8Getting Around
Rush hour in the morning and afternoon can really clog roads – and space on the buses.
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
The most economical and efficient route from the airport is the TransMilenio . You need to buy a Tarjeta TuLlave from the attendants in blue-and-yellow jackets outside Puerta 8 of the arrivals area next to where the buses depart.
For those staying in Chapinero or points to the north, bus M86/K86 departs from outside Puerta 8 in the arrival’s hall every seven minutes roughly between 4:30am and 10:45pm Monday to Friday, 6am to 10:45pm Saturday and 6am to 9:45pm Sunday and heads towards Centro Internacional before turning north and carrying on up Carrera 7 to Calle 116.
If you are staying in La Candelaria, you will need to switch buses. From the airport, catch K86 to Portal El Dorado, and switch to TransMilenio 1 to Universidades, which is attached to Las Aguas Station (map; cnr Carrera 3 & Calle 18) via an underground tunnel. To the airport, catch 1 from Universidades to Plaza de la Democracia and switch to K86 to the airport.
Either way, plan on a solid hour ride during the best of times, cushioning for longer during rush hour.
From the airport, Taxi Imperial (
%317-300-3000; www.taxiimperial.com.co) manages a fleet of white airport taxis – look for the folks in orange jackets – which are pricier (more comfortable! working seatbelts!), but regular yellow taxis are fine as well. Estimated fares from the airport include La Candelaria (COP$30,000 to COP$32,000), Chapinero (COP$35,000 to COP$37,000) and Zona Rosa (COP$35,000 to COP$38,000). The (usually lengthy) taxi line is right outside the main terminal. You pay a sobrecargo (surcharge) of COP$4900 for taxi trips to or from the airport and there is also sometimes a nominal add-on fee for luggage. Uber is also an (often cheaper) option.
TO/FROM THE BUS TERMINAL
The fastest and most convenient option to the main bus station, La Terminal, is a TransMilenio–short walk combo. El Tiempo station, on the TransMilenio M86/K86 line to the airport, is 950m from the terminal. To reach La Terminal, exit El Tiempo station on the footbridge to the right and then head right again down to the sidewalk. Walk straight along for 1½ blocks to Carrera 69 and turn left (between the Cámara de Comercio Bogotá and World Business Port buildings). Walk five blocks, passing Maloka on the left and crossing over two pedestrian footbridges (over Calle 24A and Av La Esperanza, respectively), then continue on the sidewalk 300m towards the ‘t’ tower. Do not follow Google maps, which does not account for the footbridges and will take you the long way round. Follow the directions in reverse to leave from La Terminal.
Módulo 5 of La Terminal has an organized taxi service; it has outrageous lines but you pay by the meter. Rates are around COP$14,000 to COP$16,000 to La Candelaria or Chapinero Alto and COP$15,000 to COP$16,000 to Zona Rosa. Uber is usually cheaper. There is a COP$2000 surcharge between 8am and 5am.
BICYCLE
Bogotá has one of the world’s most extensive bike-route networks, with more than 350km of separated, clearly marked bike paths called CicloRuta. Free Bogotá maps from PIT information centers show the CicloRuta paths.
In addition, about 113km of city roads are closed to traffic from 7am to 2pm on Sundays and holidays for a citywide Ciclovía, a well-run event to get Bogotá out on two wheels. You can rent a bike at Bogotá Bike Tours . Ciclovía runs along Carrera 7 all the way from La Candelaria to Usaquén – it’s worth witnessing even if on foot.
BUS
In addition to its TransMilenio, Bogotá’s public transportation is operated by SiTP (www.sitp.gov.co) and consists mainly of Servicio Urbano (blue buses, nicknamed ‘azules,’ covers routes not served by TransMilenio), Servicio Complementario (orange buses; serves routes to and from nearby TransMilenio stations), Servicio Alimentador (green buses; serves routes to and from TransMilenio portals) and Servicio Troncal (red buses; basically extensions of TransMilenio lines).
Payment is by smart card only, known as Tarjeta TuLlave (www.tullaveplus.com), which can be purchased and recharged at stations and select markets/newsstands. Flat fares, regardless of distance traveled, are COP$2000 to COP$2200. Stops are marked.
