Out and about in Bogotá

The last night at SALALM I was talking to Nerea LLamas and Teresa Chapa who mentioned they were going to Bogotá for the annual book fair. I mentioned a few places they should visit and then figured others might also want to hear about things to do in the city. So for those lucky folks who will soon be taking off to Bogotá soon, here it is;

City Sights

Monserrate – Church located at 3,152 meters above sea level and which overlooks the entire city, plus there is a very nice restaurant at the top. Take the teleférico up, or join the locals doing penitence by walking up the mountain on your knees.
Casa Museo Quinta de Bolívar – Simón Bolívar lived here between 1821-1826, and returned in 1827 with Manuelita Saenz. The house was often used for political gatherings during Bolivar's residence.

La Candelaria - Historic neighborhood in the heart of the city. Includes the lablaa, several major universties, a number of old churhes, and lots of good graffiti on the walls.

Usaquén - Neighborhood in the north of the city which includes a great outdoor crafts market, a fancy shopping mall, and lots of good restaurants.
La Calera - Located on the outskirts of the city, La Calera offers great views of the city, local artesanias, and typical food.
Planerario de Bogotá - Take a look at the moon, star, and sun.

Zona T - Located between 82th Street with Cra. 13, this is an area of the city closed off to cars, and full of restaurants, bars, cafes, nightclubs and fashionable boutiques.

Plaza de Bolívar – The heart of Bogotá's historic downtown, and the location for several important events in Colombia's (bloody) history, including La Toma del Palacio de Justicia, and El Bogotazo.

Libraries & Museums

Biblioteca Luis Angel Árango (LABLAA) – One of the best libraries all of South America. The library includes a mayor theater. (I visited in February 2010 and blogged about it.)

BiblioRed - Bogota's public library system. (My blog entry from a February 2010 visit to El Tunal and the Virgilio Barco libraries)
Museo del Oro - The collection includes thousands of items in gold, emeralds and other precious gems representing the culture of many of Colombia's indigenous groups.

Museo Botero - The collection includes many of Fernando Botero's pieces.
Museo Nacional - Colombia's history, art and culture all under one roof.

Food

Andrés Carne de Res – The original restaurant is the one in Chía; both locations offer excellent food y rumba pa' toda la noche!
Cevicheria Central - Amazing ceviche. (Cra 13 con Calle 85, Bogota, Colombia)
Zona G - Short for Zona Gourmet, and located in the north of the city between Carreras 5 and 7 and 71 to 79 Streets. Here's a list of the many restaurants in the area.

Day Trips

Laguna de Guatavita - Lake that inspired the ledged of El Dorado.

Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá - A large church built inside a salt mine. There is a train that goes to the catheral, but tickets sell out days in advance. The town itself is also quite beautiful and worth the trip, in it of itself.

If you have a couple extra days visit the "state" of Boyacá