Editor’s note: I spent three days in Bogota back before I started The Royal Tour, so I haven’t written about it. But I enjoyed my time, and while like Sam I agree that Colombia’s capital isn’t as touristic as other places in the country, I disagree with his assessment that it is less worth visiting. His description here of the city’s most historic neighborhood is lovely. For more of Sam Spector’s writing, click here to visit his index page.
While early in my life, Colombia was considered to be one of the most dangerous places on Earth, it has exploded in popularity in the last decade. In particular, Colombia’s northern coast has brought people from around the world. However, Colombia’s largest city and capital is not always on the tourist radar, and truthfully (in my opinion), for good reason. While Bogota does not seem to offer a ton for tourism and is more of a large Latin American city (it is the third largest in South America behind Sao Paolo and Lima), if you happen to find yourself in Bogota, spend your day in the La Candelaria neighborhood.
When you arrive in Bogota, you will notice that it is surrounded by green mountains, including one, Cerro de Monserrate, where you can travel up via funicular to get a panoramic view of the city. Bogota is a city of 8 million inhabitants and is 8,660 feet above sea level, making it a little chilly, but not enough to snow. La Candelaria is the district where Bogota was founded in 1538, and the town was built around the Simon Bolivar Plaza that is in the center of the historic district. In this neighborhood, you will see both Art Deco and Colonial architecture, as well as cobblestone streets going up the hills. A street to check out is Calle del Embudo, a narrow cobblestone street with street art that goes to the Plaza del Chorro de Quevado. However, the main area to spend some time is the Plaza de Bolivar, named for the revolutionary Simon Bolivar, who fought here and nearly lost his life at this spot. There is a statue dedicated to the namesake in the center of the 3.5 acre plaza, and it is here where the main governmental buildings are, from the congressional palace to the supreme court. With this location being the center of government and a popular meeting spot for locals, it is not a surprise that it is a frequent site of protests.
In the plaza is also the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Bogota, the main cathedral of the city and a minor basilica. This cathedral is Colombia’s largest at 57,000 square feet and was built in a Neoclassical style between 1807 and 1823. It looks like the cathedrals in every Latin American capital, but is beautiful with the backdrop of green mountains and foreground of the plaza. My favorite church in La Candelaria is the Santuario Nuestra Senora del Carmen, on a hill looking down at the rest of the neighborhood. The church was built between 1926 and 1938 and is mostly in Florentine Gothic Style, with Byzantine and Moorish touches to it. While there are 17th century churches in the neighborhood as well as the large cathedral, the Santuario Nuestra Senora del Carmen is recognizable and unique as it is red and white striped like a candy cane on both the exterior and interior, and it was recognized as a national monument in 1993.
In addition to churches and historic streets, La Candelaria is where the best museums in town are located. There is an emerald museum and emerald market for shopping to learn more about the gem that Colombia leads the world in exports, a museum next to the Plaza de Bolivar about the independence of Colombia, and also the neighborhood has the Botero Museum, dedicated to Colombia’s most famous artist, Fernando Botero (1932-2023). Botero’s paintings and sculptures are found throughout the world and are often of exaggeratedly proportioned obese individuals, a unique style making them instantly recognizable. The museum also holds works by famous artists like Dali, Monet, and Picasso. The museum is in a complex that holds other notable museums such as the Mint Museum, which details the history of the process of making coins and banknotes from around the world and has more than 16,000 historical pieces on display, and also the Gold Museum.
The Museo del Oro, or the Gold Museum, is likely Colombia’s premier museum and is considered a must-do in Colombia. The Gold Museum has the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world. The museum holds more than 55,000 artifacts and has bilingual spectacular exhibits on pre-Columbian pottery, textiles, and jewelry, especially with emeralds, gold, and silver. According to the Spanish conquistadors, the Inca believed they were descendants of the sun and moon, with gold being the “sweat of the sun” and silver the “tears of the moon”.
In summary, I do not believe that Bogota is a must-visit city; it really felt to me just like another large city. Other places in Colombia have far more appeal, such as the nightlife and colonial architectural hub of Cartagena, the spectacular hiking in Tayrona National Park, and places that I have yet to go but want to, like the coffee plantations of Armenia (yes, Armenia, Colombia) and the charming city of Medellin. However, should you find yourself in Bogota, spending a day in the La Candelaria neighborhood is something that you should do. Enjoy yourself a cup of Colombian coffee at Juan Valdez Café (the main coffee chain of Colombia) and then experience some history and culture in this district.
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