Guida di Bogotá, Colombia

With its current approximately 8 million inhabitants and 20 neighborhoods, Bogotá until a few years ago was teetering on the edge between modernity and chaos, threatened by traffic and immigration, smog and the typical chaos of all South American capitals. The Transmilenio project (92 articulated buses) changed everything. The project reorganized traffic and urban mobility, profoundly modifying the life and future of the city. Security has improved, there are numerous urban projects for infrastructure, the city is very clean, and people are fully reclaiming their neighborhoods. Today Bogotá is vibrant, multicultural, young, a city to enjoy outdoors, on foot or by bike especially on Sundays when many streets are closed to car traffic and open to skaters and cyclists (a full 300 km of bike lane) or to crowd various parks such as Simon Bolivar, Enrique Olaya Herrera National Park, Parque Tercer Milenio, or the El Salitre sports complex, or various golf courses open to all. In the city which hosts more than 50 Museums, many Events dedicated to art (ARTBO in October), music (such as the “Rock al parque” festival in November, “jazz al parque” in September, “salsa al parque” in August, “opera y zarzuela al parque” in November etc.), theater (“Ibero-American theater Festival” in March), gastronomy (international gastronomy festival in November), literature (“Book Fair” in April), and many other events and festivals. Colombian cuisine offers many dishes, among these the arepas (small pockets with various fillings); and Bogotá’s specialty: ajiaco, a thick stew of chicken slow-cooked with various types of potatoes, guascas leaves, and corn, served with cream and capers. On the coast, excellent fish is eaten.
Tourist attractions. The Gold Museum, Calle 16, 5-41, Tel. 57-1-343-2222; entrance 2,500 pesos, with 34,000 pre-Columbian pieces. The Botero Museum, Calle 11, No. 4-21, Tel. 57-1-343-1223, collection of over 123 Botero works plus a remarkable collection of modern art. The Candelaria, ancient colonial neighborhood with lively rumba houses. The Monserrate Hill (3160 m), to enjoy the view over the city. Zipaquirá, (50 km away), an underground cathedral, rebuilt like the one from 1954 which was located inside a salt mine. The churches, almost all dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, in Spanish-Moorish style. Maloka, interactive science and technology center. The Guatavita Lagoon, mythical lake linked to the legend of El Dorado. Botanical Garden, (Tel. +571 437 7060). At 200 km, Villa de Leyva, splendid colonial town founded in 1572 and declared a National Monument. Hotels: Hostería Duruelo, Hotel Plaza Mayor, or El Molino de Mesopotamia. Bogotá is Colombia’s top destination for congresses, conventions, and specialized trade fairs. It has a total of 193 meeting rooms (from 15 to 1,300 delegates) to host every type of event. The two most important venues are the Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Convention Center and Corferias, in the heart of the industrial area. The offer is completed by the Tequendama Intercontinental Hotel with its Auditorium, the Compensar Auditorium, and the Salitre Business Center of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce. Also in the nearby department of Boyacá, on the shores of a lake, is the Paipa Hotel with its Congress Center. In Bogotá there are 19 luxury hotels and 10 first-class hotels, totaling about 4,051 rooms.
Transport: El Dorado International Airport, the only one in Bogotá, is served from Italy via Paris (AirFrance), via Madrid ( Avianca, Iberia or Aircomet). Flag carrier AVIANCA.
On leaving the country, a tax of about USD $33.00 is paid at the airport. The taxi ride from the airport to downtown takes about 35 minutes and costs about $15,000 COP or €5.
Climate: Bogotá is located at an altitude of 2640 meters above sea level. Average temperature: 14°C. The minimum ranges between 5 and 8° – The maximum is 20.9°C. Least rainy months: January, February, December, March. Most rainy: May, April, June, October.