Bogotá is the vibrant and energetic capital city of Colombia. And when considering is Bogota worth visiting, there are many things to do in this city that make it worthwhile. It is full of museums that celebrate the country’s art and culture, restaurants that range from traditional to fusion cuisine, markets with fresh foods and artisanal crafts, parks with a variety of activities and viewpoints, unique and distinct neighborhoods that can mesh with any personality, and more. As the capital of the country, it holds much of the overarching knowledge that can allow you to start to understand the complexities of this diverse country.
Is Bogotá Safe to Visit?
Before we start talking about why you should visit this city, let’s go over some basics with regards to safety. Safety is always a nuanced and relative conversation. You have to determine what your definition of “safe” and “unsafe” is. For example, if you are from a major city, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York, you understand how cities work and may have a higher tolerance for what you deem “unsafe” within a city. However, if you are from a suburban or rural environment, you may have less of a tolerance because you have less experience being in those types of situations.
What Has Given the Impression that Colombia Is Dangerous to Visit?
Colombia itself has an incredibly complicated history when it comes to safety. You may have heard about its issues with guerrilla and paramilitary groups that have fought the government for power and control over the past 50-60 years. While the government signed a peace agreement with the largest guerrilla group in 2016, diffusing some of the situation, this does not mean that the struggles in the country are completely gone. There is still work to be done with some of these different guerrilla and paramilitary groups. (And this is an incredibly complex situation that someone could get a PhD on to fully grasp the nuances of Colombia). You can read more about the issues in the country through this report from Human Rights Watch.
That being said, the tourist hubs of the city are free from these conflicts and are safe for visitors to come and enjoy. The conflicts of Colombia typically happen in jungle and border regions of the country. It is just important to understand the greater context of the country that you are visiting.
Resources for Determining the Safety of Areas in Colombia
Your country’s State Department website should be your first resource to go to when researching the safety of a country. Here is the link to the United State’s travel advisory for Colombia. This lists the different locations to avoid completely. You can even look at the recommendations of different countries to best make your decision on where to visit. These sites are based on information from the embassies within the countries and their conversations with the local governments throughout the country.
How to Get Around Bogotá, Colombia
Taking Uber to Get Around
Bogotá is one of the few major cities that does not have a comprehensive public transportation system. It does have buses but does not have a metro system (for the moment. They are building one but it will not go to all the regions of the city that you will be visiting while in Bogotá.) Uber will be your primary form of transportation around the city. If you remain in the neighborhoods we discussed above, it will be the most efficient way to get around. The reason we highlight Uber rather than taxis is because they reduce the possibility of being scammed, which could happen as foreign tourists with taxis (or people who pose as taxis). When it comes to Uber, you know the price upfront and the navigation of the car is tracked. In addition, it removes any communication barrier that you may have in Colombia.
So Why Is Bogota Worth Visiting?
Is Bogota Worth Visiting? Why People Say It Isn't
- The weather: it has a cooler climate than some other areas within the country due to its high elevation. Bring a sweater or a jacket and check the weather before your trip.
- They are uninformed about safety: this is often over-exaggerated, especially when people incorrectly think that the issues that are happening in Colombia are occurring in Bogotá. The city has made incredible efforts in improving safety.
- They just don’t know what Bogotá has to offer: if people are not interested in learning about the history and culture of the country, then they will not see the value in visiting the city.
Is Bogota Worth Visiting? Yes!
Visiting this city is the best way to learn and understand the overarching context of the country. It is your chance to look at Colombia through a variety of lenses (historically and culturally) to understand the country as a whole. It will highlight and celebrate the country’s people and culture, both in the past and in the present. This will allow you to understand some other cities and locations that you are considering visiting within Colombia, including Medellin and Cartagena. Once you understand the big picture, you can more intelligently dive into the particular nuances of the different regions of Colombia and how they fit into this overarching history. (For example, Medellin holds an important role in the fight between the government and the narco and guerrilla groups of the country. Cartagena has a tragic but fascinating history with the slave-trade, completely impacting the culture of the city to be quite unique from other areas of Colombia.)
Bogota is also the main city where people come from all over the country to find opportunity because it is the economic and political hub of the country. Other cities, such as Medellin, are much more regional in their support and opportunity. By spending time in Bogota, you are visiting the most important city of the country, and even though it is such a big city, it has maintained its own local Colombian qualities, which makes it so unique.
- Historical Tours: Walking tours through the city center and different neighborhoods highlight some of the things this country has gone through and where it is going in the future. Historical walking tours, such as the one about Colombian Conflict, or cultural tours, such as a graffiti tour, give you a bigger perspective of the culture and people of Colombia today
- Museums: Different museums celebrate different pieces of history in Colombia. The Museo de Oro (Museum of Gold) shows the great wealth and craftsmanship of the pre-Columbian people of South America. On the other hand, the Botero Museum celebrates a contemporary artist that has added his art to the public spaces of Colombia because of his love for his country.
- Food: as the capital city, the food here varies from traditional local cuisine to international fusion. It is the place to try a variety of food and cuisines, from local markets to high-end restaurants.
