Bogotá – Our First Taste of Colombia: Colour, Coffee & Contrasts

Bogotá was the Start of Our Backpacking Colombian Adventure,

After weeks exploring the Caribbean, we arrived in Colombia's capital, Bogotá, ready for a completely different experience. And different it certainly was!

Bogotá is a city of contrasts. Beautiful colonial architecture, fascinating history, lively cafés and colourful streets sit alongside a slightly edgy atmosphere that keeps you on your toes. It wasn't a city we immediately fell in love with, but it was certainly an interesting introduction to Colombia.

Arriving in Bogotá – A Very Early Start!

Our flight landed at 3.40am, and by 4am we were travelling through the dark, deserted backstreets of Bogotá in a taxi. It was a slightly unnerving introduction to the city!

We had booked into Granada Hostel in La Candelaria, the historic old town. The hostel was comfortable, safe and welcoming, with a lovely café and communal areas.

Unfortunately, we'd made one small mistake. We hadn't booked the previous night, so despite arriving at around 5am, we couldn't check into our room until 3pm!

After a sleepless night travelling, we found ourselves trying to grab a little sleep on the hostel hammock.

Travel tip: If your flight arrives in the early hours, consider booking the previous night so you can go straight to bed.

Exploring La Candelaria – Bogotá's Historic Heart

La Candelaria is Bogotá's historic centre, full of colourful colonial buildings, cobbled streets, street art and fascinating history.

At the heart of the district is Plaza Bolívar, the city's main square, surrounded by some of Colombia's most important buildings, including the cathedral, Palacio Liévano and Palace of Justice.

One thing that surprised us was seeing several of these magnificent buildings covered in black protective drapes to prevent graffiti.

We joined a brilliant three-hour history and coffee walking tour with @gio_tourguide. It was an excellent way to understand Bogotá's complicated past while discovering places we would probably never have found ourselves.

Along the way, we sampled local fruit juices and learnt about Colombian coffee culture.

Our tour finished at El Café del Mercado, a delightful little coffee shop with lovely surroundings, excellent service and, of course, fantastic coffee. Definitely worth a visit.

Monserrate – Bogotá from Above

Bogotá sits at approximately 2,600 metres above sea level, so even walking uphill can leave you surprisingly breathless.

Towering another 400 metres above the city is Monserrate, one of Bogotá's most famous landmarks.

We decided to take the cable car rather than tackle the steep walk. It cost us approximately 60,000 Colombian pesos (£12 for two).

The views from the top were extraordinary. Bogotá stretched endlessly into the distance, while behind us lay lush green mountains and forest.

We stopped for a drink at Casa Clara, a beautiful colonial-style building with a distinctly French feel.

It's a wonderful place to sit, enjoy a hot chocolate or coffee and admire the scenery.

Art, Culture and the Botero Museum

Another highlight was the Botero Museum, home to works by Colombia's most famous artist, Fernando Botero.

His instantly recognisable paintings and sculptures feature wonderfully exaggerated, rounded figures.

The museum is free to enter and well worth including in any Bogotá itinerary.

Where We Ate in Bogotá

We discovered some excellent restaurants during our short stay.

Huitzilin: Situated in Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo, this colourful restaurant felt like stepping into the animated film Coco. We loved the atmosphere, and even received complimentary shots!

Look out for the nearby red building with twelve empty windows representing the twelve disciples.

Quinua y Amaranto: A wonderful vegetarian and vegan restaurant where we enjoyed a delicious three-course lunch for around 50,000 COP (£10).

Selina Hostel: We spent a fantastic evening in the hostel's restaurant and bar, enjoying live jazz music and a really lively atmosphere.

Getting Around Bogotá

Bogotá was certainly one of the edgier cities we visited during our travels. Although La Candelaria has plenty of tourist attractions, we were careful about where we walked, particularly after dark.

We used Uber frequently. Cars generally arrived within minutes, and journeys were very inexpensive.

Our advice would be to explore during the day, ask your accommodation for local safety advice and use reputable transport rather than wandering into unfamiliar areas.

Our Bogotá Travel Tips

Accommodation: Granada Hostel – comfortable, safe and ideally located in La Candelaria.

Best experience: The three-hour history and coffee tour with @gio_tourguide.

Favourite café: El Café del Mercado.

Don't miss: Monserrate and the Botero Museum.

Our verdict: A fascinating, slightly chaotic city with beautiful architecture and a rich history. Worth visiting, but two or three days was enough for us.

Leaving Bogotá

After three days, it was time for another early start.

At 4.30am, we left our hostel and headed to Terminal de Salitre to catch a bus towards Colombia's famous coffee region.