There are also Servicio Especial buses (burgundy in color or ‘red wine’ as SiTP refers to them!) which serve outlying areas. Occasional older buses known as coletivos or busetas, which do not follow fixed schedules or stop at designated stops, are also seen along major thoroughfares like Carrera 7, 11 and Carerra 15 and in La Candelaria. Many of these have been granted ‘Provisional’ status and are being integrated into the SiTP network while others are being phased out. Fares run between COP$1450 and COP$1600 and can be paid in cash on board.
To help make sense of it all, TransmiSitp (www.movilixa.com/english) is a popular app that coordinates routes between TransMilenio and SiTP. They all run the length and breadth of the city, usually at full speed if traffic allows.
SAMPLE DOMESTIC BUS FARES & ROUTES
| DESTINATION | PRICE (COP$) | DURATION | MóDULO (NO) | COMPANIES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | 47,000-53,000 | 7hr | yellow (1) | Bolivariano, Magdalena, Velotax |
| Barranquilla | 100,000 | 17-20hr | red (3) & blue (2) | Brasilia, Continental Bus, Ochoa |
| Bucaramanga | 40,000-80,000 | 8-9hr | red (3) | Autoboy, Berlinas, Copetran & others |
| Cali | 60,000-65,000 | 8-10hr | yellow (1) | Bolivariano, Magdalena, Palmira, Velotax |
| Cartagena | 80,000-120,000 | 12-24hr | red (3) | Autoboy, Berlinas, Brasilia, Copetran |
| Cúcuta | 70,000-120,000 | 15-16hr | red (3) & blue (2) | Berlinas, Bolivariano, Copetran, Cotrans, Ormeño |
| Ipiales | 120,000-125,000 | 22hr | yellow (1) & red (3) | Bolivariano, Brasilia, Continental Bus, Ormeño |
| Manizales | 50,000 | 8-9hr | yellow (1), blue (2) & green (4) | Bolivariano, Palmira, Tax La Feria, Tolima |
| Medellín | 55,000-60,000 | 9hr | blue (2) | Arauca, Bolivariano, Brasilia, Magdalena |
| Neiva | 35,000-46,000 | 5-6hr | yellow (1) | Bolivariano, Coomotor, Cootranshuila, Magdalena, Taxis Verdes, Tolima |
| Pasto | 120,000 | 18-20hr | yellow (1) & blue (2) | Continental Bus, Cruz del Sur |
| Pereira | 50,000-62,000 | 7-9hr | yellow (1) | Bolivariano, Magdalena, Velotax |
| Popayán | 80,000-85,000 | 12hr | yellow (1) | Continental Bus, Cruz del Sur, Velotax |
| Ráquira | 22,000 | 3-4hr | red (3) | El Carmen, Coflonorte, La Verde |
| Riohacha | 160,000 | 18-19hr | red (3) | Copetran |
| San Agustín | 64,000-67,000 | 9-10hr | yellow (1) | Coomotor, Taxis Verdes |
| San Gil | 50,000 | 6-7hr | red (3) | Omega |
| Santa Marta | 70,000-140,000 | 16-17hr | red (3) | Berlinas, Brasilia, Copetran |
| Tunja | 18,000-20,000 | 3hr | red (3) & green (4) | Autoboy, Los Muiscas, Nueva Flota Boyaca |
| Villavicencio | 21,000 | 3hr | blue (2) | Arimena, Autollanos, Bolivariano, Macarena, Velotax |
| Villa de Leyva | 22,000-27,400 | 4hr | blue (2) & red (3) | Aguila, Alianza, El Carmen, Cundinamarca & others |
TAXI
Bogotá’s impressive fleet of Korean-made yellow taxis are a safe, reliable and a relatively inexpensive way of getting around. At the time of research, they all had meters, but that was set to change by the end of 2017 as city legislation has called for all taxi meters to be uninstalled in favor of a digital pricing app scheme similar to those implemented by taxi apps like Uber. Bogotá’s taxis are set to switch to a GPS-based app to calculate routing and fares – and the change will also come with a proposed 7.4% fare increase overall. For those hailing taxis off the street (something you really shouldn’t ever do), taxis will be required to install tablets on the passenger side backseat to display the route and fare in advance (though taxi drivers have balked at this idea, fearing a likely increase in robberies, throwing a wrench in the implementation of the new policies).
