Bogotá Guide for foreigners Welcome to Bogotá Welcome to Bogotá to Welcome Bogota is the capital city of all over the country. It combines The city has Colombia located at a height of harmonically modern and privileged 2,625 meters above sea level colonial architecture. The city landscape, and an average temperature has privileged landscape, and the of 15º C, varying from 9º C to Andes mountain range is located and the Andes 22º C. Dry and rainy seasons at the eastern side of the city. mountain range alternate throughout the year. is located at the Currently, the population is Bogotá is also the birthplace around 7.363,782 inhabitants of great figures, such as eastern side of the and is recognized as a diverse the writer Rafael Pombo, city. and multicultural city. The official recognized for his romantic language is Spanish, followed by lyrical figures in the Spanish English, since people from all over language; Jorge Eliecer Gaitán, the world live and work in this city. outstanding political leader; and the musician Andrés Cepeda. Known as the heart of the Andes, this city is a center of Out of the union of the different national development. Its levels customs of the City inhabitants, of economic productivity and its a diverse range of gastronomy, Guide for foreigners Guide for outstanding cultural, labor and artisan legacy, cultural and educational offer make it a point sports activities have emerged. of convergence for people from 2 Means of Transportation Welcome to Bogotá to Welcome Transmilenio, feeder and SITP buses The Transmilenio service is made up of articulated red buses going through exclusive lanes, and green feeder buses, which takes the user closer to the stations. The SITP (Integrated Public Transport System) is made up of Transmilenio buses blue buses covering larger areas not covered by Transmilenio. • The Transmilenio and SITP working hours are 04:30 am to 11:00 pm. • The rate is unique regardless of the route, and is paid Photo: www.sitp.gov.co at the station of origin. SITP buses • The only means of payment accepted is the Tu Llave card, which allows users to enter the Transmilenio system and the SITP zonal services (urban, complementary, special), at different times, which vary according to the route chosen. Photo: www.sitp.gov.co Feeder buses Guide for foreigners Guide for Tu llave card 3 COLECTIVOS (Buses line) The Colectivos are public service buses that service areas not covered by the Transmilenio or SITP service. This service is provided only in some locations of Bogotá. It works from 05:00 am to 10:00 pm and the payment method is cash. Welcome to Bogotá to Welcome TAXIS Taxis are a very common means of transportation in Bogotá. It is recommended to request this service by telephone or by mobile applications, at an TAXI additional cost. It is charged according to the value indicated by the taximeter measuring the distance traveled. After reaching the destination, it is necessary to confirm that the fare charged is the correct one by using the table of values that is available to clients. Sundays, holidays and the night times have rate surcharges. CAR RENTALS To rent a car it is necessary to be older than 18 years old, have a valid driver’s license and a credit card with credit enough to cover the rent, the guarantee and the mandatory insurances. Some rental car companies are: Rent a Car - http://www. colombianrentacar.com/ Avis - http://www.avis.com.co/ Guide for foreigners Guide for 4 Tourist sites Cerro Monserrate and astronomer from Cadiz Located on the Eastern hills of José Celestino Mutis. It is open Bogotá to Welcome Bogota, at 3.152 meters high, from Monday to Friday from Monserrate is the guardian of the 08:00 am to 05:00 pm and city. It can be reached on foot, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays by cable railway or cable car. from 09:00 am to 05:00 pm. Fallen Lord Sanctuary located at the top of the mountain is of great religious value and Gold Museum visited by thousands of Catholic It is a museum located in Cra. pilgrims. It is open from Monday 6 # 15-88, created in 1939 to Saturday from 06:30 am to by the Bank of the Republic, 05:00 pm, Sunday 06:30 am to that preserves an extraordinary 06:30 pm and holiday Mondays collection of pre-Hispanic from 07:00 am to 6:30 pm goldsmithing, the largest in the world. Its archaeological objects Maloka of metal, ceramics, stone, shell, Located at Cra. 68d # 24A- wood and textiles bear witness 51, it is an interactive science to the life and thought of the and technology museum. It is indigenous societies that inhabited open from Tuesday to Friday the territory. It is open from from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday from 09:00 Saturdays, Sundays and holidays am to 06:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from 10:00 am to 04:00 pm. Planetarium of Bogota La Candelaria Located at Calle 26 B # 5-93, neighborhood in La Macarena neighborhood. It is located in the eastern center This museum is a place to of the city of Bogotá. It covers the experience astronomy, space historic downtown of Bogotá, sciences and related sciences, and the architectural legacy of technological knowledge, its streets are well recognized. culture and arts. It is an excellent It has been and continues to site to learn about cultural and be the epicenter of events scientific interest topics. It is and a witness to Colombian Botanical Garden José open from Tuesday to Sunday foreigners Guide for political history. As it became Celestino Mutis from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the scene of the Independence Located at Ac 63 # 68-95, it Day on July 20, 1810 and April is the largest botanical garden 9, 1948, today La Candelaria in Colombia, is a place of seems to draw the history of research, education and leisure the city, the people from Bogota of the Colombian capital. It was and the country in each street, created in 1955 to pay tribute constructions and passages. to the naturalist, mathematician 5 National Museum between the Carreras 7 and 8 of the Communards; of the 19th and Calles 10 and 11, this is the century, the Primate Cathedral Located at Cra. 7a # 28- central square of Bogotá, which and the National Capitol; of the 66, it is open from Tuesday is why it is the favorite place for first half of the 20th century, the to Saturday from 10:00 am all kinds of civil manifestations. Cardinals Palace and the Liévano to 6:00 pm and Sunday Today all the eras and the Building, among others, and the from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. architectonic tendencies of Palace of Justice, recently built. Bogota converge there: the Bolivar Square colonial period, the House Museum of the Independence – Welcome to Bogotá to Welcome Located in the city downtown, Casa del Florero and the House Locations of Bogotá Chapinero: the Monserrate sanctuary, the Chibcha town after Bacatá, Located the city northeast side, Jorge Tadeo Lozano square, the territory ruled by Chief Techotiva. the Chapinero population is Colpatria building, the Central about 166,000 inhabitants with a Bavaria Park, the Independence Fontibón: floating population over 500,000 Park, the Journalists Park, Fontibón is located at the city people according to District the Olaya Herrera National southwest side. One of the Planning. It offers a diverse cultural Park, the Santa María Square, city’s most important avenues alternatives where recognized the District Planetarium, the are there, such as the El artists and art academies stand National Museum, the National Dorado Highway and one of out. There are multiple cultural Library, the Las Cruces Park and the main free zones of Bogotá, programming options. This the La Mariposa Square in San which makes it a location that location stands out for the diverse Victorino, among others. It is one promotes the industry and people and trade activities. of the most productive places in development in both the city Bogotá, its cultural wealth attracts and the rest of the country. Santa Fe: thousands of tourists every day. Guide for foreigners Guide for Santa Fe is located at the city Barrios Unidos: downtown. Its historical and Bosa: Located to the city northwest cultural value are places like Bosa is considered as the second side, Barrios Unidos has an 6 excellent goods and services Teusaquillo: La Candelaria: offer, of which the auto parts This area has the privilege of It is the smallest location in market stands out in the Agosto being considered as the “cultural Bogotá, located in Downtown 7 neighborhood, the metal- city of Bogotá”, for the immense Bogotá and recognized by the mechanic workshops in the architectural, historical, cultural architectural legacy of its streets. Bogotá to Welcome Rio Negro neighborhood, and symbolic richness for the city. It was the epicenter of historical those of leather manufactures The main modern architecture events, such as the day of in the Muequetá, the marketry of Bogotá is located there, independence, on July 20, 1810; workshops in the San Fernando where an urbanistic process and “the Bogotazo” on April 9, neighborhood or the workshops with an avant-garde style began. 1948. Currently each of the and warehouses of wooden Candelaria streets represents the furniture in the 12 de octubre Los Mártires: history of the City and Country. sector. On the other hand, It is located in the city downtown.