An Insider Guide to Bogotá — Where to Go, Stay, Eat, and Shop According to the City-Enamored Founder of Local Homeware Brand CasaLatina
Explore Colombia's buzzing Andean capital with Sharon Costi as your guide to its ubiquitous art, flavors, and after-dark fun
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Some cities grow on you like a garment you get gifted and struggle to embrace for years until you find yourself wearing it every day. Others just get you right away. Venezuelan-born entrepreneur and designer Sharon Costi, co-founder of luxury homeware brand CasaLatina, fell for Bogotá on the spot. "It was love at first sight," she says of her earliest encounter with the city 27 years ago, when she had flown here for her best friend's wedding. "Warm, chaotic, endlessly surprising, and irresistibly fun, Bogotá is a city where it feels almost impossible not to have a great time."
Her fascination with La Atenas Suramericana ("the South American Athens", from the number of cultural institutions, libraries, galleries, and museums present on-site) continued for decades. Until, in 2021, walking around local arts and crafts fair Expoartesanías, Costi decided to start what today is CasaLatina, a UK-based label known for producing hand-painted ceramic dinnerware from Carmen del Viboral, Chamba black pottery, handwoven iraca palm napkin rings and baskets, and hand-carved wooden accessories with South American craftsmanship at their heart.
All CasaLatina designs are handmade by a team of over 60 artisans across nine communities in Colombia and her native Venezuela, reinterpreting ancestral techniques through an essential yet richly textural eye. "I have a full team based in the city managing production, and I return to Bogotá at least once a year," the founder explains. "Between work, friends, discovering the latest restaurants, and shopping, time disappears. Luckily, jet lag has me awake at 5 am, so I can get the work done before the fun begins." Get your share of Bogotá's frenzy with Costi's insider tips for the city.
What to Do in Bogotá, Colombia
Make the Most of the City's Ubiquitous Museums
With 58 museums and a plethora of prestigious institutions, theaters, and public libraries, it is no coincidence that Bogotá is known as La Atenas Sudamericana ("the Athens of South America"). Among them, Museo Botero stands out for its voluptuous artworks and tranquil inner courtyard.
Museo Botero, banrepcultural.org/bogota/museo-botero, Calle 11 #4-41. Museo del Oro, banrepcultural.org/bogota/museo-del-oro, Carrera 6 #15-88. Escuela de Artes y Oficios Santo Domingo, eaosd.org, Calle 10 #8-73
My favourite art hotspot is La Candelaria, where three brilliant cultural stops sit within easy walking distance. Museo Botero pairs the artist's exuberant work with a beautiful colonial setting; Museo del Oro is an extraordinary introduction to pre-Columbian culture; and the Escuela de Artes y Oficios Santo Domingo brings craftsmanship to life, with students practising everything from woodwork and leatherwork to weaving and embroidery.
See Bogotá's Finest Along La Candelaria — And Beyond
Known for its colorful Spanish colonial architecture, La Candelaria is the historic downtown center of Bogotá. In recent years, traditional artisan workshops have been joined by new artful ventures. Among them is Espacio Odeón (pictured), an interdisciplinary independent venue repurposing the old cinema of the same name.
La Candelaria, Plaza de Bolívar, Carrera 7 & Calle 11, La Candelaria. Monserrate, monserrate.co, Carrera 2 Este #21-48
La Candelaria is my favourite part of Bogotá: a wonderfully preserved historic quarter of colourful colonial houses, steep streets and bold street art. Many old buildings now house galleries, museums, shops and restaurants, making it endlessly rewarding to wander. Inevitably, you reach the grand Plaza de Bolívar — and from there, I'd finish with the cable car up Monserrate for sunset over the city.
Get Lost in Zona G, the Colombian Metropolis's "Gastronomic Heart"
Simplicity doesn't rhyme with predictability at El Chato, an award-winning restaurant by Álvaro Clavijo, where world-class French and American culinary techniques are applied to the most genuinely delicious, native local ingredients.
El Chato, elchato.co, Calle 65 #4-76, Zona G
Bogotá is one of Latin America's most exciting food cities, and Zona G is its gastronomic heart. My pick is El Chato, named Latin America's best restaurant in 2025, where chef Álvaro Clavijo transforms Colombian ingredients into something inventive and completely contemporary. The menu changes constantly with the seasons, but if there's anything featuring palmito — heart of palm — I'm ordering it.
Collect Local Arts and Crafts on the Go — And Much-Needed Swimwear
Inside the cinematic showroom of Verdi, one of Sharon Costi's designated stops when in town.
Calle de los Anticuarios, Calle 79B, Chapinero. Verdi, verdi.com.co. Calle 79B #8-40. Suki Cohen, sukicohen.com. Cra. 12a #77 - 22. Touché, touche.com.co, various locations. Agua Bendita, aguabendita.com.co, various locations. Onda de Mar, ondademar.co, various locations
Calle de los Anticuarios is Bogotá's unofficial design district: a leafy, 250-metre street packed with fashion, interiors, art and independent Colombian brands. My favourite stop is Verdi, whose exquisite rugs, tapestries, cushions and mochilas are handcrafted using fique and metallic thread. Bogotá is also brilliant for swimwear and lingerie — Suki Cohen, Touché, Agua Bendita, and Onda de Mar are perennial favourites.
Reconnect With Colombia at Its Most Spiritual in Guatavita
"Nearby, the sacred Laguna de Guatavita inspired the legend of El Dorado, where a Muisca ruler was said to make gold offerings to the lake."