Until these changes are fully implemented, however, the old way prevails: when you enter a taxi, the meter should read ‘28,’ which relates to a coded pricing scheme (a laminated card should be hanging on the front passenger seat showing the pricing). The minimum unit fare is ‘50,’ which equates to COP$4100. The meter should change every 100m. Taxi trips on Sundays and holidays, or after dark, include a COP$2000 surcharge; trips to the airport have a COP$4900 surcharge. There is a COP$700 surcharge for booking taxis.
If you’re going to make a couple of trips to distant places, it may be cheaper to hire a taxi for about COP$18,500 per hour.
Don’t even think about waving down a taxi in the street unless you are with a local. When you do so, you’re not registered and therefore forfeit all the security measures put in place to protect you, increasing your chances of robbery exponentially. You can call numerous companies that provide radio service such as Taxis Libres (%1-311-1111; www.taxislibres.com.co) or Tax Express (%1-411-1111; www.taxexpress.com.co), but popular taxi apps Uber (www.uber.com), Tappsi (www.tappsi.co) and Cabify (www.cabify.com) are even better and eliminate the language barrier.
Naturally, don’t ride with a driver who refuses to use a meter. Most drivers are honest, but it’s worth confirming the final fare with the price card. Some drivers, particularly in late hours, will round fares up a bit. Drivers don’t often get tips.
The ambitiously named TransMilenio (www.transmilenio.gov.co), modeled after a similar groundbreaking system in Curitiba, Brazil, revolutionized Bogotá’s public transportation when it opened in 2000. After numerous plans and studies drawn up over 30 years to build a metro, the project was eventually buried and a decision to introduce a fast urban bus service called TransMilenio was taken instead. Today, it is the largest BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system in the world.
It is, in essence, a bus system masquerading as a subway. Covering 112km with a fleet of over 2000 buses, TransMilenio counts 12 lines and approximately 147 of dedicated self-contained stations, which keeps things orderly and safe (and some have wi-fi). Buses use dedicated lanes, which keeps them free from auto traffic. The service is frequent and cheap (fares run COP$2200). Generally speaking, lines run from 4:30am to midnight Monday to Saturday, 6am to 11pm Sunday, though some lines begin earlier and run later.
A frequent rider smart card, Tarjeta TuLlave (www.tullaveplus.com; COP$3000; rechargable up to COP$115,000), is used to enter the system. The card is sold at all portals as well as select stations; can be recharged at all stations as well as select grocery stores, drug stores and papelerías (stationary shops; check for locations near you here: http://mapas.tullaveplus.com/recarga). If may not be worth your time if you are only visiting for a few days, the card can be personalized (bring your passport), in which case the money can be recouped in case of loss or theft.
If you do not have a card, you can pay the attendant who will swipe you in with their card.
TransMilenio serves up to 2.2 million people daily – well over capacity – so buses get very crowded at rush hour (locals jokingly refer to it as the TransmiLLENO, which would translate to TransFULL); transfers at Av Jiménez resemble punk-rock mosh pits. TransMilenio’s current plans project completion by 2031 with lines canvassing a total of 388km. Meanwhile, Bogotá mayor Enrique Peñalosa is planning a raised railway to complement (and relieve) the system by 2022.
On posted maps in stations, routes are color coded, with different numbered buses corresponding to various stops, but it’s all very confusing (even for locals). The main TransMilenio lines of interest to visitors run north–south along Av Caracas between Av Jiménez and Portal del Norte stations; northwest–southeast along Av Dorado between Portal El Dorado and Universidades (access to the bus terminal and airport); and north–south along the hybrid line (part dedicated BRT, part regular city bus) introduced in 2014 along Carrera 7, which facilitates access to Chapinero, Zona Rosa and Usaquén. There are nine terminuses, but the only one of real use to travelers is the Northern Terminus (Carrera 45 with Calle 174, Portal del Norte). Most key north–central routes change in Calle 22, and Av Jiménez has many more transfers (sometimes involving an underground walk between neighboring stations).
