Bogotá Route
Bogotá is one of the world’s largest capital cities. It is the dynamic and cosmopolitan home of more than 8 million people. Some of its best-kept secrets lie in its handmade crafts. We invite you to travel back in time, slow down for a moment, and discover the pace at which people blow glass, mold metal and ceramics, spin yarns, work leather, and carve wood. The following is an experience that will show you how this enormous city makes every region come together and makes it possible to experience the present as being completely connected to the past.
Embark on a journey full of history
Artisans along the way
Artisans along the way
We recommended this tour
Recommendations
Schedule the visit in advance with the artisans.
Carry cash.
Length
3-4 days
Physical Complexity
Transportation
Car or Bus
Downtown
We recommend starting this first tour spending a day or two in downtown Bogotá. Specifically, we suggest visiting La Candelaria, our historical neighborhood. There, you will be able to discover several workshops: Camilo Cote’s metal workshop, Diego Añez, and María Paula Giraldo’s ceramics workshop, and Édgar Beltrán’s leather workshop. You will also see the footprints metal and clay have left throughout the neighborhood’s roofs, facades, and bricks. In addition, this visit will give you the opportunity of tasting La Candelaria’s traditional delicacies. You cannot miss out on La Puerta Falsa’s treats. We want you to immerse yourself in the history that lies within these streets: they are different from the rest of the city’s and will make you slow down, stroll around, and take in every hint the past has left imprinted on them. We invite you to walk down the Avenida Jiménez and the Eje Ambiental; to go along the depiction of the the San Francisco River made by the emblematic architect and urban designer Rogelio Salmona; and to come to where Carrera 2 meets Calle 18, enter Las Aguas house, and visit Artesanías de Colombia’s store.
Teusaquillo
A change of scenery. We now go to the Teusaquillo district: a place that still preserves traces of a time when Bogotá was made of large houses, low-rise buildings, and neighborhood life. Here, you will be able to meet Esperanza Torres and her sisters by the immense Carrera 30, close to the National University’s campus. These will be moments for contemplation, silence, and good conversation. You will witness them weaving on their looms and encouraging you to learn the art of working wool. You can finish this trip by crossing the Carrera 30 and walking towards the mountains. You will soon end up on a street that resembles a garden. This is the Parkway: a place filled with a bohemian atmosphere, cafés, restaurants, ice cream parlors, and parks. Bits of its original English architecture can be seen and are worth visiting. Don’t miss Brazil Park and its neighboring streets.
The North
You can spend a morning further north, in another part of the city, visiting master carver Yecid Robayo’s workshop in the 7 de Agosto neighborhood. You can also enjoy lunch at the Italian restaurant nestled within its marketplace or indulge in traditional Colombian flavors. Afterward, you can go east along Calle 80. You will soon find the San Felipe neighborhood, which became an art district a few years ago. There, you will find and visit several art galleries and workshops. You will then meet our jeweler, Simón Mazuera, and learn firsthand about the art of jewelry. Once you leave this neighborhood and cross the Autopista Norte, you will find one of the most modern, urban, and commercial parts of the city. It is filled with restaurants, bars, shopping malls, and designer and fashion stores. It is the renowned Zona Rosa. Don’t forget to visit the Calle de los Anticuarios on Calle 79B, between Carrera 7 and Carrera 8; and the Artesanías de Colombia store, where you can find some of the country’s best handcrafted wares.
Route acknowledgement
Recommended sites
Important information for your trip
Pueblo Patrimonio
La Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia es un programa especial del Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, ejecutado por FONTUR, que trabaja con 17 municipios de Colombia que poseen declaratoria de Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) a nivel nacional para su valoración y proyección mediante el turismo, generando así más oportunidades de desarrollo y sostenibilidad en las comunidades.
La Medalla a la Maestría Artesanal es un galardón que Artesanías de Colombia entrega anualmente, con el cual se hace un reconocimiento a aquellos artesanos, empresas y comunidades artesanales que, contando con una trayectoria destacada, sobresalen a nivel nacional por su excelencia en el oficio así como por preservar el quehacer artesanal.
Denominación de Origen
Es un signo distintivo que identifica productos reconocidos o famosos por tener una calidad o características específicas derivadas esencialmente del lugar de origen y la forma tradicional de extracción, elaboración y producción por parte de sus habitantes. La protección conferida sobre una Denominación de Origen implica que ninguna persona puede identificar con la denominación protegida productos iguales o similares a los amparados, cuando no provengan del verdadero lugar y no cumplan con las características o calidades que le han dado la reputación al producto reconocido. Las Denominaciones de Origen para productos artesanales colombianos que han sido protegidas por la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio en nuestro país son actualmente 12.
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