Guatavita, Guatavita, Cundinamarca, Laguna de Guatavita, car.gov.co. Parque Ecoturístico Laguna del Cacique Guatavita, Sesquilé, Cundinamarca
When I need a break from Bogotá's energy, I head to Guatavita, a whitewashed town surrounded by dramatic Andean scenery and the Tominé reservoir. Nearby, the sacred Laguna de Guatavita inspired the legend of El Dorado, where a Muisca ruler was said to make gold offerings to the lake. The famous Muisca raft in Bogotá's Museo del Oro depicts this extraordinary ritual.
Make It a Trail-Within-the-Trail With Two More Must-Tries
Street and flea markets abound in Bogotá, and Costi's favorite one turns "the neighborhood into one of the city's happiest weekend rituals".
Andrés Carne de Res, andrescarnederes.com. Calle 3 #11A-56, Chía, Cundinamarca. Usaquén Flea Market, Calle 119 con Carrera 6A, Usaquén, Bogotá
For pure, unfiltered fun, spend a Friday night at Andrés Carne de Res in Chía. It starts as a huge steak restaurant and somehow turns into a wild, theatrical party, with live music and dancing everywhere. For something gentler, visit the weekend flea market in Usaquén, where artisan stalls, street food, and live music turn the neighborhood into one of Bogotá's happiest weekend rituals.
One More (Lesser Known) Thing to Note
Despite its size and apparent chaos, Bogotá is surprisingly easy to navigate. Much of the city follows a numbered grid: Calles run roughly east-west and increase as you head north, while Carreras run north — south and increase as you move west. An address often tells you almost exactly where you are — and the Andes provide a built-in compass, always rising to the east. One other surprise: Bogotá may be in the tropics, but it sits more than 2,600 meters above sea level, so the climate is cool year-round. Pack a jacket.
Where to Stay in Bogotá
The Click Clack Hotel
A glimpse inside one of the Click Clack Hotel's Xs Plus suites, packed with retro-inspired energy.
IN A SENTENCE: Rising in the polished El Chicó district, a two-minute stroll from Parque de la 93, The Click Clack Hotel Bogotá turns a sleek glass-and-metal tower into a playful stage for art, design, and nightlife, where locals and travelers mingle in one of the city’s liveliest social hubs.
DESIGN: Conceived by PLAN:B architects with interiors by Perceptual Studio, the hotel stacks repeated room modules along a central corridor, then cleverly bends Chapinero’s strict building rules to its advantage. Guest bedrooms come with three window personalities, from floor-to-ceiling glass with movable shutters to filtered, metal-louvred openings and cantilevered bays that lean out over the street, while corridor ends on the façade double as small galleries for changing art. Below, a double-height lobby and restaurant are brought to life by side patios and green walls, and a double skin of glass and metal keeps the building so naturally comfortable that only a fifth of the rooms need air conditioning. Alongside graphics by Taller Estándar, a scattering of quirks, such as animal-themed door handles and vintage curios, complete a stay that earned a nomination for the 2016 Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize.
ON THE MENU: Set within the double-height ground-floor space, The Click Clack Kitchen serves up an easygoing, all-day program, from lighter, healthy plates and generous breakfasts to fast-food classics given a considered spin. Its weekend brunch draws locals as much as guests, while Alimento Futuro, the hotel’s multi-sensory dining experiment, invites the curious to rethink how we eat in an era of shrinking resources.
DON'T MISS: Climb to Apache Rooftop Bar, where a wooden, open-air perch delivers a full 360-degree panorama of Bogotá and its green eastern mountains. With a menu inspired by comic books, a 1950s diner mood of high stools and slouchy leather sofas, and much-praised burgers alongside inventive cocktails, it is the perfect prelude to a night of live music and a DJ-led party crowd on Fridays.
Hotel Dios
Picture yourself immersed in the warmth and greenery of Hotel Dios, a boutique destination for travelers wanting to experience the city at their own pace.
IN A SENTENCE: Tucked into the historic core of La Candelaria, a short walk from Plaza de Bolívar and the city’s great museums, Hotel Dios is an eclectic, boldly sophisticated retreat that marries the romance of old Bogotá with the sharp lines and easy comfort of the present day.
DESIGN: Conceived as a dialogue between past and present, Hotel Dios pairs clean-lined, contemporary architecture with local art and handcrafted Colombian decor, all bathed in natural light and open, airy spaces. With just four rooms, from the Standard through the Deluxe and Executive suites to its namesake Suite God, the address feels less like a hotel and more like a private, art-filled house, with a garden and sunny terrace to unwind in after a day of exploring on foot. It's a serene, discerned counterpoint to the colonial bustle just beyond the door.
ON THE MENU: Open to the public for lunch and dinner, the hotel’s restaurant is an ode to bold, modern cooking that plays with flavors, colors, textures, and temperatures, taking diners on a journey through global tastes. The kitchen is fully open, so you can follow each dish coming together step by step, while a gourmet breakfast starts guests’ mornings off gently.
DON'T MISS: We are obsessed with the wine cellar, a curated collection of selected varieties that makes lingering over dinner very hard to resist. Pair it with a slow afternoon in the garden and sun terrace, and you have the perfect antidote to the city’s rush, mere steps from the Botero and Gold museums.
Holiday Delights
Keep the vibrancy of Bogotá with you year-round with our curated edit of Colombian-inspired buys.
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