It takes practice to understand which bus to take. Ruta Fácil, routes (numbered black routes), for example, stop at every station on a line but at faster intervals, while Expresos and Súper-Expresos (colored letter-number combo routes) zip along some sort of express route – leapfrogging, in confusing patterns, several stations at a time. Color-coded and numbered vagones (wagons) indicate the boarding point for particular lines within stations.
You can preplan your routes online using the efficient but slightly confusing – and ad-ridden – app that locals use, TransmiSitp (www.movilixa.com/english); click your departure point and destination as with most mapping mobile apps.
Key routes (subject to change depending on day and time):
La Candelaria to Portal del Norte Take F23 from Museo del Oro to Av Jiménez; switch to B74 Portal del Norte (last stop).
La Candelaria to Chapinero From San Victorino, take M82 to Calle 67.
La Candelaria to Zona G Take G47 from San Victorino to Guatoque-Veraguas; switch to B72 to Av Chile.
La Candelaria to Zona Rosa Take B74 from Las Aguas or Museo del Oro; switch to B23 to Calle 85.
Portal del Norte to La Candelaria Take J72 from Portal del Norte to Av Jiménez; switch to F23 to Museo del Oro.
Chapinero to La Candelaria Take L82 from Calle 67 or Universidad La Salle to San Victorino.
Zona G to La Candelaria Take H61 from Av Chile to Tygua-San José; switch to M47 to San Victorino.
Zona Rosa to La Candelaria Take K23 from Calle 85 to Calle 57; switch to J72 to Av Jiménez.
Around Bogotá
Most bogotanos looking for a break from the city also look for warmth, fleeing for lower elevations further afield. Outside the capital district, there are also significant changes in landscape, where you can find lakes, waterfalls, cloud forests, mountains and a maze of small towns and villages, many of which hold on to their colonial fabric.
North of Bogotá
Many day-trippers out of the Bogotá head this way. It’s possible to combine a trip to Zipaquirá and Guatavita in a day – agencies such as Impulse Travel offer combo day trips.
Suesca
One of Colombia’s most popular rock-climbing destinations lurks just south of this colonial town, 65km north of Bogotá. Although the pueblo itself is distinctly unremarkable, the stunning and imposing 4km-long sandstone wall formation standing up to 120m high along the Río Bogotá is home to 300 (and counting) routes and worthy of a postcard home in its own right.
Many visitors come for day trips from Bogotá, particularly on weekends, when the half-a-dozen (ish) outfitters open their doors to greet a hundred or so climbers daily. There are mountain-biking options too.
Veteran climber and mountaineer Rodrigo Arias, who lives in Suesca when not climbing PNN El Cocuy, is a great guide in the area and can arrange multiday rock climbing (per day COP$250,000), mountain biking and hiking excursions.
4Sleeping
NiddoCAMPGROUND$$$
(%1-357-5943; www.niddo.co; tents weekend/week from COP$340,000/170,000; 
W)
This new, six-tent glamping option high above Suesca’s massive rock wall is easily the area’s most cinematic sleeps. Luxurious teepee-like accommodations feature double beds, sofas and heaters and there are over 40 activities on offer, including climbing, horseback riding, yoga and spelunking. Meals (plans run COP$90,000 extra) are in an atmospheric social tent and there’s a small reception, bar and fire pits throughout.
LAGUNA DE GUATAVITA: LAKE OF (FOOLS’) GOLD
Traditionally, the Muisca believed that Laguna de Guatavita – once set in a perfectly round crater rimmed by green mountains – was created by a crashing meteor that transported a golden god who resided in the lake’s floor. It’s now believed volcanoes are more likely to be the lake’s creator. Many hopes of finding El Dorado once converged on this small, circular lake about 50km northeast of Bogotá. Lovely Guatavita was the sacred lake and ritual center of the Muisca people. Here, half a millennium ago, the gold-dust-coated Zipa – the Muisca cacique (indigenous tribal head) – would throw precious offerings such as elaborate tunjos (ornate gold pendants and figurines) inscribed with wishes into the lake from his ceremonial raft. He’d then plunge into the waters to obtain godlike power. You can see many such tunjos at Bogotá’s Museo del Oro.
