Colombia Bogota

Overview

Like many of Latin America’s great cities, Colombia’s capital is a place of contradictions. There is never a dull moment, with the dynamic hubbub of humanity everywhere. It can feel immense, edgy, at times chaotic, and always choked with traffic. Yet Bogotá also has a lovely, relatively sedate colonial core, La Candelaria, with its palaces, churches and centrepiece Plaza Bolivar. Modern suburbs are cluttered with upmarket shops, nightclubs, glamorous restaurants and plush apartments. Meanwhile, the hills just beyond are pitted with the self-built, ramshackle homes of the less fortunate who arrive in the city looking for work.

A centre for the intellect, Bogotá has many excellent museums, cinemas, theatres, music venues and universities, along with a vigorous café society. The urban sprawl is overshadowed by Andean peaks glowering over the city which, at 2,640m, enjoys a climate of perpetual spring.