Dani & Quinn
Explora Bogotá | Explore Bogotá
Monserrate
Visit this green mountain that towers above the city center and get a sense of Bogotá’s colossal size – all while you breathe fresh air from the cloud forest and nibble on some local treats. Most people take a cable car to the top of Monserrate. Once you’re at the top you can stroll through the market stalls selling souvenirs, coca tea, arepas and fruit juices, as well as hearty lunch and breakfast platters. There are also a couple of gourmet restaurants with panoramic views of the city and a church that is visited by thousands of pilgrims on Sundays – skip the crowds by visiting on a weekday. Local tip: Arrive early in the morning to avoid the crowds at the cable car stop. The best times for photos are before 8 am when the sun rises over the mountains and will be behind your back as you face the city, or after 5 pm when the sun begins to set over Bogotá.
Museo del Oro
Colombia’s aboriginal people didn’t construct massive pyramids like our peers in Mexico or Peru. But we were experts at working with gold and bronze and produced carefully crafted jewelry that has survived for centuries. At the Museo del Oro, hundreds of earrings, nose plates, necklaces, breastplates, and small sculptures depicting birds and mammals provide a window into life in Colombia before the arrival of European colonizers. The museum is run by Colombia’s Central Bank, which started the collection in 1938 and has gathered over 34,000 gold items from the Pre-Colombian era, making this one of the world’s largest collections of bling. The first item ever purchased by the museum can be found on the fourth floor. It is a golden gourd topped by four spheres known as a *poporo*. Indigenous people would store lime in these gourds, and then mix it with coca leaves while chewing on the sacred plant.
La Candelaria
Walk along narrow streets lined by colorful homes with clay roof tiles in La Candelaria, one of Colombia’s best-preserved colonial-era neighborhoods. Start at Plaza de Bolívar, where you can see the neoclassical congress building and the Baroque-era cathedral. Then walk towards the mountains along steep Calle 11, where you will find local art shops, restaurants selling tamales and hot chocolate, and the circle-shaped Gabriel Garcia Marquez Cultural Center whose terrace provides a good view of the neighborhood. La Candelaria is also home to the Museo Botero, and El Chorro de Quevedo, Bogotá’s original public square. **Detour**: For a unique culinary experience try Prudencia on Carrera 2. The restaurant is located in a former 19th-century home and offers an elaborate tasting menu featuring meats carefully cooked in a firewood oven. But make sure you get there on time – Prudencia only opens from midday to 5 pm.
Plaza de Mercado Paloquemao
This massive market to the west of the city center receives fresh produce from around the country each day. Take a walk through its busy corridors and spend a few pesos tasting brightly colored tropical fruits with names like lulo, guanabana and pitahaya. Try the crunchy yet refreshing seeds of the granadilla or go for the sweet pulp of the mangostino, a fruit that is purple on the outside and white inside. Thirsty? Hit the juice stands and get a smoothie made with curuba, an acid fruit from Colombia’s highlands, or try zapote juice from the Caribbean coast. The market gets busy on weekends when families do their grocery shopping and haggle with the stall owners to lower prices. For a quieter experience, visit on weekdays. Local tip: Breakfast stands at the market also sell local favorites like the changua egg soup, and pork and chicken tamales.