlines; and directly from Europe with Avianca, Iberia or Air France amongst others. Check their websites for further details.
Direct flights to Colombia are available from Germany, France and Spain, as well as throughout South America, Central America and North America. Within Colombia itself, there is a budget airline called Viva Colombia, which has dramatically reduced the cost of internal flights.
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