Bogotá, Colombia

Bogota at night
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bogot%C3%A1_de_noche.jpg
Author: Jorge Díaz


Bogotá is the capital and biggest city in Colombia. The city limits cover 1,587 sq km. Bogotá has a population of 7.4 million people (2011 estimate). Its metropolitan area, which includes neighboring municipalities such as Chía, Cota, Soacha, Cajicá and La Calera, has a total population estimated at around 8.6 million people. Bogotá is also the capital of the Cundinamarca department, although since the border realignment in 2000, it is no longer administratively within the department.

Centro Internacional, Bogotá
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Centro-Internacional-Bogot%C3%A1.jpg
Author: Mrtony77


Bogotá is the third-highest capital city in the world after La Paz and Quito. It is located at an elevation of 2,625 m (8,612 ft) above sea level. The city is in a high plateau in the Andes. The Bogotá area is called a sabana, literally meaning "savannah". The sabana of Bogotá is bordered by the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes to the east. The Bogotá River flows through the western edge of the city. To the south of Bogotá is the Sumapaz Paramo moorland.

Bogotá experiences a subtropical highland climate. The temperature is fairly constant throughout the year. The biggest different in temperature is seen in January, which registered both the highest and lowest temperatures. The average high temperature in January is 20°C (68°C) while the average low is 5.4°C (41.7°F). Rain is heaviest in October (115 mm, 4.5 in) and April (111 mm, 4.4 in).

La Candelaria, Bogotá
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bog_La_Candelaria.JPG
Author: Pedro Felipe


Bogotá comprises 20 localities which is further subdivided into numerous neighborhoods. Neighborhoods to the north and northeast of Bogotá tend to be the more affluent. These are close to the Eastern Cordillera. The poorer neighborhoods are to the south and southeast of the city.

The Bogotá area was inhabited by various indigenous tribes that had earlier migrated from Mesoamerica. The city was founded by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, who was on a quest in search of the legendary Dorado. The date 6 August, 1538 is generally accepted as the date when Bogotá was founded - though no actual document exist to that effect.

Plaza Bolívar with the Primate Cathedral of Bogotá
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bogota_plein.JPG
Author: Iijjccoo


Today Bogotá is the fourth most influential financial center in Latin America. The city is one of the largest industrial centers in Latin America. Its GDP is about 25% of Colombia's. However unemployment remains high, at about 11.3% in 2008.

Visiting Bogotá, Colombia

The El Dorado International Airport is the gateway to Bogotá. It is the largest airport in Latin America in terms of cargo and third largest in terms of passenger traffic. The airport receives international flights from major cities in the Americas and Europe.

Iglesia de San Agustín, Bogotá
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iglesia_de_San_Agustin-Nave_Central-Bogota.jpg
Author: Peter


Arriving at El Dorado International Airport, you have the option of taking the bus or the taxi to downtown Bogotá. There is a bus stop (paradero) a short distance from the main entrance of the Arrival Hall. The fare from airport to Bogotá is only 1,200 COP, and is useful for visitors who are familiar with where they are going. Otherwise your choice is the taxi. There is a taxi counter where you advise your destination. This will be printed on your ticket. You pay on arrival, according to amount as stated on your ticket. Fare ranges from 15,000 to 25,000 COP for destinations in Bogotá.

Exploring Bogotá

Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive. However traffic jams are common on the streets of Bogotá, so you may often be sitting in your cab for a long while. Fare is calculated by "ticks". The start of a journey begins with 25 ticks, and an increment of one tick for every 1/10 kilometer or 30 seconds. The rate is shown on a rate card in the taxi.

Places of Interest in Bogotá, Colombia

Sights in La Candelaria Sights in San Diego Sights in Northern Bogotá Sights in Western Bogotá

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About this website

Thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye. My hobby is to research information about places, and share the information with people on this website. I started this website on 5 January 2003, and since then, have written about over 20,000 places, mostly in Malaysia and Singapore.

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. While I try my best to provide you information that is as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors. Also, as I might not be able to update some information on time, some of these pages may contain outdated information.