In Bogotá, it is incredibly rainy and cold. There. That’s out. And that’s the end of it. After all, as a born Dutchman, I am used to a good portion of cold. Shiver-de-brrr! But now I have been living on sun-drenched Curaçao for 16.5 years. Snikhot-pfff-sweat! In short: it is never good, or: I am just a nag. Or both. Anyway: This Happy Grouch went, for the first time, with her family for a short city trip to Bogotá: a midweek in the Easter vacations.

Knowing Colombia otherwise only from sunny Medellín, I understood that I had to dress for Bogotá. So the heels, shirts and skirts went out of the suitcase; the fleece sweater, jeans, sneakers and socks disappeared inside. And that turned out to be very wise in retrospect. Because in Bogotá, surrounded by mountains everywhere, there is a lot to see and discover. And for that you need -especially- practical clothing.

I stayed with my family in a lovely, pleasant, fairly small hotel (“Hotel Jazz Apartments“), located in Parque Virrey; a beautiful residential/work/walking area on one of Bogotá’s many parks.

As far as I am concerned, this is a lovely part of the immense metropolis; Park on the doorstep, well-maintained, orderly, lively but also quiet, with the shopping street, coffee bars and restaurants within walking distance. AND thanks to the rain, everything was beautifully green and in bloom.

It is overwhelmingly an area for the not impecunious, with its many exclusive stores, restaurants and…. pedigree dogs. Oh, those dogs! In large numbers you see them walking with their dog walkers or owners, not infrequently clad in “doggie designer clothes”! It is a wonderfully cheerful sight.

After a good breakfast from the small,- but surprisingly extensive & creative buffet in the cozy hotel (with its simple but nice rooms and very nice beds!), we went for our daily cup of cappuccino to the Illy Bar around the corner.

From there we set off on a beautiful walking route through the park, past bright flower-stalls, to the long shopping street. Small “tokos” and eateries alternated with upscale designer stores and exclusive restaurants.

Once you arrive in the heart of the shop & dine area (about 20 min.walk), you will find 2 medium-sized shopping malls of the more exclusive kind: Andino Mall and El Retiro Mall.

What stands out there is that -in addition to the usual shops- there are public craft and art exhibitions. Bogotá is proud of its local products and artists, which is very nice to see. Prices in these malls range from quite pricey to quite affordable. These are -except for the lunchrooms- no cheap malls, but in other parts of the city you can find them.

In the afternoon hours it was a delight to visit the many restaurants. Cheap and expensive eateries alternate here. For people with special dietary needs (like myself), the selection in such a metropolis is a bit disappointing, but the quality is usually good to very good. Even in the small eateries.

It is highly recommended to visit the old town of La Candelaria on a day trip. Not because it is so much more beautiful there, but because of the historic buildings, the narrow alleys, and the unique atmosphere. It can be reached by cab; the trip did take about 45 min. Cabs are very affordable, but do pick a licensed company (with cab numbers & plates).

One disadvantage is that it is a lot more crowded and touristy, with an abundance of similar stalls with pushy salesmen. They are nice though, and leave you alone as soon as you tell them to. Something else that was unfortunate was the fact that we were not allowed to enter the Museo d’Oro – the Gold Museum. It was in the latter days of the Corona Gulf, and our son had only a recovery,-but no vaccination certificate. That wasn’t a problem anywhere, just there. But that was soon forgotten after a visit to the large, cozy square with its terraces and a remarkably talented street musician (the conservatory was nearby; lucky us!).

After visiting La Candelaria, we walked on to downtown Bogotá……very overwhelming! And not necessarily in positive in. But of course that remains a matter of taste and feeling. The traffic is extremely heavy, and there is a flood of people, cheap stores and fast food restaurants. The friendliness of most people you experience further afield in Bogotá (& Colombia) is significantly less here. Realize, you are in a metropolis, with the frenzy, crowds, traffic chaos and stress that comes with it.

I was soon completely fed up, but we could only find a cab for the way back after a long search. (Public transport is also well organized there, but we deliberately chose cab transport that day). Tired but satisfied, we finally drove back. We spent most of the evenings in the hotel after visiting restaurants. It was very convenient that there was a Starbucks across the street, for a late after-dinner espresso….

After 5 wonderful days, we said goodbye to the friendly hotel staff, and traveled back to our sunny little island. With a little regret in our hearts…. We would have liked to have seen a bit more of this large, diverse city with all its sights, but in itself Bogotá lends itself very well to a short city trip.

We are happy with our visit to Bogotá, and have fond memories of it, as well as the wonderful, innovative Medellín. Colombia continues to surprise us, and we would love to explore it further!

Travel date April 2022
Written by Niki