Do you want to live surrounded by beautiful gardens and still be in the city? Check out Ciudad Salitre, one of the most central neighborhoods in Bogotá
Bogotá has a lot of parklands around and tries to incorporate a green environment everywhere they can, like in residential and company buildings, malls, hotels and even at El Dorado airport, but when we talk about neighborhoods I believe Ciudad Salitre is the number one, because of all the parks that surround it.
Ciudad Salitre is in a very central location between the municipalities of Fontibón and Teusaquillo. It’s composed of 3 sectors:
Ciudad Salitre Occidental (Fontibón) is from Av. Calle 24 to Calle 22 and between Carrera 69F and Carrera 68B.
Salitre Greco (Teusaquillo) borders Calle 53 where Simón Bólivar Park is and Avenida Calle 26 that is next to Avenida El Dorado, the avenue which leads you to the airport. The Carreras are between the Carrera 68 and the Carrera 66A.
Ciudad Salitre Oriental (Teusaquillo) is on the other side of the Avenida El Dorado between Avenida Calle 26 and Calle 22. It starts on Carrera 68 and finishes on Avenida Carrera 50.
As you can see it’s close to almost everything in Bogotá including the airport, so, because of this it’s one of the most favorite places to stay by tourists and business people. Here I give you the other 4 reasons why!
The lungs of Bogotá
Being surrounded by so many parks not only gives you fresh air, but it also offers you a beautiful view every time you go outside or look through the window. Staying in this neighborhood will let you experience nature at its maximum! You will be able to enjoy a walk in the park you prefer, exercise, have picnics or just enjoy the view while reading a book under a tree or in the library that’s next to Simón Bolívar park (Virgilio Barco’s Library).
For me each park has its own charm or thing that makes it unique. I love the variety of flowers of Jardín Botánico de Bogotá, the romantic spots of Parque El Lago (Parque de Los Novios), the wide open area of Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar or the many green ways you can walk through when you visit Parque Sausalito. The list continues! It’s incredible how many parks can be in the same place!
Quick Tip: There’s no rain that an umbrella and a poncho can’t fix, just continue walking around these beautiful parks, no matter what!
Entertainment & daily programs
Bogotá embraces cultural events and almost all of them are held in parks! So having many parks around gives you the possibility to attend all of them. On the other hand, what I love about Ciudad Salitre is that you can take your bicycle and ride around. You will find many activities to do, like going to the interactive museum Maloka for a 3D experience, or if you want to do some exercise, you can ride to Unidad Deportiva el Salitre (Salitre Sport Center). There, you can play sports like soccer, basketball, volleyball and others, but if you want to have some fun under a roof, you can go bowling or go to the pool in Centro Urbano de Recreación (Urban Recreation Center), this place has a lot to offer! Or you can go to malls like Salitre Plaza or my favorite one, Multiplaza. Both are perfect to do some shopping or just have ice cream.
Staying in this neighborhood you will be entertained without going too far, doing activities that most of the locals do daily.
Quick Tip: Most concerts take place in Simón Bolívar Park, so being close is a plus!
Transportation
Due to the location of Ciudad Salitre you can find all parts of the transportation system: transmilenio buses on the Avenida El Dorado, Sitp buses all around the neighborhood and taxis and ubers too. You might think that most of the buses can take you everywhere around, but thinking about the time, staying in this neighborhood that is almost in the middle of everything and also it’s close to the airport, will help you to get on time to all places. So for the people who are staying in Bogotá for a few days, it’s THE spot!
Also for those who want to be eco-friendly. Ciudad Salitre is well set up for people who like to ride bicycles, skateboards or roller skate because you can go through the cicloruta that is on Avenida Calle 24, Avenida El Dorado, Carrera 68 and Avenida Boyaca, or you can just ride in the parks, especially Simón Bolívar park which is really big! Someday I want to go biking all around the amazing parks that surround Ciudad Salitre. I know it will be a beautiful experience and a day that I will have contributed with the environment. Quick Tip: If you want to travel around Colombia on bus, Ciudad Salitre has the biggest bus terminal in the city Terminal de Transporte S.A
Accommodation for everyone
Now you know that Ciudad Salitre is close to the airport and the bus terminal, even closer, it’s in a central location and it’s surrounded by lots of parks, so the hotel companies didn’t think it too much to have their accommodations in this neighborhood, Here you will find hotels like Wyndham, Radisson, Grand Hyatt, Marriott, Holiday Inn and local ones too, but for a student or a person who is planning to stay longer than a week, a hotel is not practical, so it might be better to do a homestay, which lets you learn about Colombian culture and get to know the incredible hosts they can be. Also, you have other options like arranging an Airbnb or renting an apartment. Unless you are going to study at a university, then they already have accommodation for you.
This neighborhood can be also your second home, where you can spend your days waking up breathing fresh air and enjoying an unlimited amount of daily activities around and also without going too far. If you want to live in a more calm and relaxed part of the city, Ciudad Salitre should be your first choice.
Did you like this article? Share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too! Also if you’ve lived or live in Ciudad Salitre let me know in the comments below and share your experience, I would like to hear it!
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