Looking for places to stay in Bogotá? Prepare yourself, because this article will help you choose where to stay from a variety of options in Bogotá depending on the length of your travel.
You already made the best choice by deciding to come to Bogotá, but for how long, and where am I going to stay? These are questions you’ll probably ask yourself. The good news is Bogotá has an answer for them (many, in fact)! So whether you are planning to stay just for a few days, or for a few weeks, even for a few months, you can actually find amazing options to have your good night’s sleep. In Bogotá, it’s not difficult at all.
A week or less
I would recommend staying in Bogotá for at least three days so you can actually sightsee the basics (read our article Bogotá: all you need to know). If your visit is short, meaning a week or less, there are good, affordable options for accommodation. Staying around La Candelaria would be a great choice as it gives you plenty of activities and places to go (that many consider kind of mandatory when coming). You can visit Plaza de Bolívar (Bolívar Square) and see the Palacio de Nariño (Nariño’s Palace aka president’s house), the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum) to learn a little bit about our pre-Columbian culture, or even San Victorino (a local market-shopping area where you can find literally everything for the cheapest prices ever). There are also plenty of restaurants (like La Puerta Falsa) and places to party (go to El Candelario). Even though it’s a touristic area, you’ll have the opportunity to experience things as a local. If you are staying for a short period of time, La Candelaria is an ideal choice because it really offers everything you could imagine and expect. Read our article Best Neighborhoods in Bogotá: Why You Should Stay in La Candelaria for some more info.
When coming to Bogotá for a week or less I would also recommend staying around Calle 26 (read Getting Lost in Bogotá: How to Use the Main Streets as a GPS) as it is close to the airport (take a look on our article Tips for your arrival to El Dorado airport in Bogotá) and to the city center (including, of course, La Candelaria).
Between a week and a month
Bogotá at its best takes several days to know, meaning that if you are coming, it’s a good idea to spend between one and three weeks to have a full, wonderful experience. If this is your case, there are several neighborhoods and areas where you could stay, all of them are very well-located and offer tons of activities and places to go beyond the historic, traditional part of the city. I would recommend then to search by zones depending on what you want for your trip.
In case you want to stay in an area that is more residential, therefore, more quiet, I would recommend going to northern neighbourhoods like Belmira or Mazúren. If you enjoy outdoor activities take a look on the west, central part of Bogotá, with neighbourhoods like Ciudad Salitre, where you can enjoy the Parque Simón Bolívar (Simón Bolívar Park), the Biblioteca Virgilio Barco (Virgilio Barco Library), or even Salitre Mágico, one of the most famous and cool amusement parks in the city. Read our article Best Neighborhoods in Bogotá: Ciudad Salitre to find out more. The best glimpse of local lifestyle in Bogotá you’ll find is in the south-west areas, where you would be able to get to know, through a social lens, how families live. And if you are wishing to have the most historical and traditional, mixed with modern experience, then try the east areas, which include Chapinero, Teusaquillo or El Campín.
Staying in one of these areas would give you the opportunity to immerse yourself a little bit more in Bogotá’s culture. You would have the opportunity to meet local people and support local shops, even to stay with them and share experiences with families. If you are interested or want to find our more about this last option, please write to hello@colture.com and read our article Finding Accomodation in Bogotá: 3 Reasons to Do a Homestay.
More than a month
If you are coming for more than a month, whether it’s to study (read our article How to get a Colombian Student Visa), volunteer, or work (How to get a Colombian Work Visa), Bogotá offers exciting opportunities and experiences! In this case, it would be a great idea to stay either with a host family or in a residence, which are good options for a very reasonable price. In most of the well-known areas of Bogotá, you would be able to live long-term perfectly fine. However, my best recommendation is to search for a place in an area that suits your desired style of living, whether it’s based on location, the people, or the activities you can do. For this, you can take a look on this websites:
- Erasmusu:
- https://erasmusu.com/es/erasmus-bogota/alquiler-estudiantes
- HousingAnywhere: https://housinganywhere.com/es/s/Bogot%C3%A1–Colombia
- Dormitorios loft: http://www.dormitoriosloft.com/
If you are an outdoor person who enjoys walking, going to the park, or practicing some sport (for this, you can read our article Where to stay in Bogotá depending on your travel personality. Living in the neighborhood El Salitre would be a great idea. There is Parque Simón Bolívar (one of the biggest ones in Bogotá) and Virgilio Barco library, with beautiful green surroundings to enjoy and relax. If you want to live in a vibrant, modern, cool area, search for something in Chapinero (read Best Neighborhoods in Bogotá: Chapinero) or Teusaquillo. If you’re going more north, Mazúren (Best Neighborhoods in Bogotá: Mazurén) or Belmira (Best Neighborhoods in Bogotá: Belmira) would be good options, and if you want to be in a neighborhood that literally has it all, go to Cedritos (read our article Best neighborhoods in Bogotá: Cedritos). It really depends on what you prefer, but keep in mind that there are tons of options that you can
Bogotá has accommodation for every length of stay, whether it’s days, weeks or months, the city will be ready to welcome you and show you how beautiful, exiting, big and diverse it is!
What do you guys think about accommodation in Bogotá? Do you have more info or a really interesting and cool experience to tell? Are there other neighbourhoods or areas you can recommend? Please visit our homepage Colture and take a look on my articles and many others to find more essential information about accommodation and/or other topics in Bogotá before or during your trip.
