Plaza Bolivar

Location:
Plaza de Bolivar, Cra 7 between Calles 10 and 11
La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia

City Plaza

By Richard McColl

The grandeur that confronts you upon entering the unashamed opulence of Bogotá's Plaza de Bolivar is overwhelming. Tall stately buildings rise up on all four sides, from the Capitol building and the Palacio de Narino to the Alcaldia of Bogota to the Cathedral and the Palacio de Justicia. This plaza, complete with a statue of Simon Bolivar in the center, was the very location where Bogotá was declared the seat of Nueva Granada's colonial government. Over time some things have altered, as in old photographs one notes that trams and traffic could pass through the Plaza. The Presidential Palace, or Palacio de Narino, was rebuilt in 1949 after the fallout that was the Bogotazo. The Palacio de Justicia has had some renovations done after the seige of the building in 1985 by the M-19 guerrilla group. Today, the plaza is a place where all demonstrations end, where children chase pigeons and photographers vie for your business.

Getting There
Just head into the Candelaria or along Carrera 7, you will find the Plaza easily.

Travel Tips: Please don't feed the pigeons and be wary in this area after dark.

Relative price: Free

Travel Skills: None

To See and Do: Calle 10 is pedestrianized and has a few museums and the Donacion Botero and Luis Angel Arango are not far away.