Plaza Bolivar and other Bogotá, Colombia Things to Do Tips

Plaza Bolivar is the centre of Bogota today and I read that it is the place Bogota was founded and the first mass was held. Though I was told by many locals that this is infact not true, that this actually happened at Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, several blocks to the east. Whatever the truth, Plaza Bolivar is today the main central square of Bogota, lined on three sides by politically important buildings and on one by the Catedral Primada. These three politically important building being the Palacio de Justicia (supreme court), the Edificio Lievano (mayor's office) and the Capitolio Nacional (congress building), none of which are open to public. In the centre of the square is the obligatory statue of Simon Bolivar, usually covered in pidgeons and pidgeon poop.

Sunday is a nice day to visit the square, when lots of people are out and about with their families and the main streets are closed to car traffic and there are only bikes on the streets. The bikers pass through Plaza Bolivar, in front of the church. There are also a bunch of people walking around, offering to take a picture of you. They usually have bird seeds which they will put in front of you and in your hand so you can have a picture with a bunch of pidgeons eating from your hand. Pretty gross, considering pidgeons are basically flying rats...disease carrying and dirty. There are literally thousands of pidgeons around the plaza, and every so often they all take off together and fly two or three circles around the square before settling again. Kinda scary, I saw a pidgeon fly into the side of a kids head! Seriously!

Also, at x-mas time they build a big plastic 'snow castle' in the middle of the square. Well, at least x-mas 2006 they did, I'm not actually sure if it's an annual thing.

Leave a Comment

The Catedral Primada (I've seen it translated as Primary Cathedral, but to my knowledge that's not what Primada means) is located on the east side of Plaza Bolivar. It is the only of the buildings surrounding the plaza that is open to public, as well as the oldest. It is said that the church was built on the area that hosted the first mass after Bogota was founded (though, I was told it was another church on Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo) in 1538. Another bigger one was built in 1556, though it colapsed soon after due to poor construction. The third was built in 1572 and destroyed in a 1785 earthquake. The one that you see today is the fourth version of the church, started in 1807 and completed in 1823. The biggest church in Bogota today, it also houses the tomb of the founder of Bogota , Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada in one of those holes in the wall on the right side.

The inside is open and free to the public.

Leave a Comment

Directions: On Plaza Bolivar.

The Capitolio Nacional (or congress building), on the south side of Plaza Bolivar is not open to public, and usually has a dozen police out front guarding it. Due to various reasons, including political uprisings, the building took nearly 80 years to be completed. Started in 1847, it was not completed until 1926.

Though the public is not permitted to enter the building, inside is a mural depicting Simon Bolivar and Francisco de Paula Santander after the independence of Gran Colombia from Spain, painted in 1947.

Leave a Comment

Directions: On Plaza Bolivar

The Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice AKA Supreme Court) has had quite a turbulant history. The original building was erected in 1921, but was burnt to the ground during the El Bogotazo riots, along with 135 other buildings. 2500 people died during these riots, which were sparked by the assassination of Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, leader of the Colombian Liberal Party. El Bogotazo in turn lead a dark period in Colombian history known as La Violencia, which lasted until 1958 and cost up to 300,000 Colombians their lives.

The building was rebuilt and again burnt to the ground, this time as a result of the November 6th, 1985 seige by the M-19 movement (then a guerrilla group). Though many beleive this was actually masterminded by none other than Pablo Escobar, to burn and rid the courts of incriminating evidence on him and his drug cartel. Over 100 people, including 11 supreme court judges were killed.

The building you see today, was rebuilt after 1985, hence it's modern appearance.

Leave a Comment

Directions: On Plaza Bolivar.

Cerro de Monserrate is one of the two mountains bordering central Bogota on the east, the other being Cerro de Guadalupe. It is easy to distinguise the two from each other, as Moserrate has a church atop it.

I went up Cerro Monserrate twice during my stay in Bogota. Atop the mountain can be found, as mentioned above, a chapel, a restaurant or two and a pathway going through the Catholic Stations of the Cross, flanked by statues depicting each station. Also from the top, on a clear day, there is a nice view over Bogota, which really puts into persective just how imense this city of 8 million really is.

To reach the top there are three options. A cable car (teleferico), funicular or on foot. Both the teleferico and funicular depart from the same place and, as far as I know, cost the same 11,000pesos ($5) return. As far as going on foot, I've been told it can be dangerous outside of sundays. Sundays many people go to the top, and the path will be full of people and hence, you won't likely be mugged. Be warned though, it would be a very steep walk, and with the altitude, a difficult one.

Leave a Comment

Directions: You can't miss it. Just follow Av Jimenez up the hill to the base of the teleferico.

The chapel atop Cerro Monserrate is a replacement for the original one, which was destroyed in a 1917 earthquake. It attracts many pilgrims (particularily sundays) due to the statue of the Fallen Christ due to which many miracles are accredited. The statue itself dates back to the 1650's, long before the earthquake destroyed the original chapel.

Apart from that, the inside is rather unremarkeable and I found the chapel as a whole to be rather bland and disneylandish.

Leave a Comment

As well as the chapel and restaurants, there is a 'stations of the cross' path atop Monserrate. It offers for a quiet little walk around the peak of the mountain, away from the chapel, restaurants and cable car station where all the people congregate. This could offer some some quiet contemplation/prayer time, if that's your thing, or just makes for some nice alternate views of Bogota and the surrounding area.

Leave a Comment

La Candelaria is the historic centre of Bogota, and my favorite area of the city. It's cobble stoned streets, it's cafes, it's theatres, it's libraries and museums...I can't say enough. It is a very bohemian, artsy area, particularily the east and south east areas. There are also several universities in La Candelaria. I lived here for three months and loved it.

My love of La Candelaria aside...it does make pleasant area for a stroll, most of the historic buildings being nicely conserved. They are often painted briliant colours. If you can go in one of the historic buildings in La Candelaria (there are several theatres), you will quickly see that the insides are just as beautiful as the outsides. Often you walk into a courtyard with rooms all around it.

Also you will notice around La Candelaria many statues on roofs and balconies, no one could tell me why that it. But, either way, it adds a certain aire of character.

Leave a Comment

According to all the locals I met and talked to about this subject and contrary to what I had read, the city of Bogota was actually founded on this plaza, the first mass held here, and the first church in Bogota erected here, not Plaza Bolivar. While I don't know for surtain what the truth is, I tend to adhere to that beleif, that the city was founded at Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo. It seems more logical to me, the church here is much more rustic and the surrounding areas much more historic in nature than the area around Plaza Bolivar (granted this is also due to tearing down and rebuilding of the original buildings around Plaza Bolivar).

This is a very small plaza (hence Plazoleta, not Plaza) with in the middle a fountain. On one side is a church, on the other two are cafes and a 'bob marley smoke shop' (for any 'special interest' persons reading this, this is the only place I found in Bogota to buy rolling papers). On one side is also Calle del Embudo (next tip). There is also a sort of monument thing of a wall with openings in it that have some statues sitting in them.

Leave a Comment

Address: Corner of Carrera 2 and Calle 13.

Calle del Embudo (street of the funnel), on the left side behind the wall on Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, is so named because of it's shape. It is wider at one end and gradually narrows, much like a funnel. It is far to narrow for a car.

While the street is only about 80 - 100 metres long, it is lined with many bars and cafes on either side. One of which is one of the better reggae bars in Bogota (of which, beleive it or not, there are many). Perhaps that explains the 'Bob Marley Smoke Shop' around the corner?

Leave a Comment

Directions: Between Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo and Calle 14.