La Candelaria and Downtown, Bogotá

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Iglesia de la Candelaria is located in the heart of La Candelaria, next to the Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango. It's part of an Augustinian friary originally established in 1560. This is three-nave colonial church built in Baroque style between 1686 and 1703. It has some fine wood carvings gilded by gold and above the tabernacle is the image of Our Lady of Candelaria. The beautiful altar and the ceilings were made by Pedro Alcántara Quijano.

The church was in 1975 declared a national monument. During the centuries it had major changes to its original design. The last restoration work was completed in 2005.

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Once home to Colombia's best-loved poets and politicians, La Candelaria is Bogota's oldest neighbourhood, a sort of living historical monument. It has something magical with blue, orange, turquoise, green, magenta, ochre and yellow colonial buildings adorned with balconies painted crimson, dark green and deep blue.

Pretty cobbled streets cluttered with bohemian shops, craft stalls, galleries and cafés climb up towards a hazy mountain. Here you find museums, restaurants and eclectic bookshops. Enchanting La Candelaria is a cultural and artistic heart of the city.

Eccentric rooftop sculptures draw the look towards the sky while a mixture of sounds of street musicians, chattering students and food vendors rises from parks and plazas. Handsome boulevards open up on the Plaza de Bolívar, the city's main square and crowded meeting point.

Oh, I could spent days just wandering the streets of this delightful area :)

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A good way to spend the day in Bogota is to wander around here for the day. It is small enough to see in half a day depending on how much time you spend in the Chruches/Museums but with all the cafes andd shops you could make a day out of it even put on a few pounds from all the snacks available. Some of the streets are restricted to foot traffic but even those that are now still allow for some great photos.

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The first time I visited Bogotá I didn’t see Iglesia del Carmen, but after seeing some photos of it I wanted to have a look during my second visit to the city. Iglesia del Carmen was open to public in 1938. That makes it the youngest church in the historic district Candelaria. It is a different looking church with its white and red stripes. The white and red stripes are not only seen on the exterior but also inside the church. There are many fine stained-glass windows. Unfortunately I couldn’t see this as the church was closed as I came there.

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La Candelaria is the historic core of Bogota and while it does have its share of romantic streets and grand architecture, it is also a bit of a dangerous area, mainly at night. A lot of the danger is overblown, but it is important to be aware of the greater potential for problems here than in the northern neighborhoods of Zona Rosa or Parque 93. That being said, there are some great attractions in La Candelaria. During the day, it is well worth strolling down its sometimes cobbled lanes and to visit some of its small shops and restaurants.

You'll also find the main cathedral in the grand Plaza de Bolivar and the famous Gold Museum as well as the Botero Foundation (Colombia's most famous painter).

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On my first night in Bogota, I stayed in the downtown area at the Tequendama Intercontinental and, while the hotel was okay, I really didn't enjoy staying in this area. It's the financial center and there are lots of office buildings, but it's not the safest part of the city (the richer northern suburbs are safer) and after dark, I kind of felt like a prisoner in the hotel. It is a convenient area if you're in town for a convention or other business and it's a short ride from the historic Candelaria area, but other than a few shops and markets, there's not a lot to see here.

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La Candelaria is the oldest part of Bogotá. The area east of Plaza Bolívar is full of very colourful houses in colonial style with terracotta roofs and it is very pleasant to walk around the narrow streets here. There are many museums, churches and libraries. Not all buildings are old ones, but because the commercial centre early moved more to the north very much of Candelaria was preserved and it is now supposed to be one of the best preserved old towns in South America.

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When you walk along the streets in Candelaria you will probably notice the statues that are placed on roofs and balconies at some places. They are works made by the sculptor Jorge Olave and depict men and women of different trades. Don’t forget to look up!