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TripOut Gay Travel:
Bogota

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Gay Friendly Rating: Gay Friendly Rating Tolerant and friendly; but be mindful about PDAs.
Yes, Bogota! This Colombian hotspot is emerging as a sexy destination with a lively gay scene. Are you game?

Bogota Fast Facts:

  • Gayborhood Located on the city's north side just south of Zona G, Chapinero Alto (aka Chapinero, or "Chapigay," or "Gay Hills") is Bogota's booming gay district, filled with bars, cafes, and even a gay-cruisy grocery store.
  • Feel Centered Chapinero is also home to Colombia Diversa, the country's first LGBT center, opened in 2006.
  • Equal Signs Gay couples in Colombia enjoy essentially the same rights as their straight counterparts, thanks to a series of Constitutional Court rulings in 2007 and 2008.
  • Street Wise Bogotá’s street address system, basically just a series of numbers, seems daunting at first, but it’s really pretty simple and highly efficient. Roads are either “Calles” (Cl), which run east-west, or “Carreras” (Cr), which go north-south (think Streets vs. Avenues à la New York City). Each address tells you first which road the place is on, then the cross street, then the address, like this: Calle 85 #12-28 is on Calle 85, near the cross street of Carrera 12, with 28 being the address.
  • Hola Neighbor Bogotá is a city of strong neighborhood identities, from the history- and culture-packed La Candelaria downtown, to the gay-heavy Chapinero, to Zona G (for Gourmet) with its great dining options, to the shopping and nightlife of Zona Rosa, to the upscale Parque 93.
  • Feeling High Colombia’s largest city, Bogotá sits at an elevation of 8,600+ feet, making it also the third highest capital in the world, behind La Paz and Quito (that’s Bolivia and Ecuador… but you knew that, right?). While chances are you’ll be perfectly fine with the height, be aware that altitude sickness is a possibility, and susceptibility has no correlation with how fit one is. (If you’re worried, your doctor can prescribe Diamox, or some say gingko biloba works as a natural remedy.)
  • Cool Vibes Thanks to its location near the equator, Bogotá’s temperatures vary little year-round. Thanks to its altitude, that means highs are generally in the mid-60s, lows are usually in the mid-40s. In other words, pack sweaters!
  • Big-Hearted Bogotá lies at the heart of Colombia, a land that’s big on heart… so much so that a recent exhibition (“Discover Colombia Through Its Heart”) sponsored by the national tourism board brought 47 huge heart-shaped sculptures to Washington, DC’s Union Station and New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, where over a million people visited the multi-themed interactive corazones.
  • Get on the Bus Bogotá has no subway, but gets around the problem with its ingenious TransMilenio system, whereby more than a thousand city buses run in specially designated lanes alongside regular traffic on roads and highways.
  • Money Matters $1 U.S. generally converts to somewhere between 1800 and 2500 Colombian pesos (which, just to keep you on your toes, also uses the $ symbol locally). ATMs are plentiful and easy to use.
  • Pride Por Favor Bogotá’s Gay Pride (Orgullo LGBT) happens in late June.
  • Show People Bogotá is home to the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro, the world’s biggest theater fest. The next biennial incarnation is slated for March 19 to April 4, 2010.

Bogota: Taste the Rich Colombian Flavor

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Yes, Bogota! The formerly turbulent Colombian city is generating all kinds of sexy word-of-mouth; is it the next breakout South American destination? Dan Allen investigates. Read More Bogota: Taste the Rich...

Bogota Top 5

Don't leave town before checking out...
  1. Museo del Oro
  2. Cerro de Monserrate
  3. Andres Carne de Res
  4. Theatron
  5. Museo Botero

Recommended In Bogota:

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Hotels & Inns

Restaurants

Bars & Clubs

  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 0
    Bianca Calle 72 #16-48
  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 0
    Blues Bar Calle 86A #13A-30
  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 0
    Cavu Carrera 15 #88-71
  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 0
    Chase Calle 59 Bis #8-45
  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 0
    Lottus Calle 58 #10-42
  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 0
    Sungay @ Cha Cha
  • Gay+ Gay+: this place is super-gay! Have Fun! 0
    Theatron Calle 58 #10-32

Shopping

Sights & Activities

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