This led to a gold frenzy for the Spaniards, and many other outsiders, who felt they’d reached a watery El Dorado. Over the years many painstaking, fruitless efforts were made to uncover the treasures lurking below. In the 1560s a wealthy merchant, Antonio de Sepúlveda, cut a gap on one side – still visible today – to drain the lake, yielding a mere 232 pesos of gold. Sepúlveda died bankrupt. By the late 19th century an English company managed to drain the lagoon, finding only 20-odd objects – not nearly enough to pay off the £40,000 and eight years invested in the project.
In the 1940s US divers with metal detectors searched out treasures, and the Colombian authorities – finally – banned such activities in 1965. Not to say that all treasure seekers obeyed. In the 1990s access to the lake required a permit in order to keep track of visitors (especially those illegally coming with scuba gear to search out fortunes).
Despite its fame, Guatavita never yielded much gold. Colombia’s best-known piece – the Balsa Muisca (housed at the Museo del Oro) – was actually found in a cave near the village of Pasca.
Today you can’t follow the Zipa’s lead (no swimming allowed), but there are several lookouts on a trail above the water. The area is higher up than Bogotá – and you’ll feel the difference in altitude on the mandatory 90-minute guided tours from the site entrance (www.colparques.net/lguatavita; Colombian/foreigner COP$12,000/17,000; 
h8:30am-4pm Tue-Sun).
8Information
Tourist Information (%350-653-6203; Carrera 4 No 2-20; h9am-5pm) Small but helpful municipality tourist information office.
8Getting There & Away
To get to Suesca, take the TransMilenio to its northern terminus at Portal del Norte, and catch a frequent bus (COP$7000, one hour), which departs inside the Portal’s Buses Intermunicipales platform every 12 minutes from 5:25am to 11pm.
West of Bogotá
Those who go west from Bogotá are heading to the beach, Medellín or coffee country. Many don’t stop, but there are a few places that qualify as destinations. If you’re traveling by your own means, note that two highways head out of Bogotá – take the northerly route via La Vega (west on Calle 80), a nicer drive than the southern route via Facatativa, which hooks up with the La Vega route (after many suburbs and truck jams) at Villeta, about 65km west.
The best reason to come out this way is the gorgeous privately owned Parque Natural Chicaque (%1-368-3114; www.chicaque.com; admission COP$15,000; h8am-3pm), where bosque de niebla (cloud forest) hikes await only 20km west of Bogotá.
The 3-sq-km area features half a dozen walks (about 20km altogether), which are among the nation’s best marked. The park is home to one waterfall (best during rainy season, of course), over 300 species of birds, nocturnal monkeys and sloths, a 340m-long zipline, and several lodging options (%1-368-3114; www.chicaque.com; Parque Nacional Chicaque; campsite COP$77,700, cabin s/d COP$283,000/360,000, tree house COP$202,000-515,000, all incl meals), including a mountain hostel, cabins and two fantastic treehouses (advance reservations require a bank deposit, which is a pain for foreigners). Meals are served at one of two restaurants, Arboloco (mains COP$19,500 to COP$38,000) and Refugio (daily special COP$13,000). You can also camp near the entrance at the Portería Camp Site for COP$31,700 (no meals).
On weekends you can hire a horse to ride back up the steep hill paths.
The reserve is a few kilometers off the Soacha–La Mesa road. To get there from Bogotá’s center, take the TransMilenio to Terreros, where weekend buses leave at 7am, 8am, 9am, 11am, 2:15pm, 3:15pm and 4:15pm, returning at 9am, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm (COP$6000, minimum six passengers). You can find the bus by heading to the Servientrega office across the pedestrian bridge and looking for a person wearing an orange vest with the Chicaque written in green. Outside of weekends, you can almost get there by a complicated combination of colectivos, but it’s easier to simply hire Chicaque’s shuttle privately for COP$25,000 for up to four people (COP$6000 each for more than four).