Bogota is one of the best places in the world for buying emeralds, as Colombia has some of the most productive emerald mines anywhere.

You can get some amazing deals on emeralds in Bogota, especially since the Colombian peso is still rather undervalued versus many currencies.

Some store recommendations for buying emeralds in Bogota:

Esmerald Trade Center
Address: Av. Jimenez No 5 – 43, Bogota, Colombia
To buy emeralds at the Esmerald Trade Center in Bogota, tell a taxi to take you there and have it wait for you while you shop. The center is located in the heart of Bogota and you will find a lot of different stores where you can buy very nice emeralds.

Sterling Joyeros
Address: Centro Andino, Unicentro, and Santa Ana shopping malls
Sterling Joyeros has three stores in Bogota. They are known for their good quality and competitive prices for emeralds.

Arlop
Address: Cra 15 with Calle 88, Bogota, Colombia

Arlop has good prices for emeralds in Bogota and very reliable quality.

Pineda Hermanos
Telephone: 2577128
Pineda Hermanos is a good place for buying emeralds in Bogota. They do not have a store for the public, as they are wholesalers that deal in emeralds and diamonds. Call them if you are interested in the wholesale buying of emeralds in Bogota.

When buying emeralds, take a good quality emerald with you to compare colour. Only view the stone in daylight as indoor light can be intentionally deceiving.

You will know quality when you see it. The stone should have clear stunning colour at any angle.

There are a surprising number of casinos in Bogota.

Here are a few noteworthy recommendations for casinos:

Casino La Perla
Address: Laguito Parque Comercial Pierino Gallo L.2-5, Bogota, Colombia
Phone: +57-5-665-0573

El Ruba Casino
Address: Cl 31 64-100 C.C. Paseo de la Castellana, Bogota, Colombia
Phone: +57-5- 661-2540

Rio Casino Bocagrande
Address: Av. San Martan No. 5-145, Bogota, Colombia
Phone: +57-5-655-119

There is lots of great nightlife and bars in Bogota.

Anywhere in the Zona G is usually great Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Here are some favorites for nightlife and bars in Bogota:

La Carbonera in Bogota is a typical bar with many locals, open Thursday through Sunday. The place is usually very full and sometimes there are lines to get in. Dress nicely!

La Avenida del Arsenal (near the convention center) was very popular but has faded recently. Old City (Ciudad Vieja) has more discos now.

Babar in Bogota plays a wide selection of music.

Cartageneros Mister Babilla in Bogota is one of the hottest bars in the city. It is located on Avenida del Arsenal.

Maroma in the Zona ‘T’ is very good for dancing in Bogota.

Bogota Time Zone

The Bogota time zone is GMT -5.

This means that Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is five hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Bogota is five hours behind cities on GMT like London.

It is six behind European cities like Paris and Madrid.

Bogota is on the same time as cities like New York City and Miami.

The time zone in Bogota is called COT, which stands for Colombia Time.

The rest of Colombia is on the same time zone as Bogota.

Bogota City Guide

Bogota, the capital of Colombia, is a city great history and rich culture.

Visitors to Bogota can expect to be impressed by the city’s historic architecture, diversity of activities, and beautiful mountains.

Bogota was founded in 1538 by the Spanish conquistadors.

Its history is rich with tales of battles, gold, and cathedrals, and today visitors can take in much of Bogota’s history at its museums, churches, and many famous sites.

Bogota is a city surrounded by mountains, and no trip to Bogota is complete without a drive into the hills or a trip up Monserrate by foot or funicular.

If you hike, keep in mind that Bogota is at very high altitude, so make sure to bring plenty of water and pace yourself.

Bogota is also known for its restaurants and nightlife.

Whether you dine at Andres Carne de Res or stay closer to town at Club Colombia, Bogota has no shortage of restaurants, bars and clubs.

Whatever your pleasure, Bogota can keep you busy for weeks.

But if you don’t have unlimited time, try to spend at least four days in Bogota to enjoy everything the city has to offer.

1. Visit the Casa Museo Quinta de Bolivar

2. Go shopping for the high-quality emeralds that Colombia is famous for

3. Hike or take the cable car or funicular up to Cerro de Monserrate

4. Visit the Bogota Gold Museum (Museo de Oro)

5. Taste local specialties like ajiaco

6. Drink aguardiente (but not too much…remember Bogota is at high altitude!)

7. Drive up into the mountains above Bogota for great views of the city

8. Visit the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira

9. Explore Bogota’s old town

10. Have dinner and dance the night away at Andres Carne de Res

101 Park House Hotel
Address: Carrera 21 N. 101, 10 Bogota, Colombia
Phone: (57-1) 6000101

The five star 101 Park House hotel in Bogota is one of the best hotels in Bogota.

Situated in a residential area of the city, the hotel is in a quiet neighborhood in the north of Bogota.

With an open atrium surrounded by floors of hotel rooms and suites, the lobby area of 101 Park House hotel is home to a lounge, restaurant, and bar that are always busy (but not too busy!) with visitors and business people.

The rooms at 101 Park House hotel are spacious and have all the luxury amenities including flat-screen televisions, air conditioning, a fully stocked mini bar, and toiletries.

Breakfast is included in most room rates at 101 Park House hotel, and it consists of a buffet of fruit, pastries, and hot food as well as cereal and yogurt. Juices, coffees, teas, and milk are all available to drink.

The staff at 101 Park House hotel are friendly and helpful in arranging transportation, restaurant reservations, and activities.

The hotel has cars and drivers to take you to all of Bogota’s attractions as well as those further afield.

Andres Carne de Res is not just a restaruant in Bogota.

It’s an experience that cannot be missed by anyone visiting the city.

Even if you only have one day, Andres Carne de Res should be at the top of your list of things to do in Bogota.

Andres Carne de Res is a restaurant serving up some of the best steak in Bogota.

It’s also a huge labyrinthine space full of bars, dance floors, and big wooden tables.

The decor at Andres Carne de Res is as cluttered and kitschy as it gets, and even the menu comes in a big box with a jack-in-the-box-like handle that you wind in order to read it.

Food at Andres Carne de Res is mainly steak, but there are enough different options for meat and sides that you could spend weeks there without eating the same thing twice.

The wine list at Andres Carne de Res is long and the cocktails are strong, and everyone ends up dancing the night way after they’re done eating.

The Salt Cathedral in Bogota is located 25 miles outside of the city in Zipaquira. To get from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral, there are several options:

Trains from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral

Trains leave Bogota for the Salt Cathedral in the morning and return in the afternoon, so it’s easy to make a day of the excursion by train. From the train station by the Salt Cathedral, you can either walk up the hill or take a taxi to the cathedral.

Taxi from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral

It’s difficult to find a taxi driver that is willing to drive from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral, so you’re best off using a car and driver from your hotel. The journey takes about an hour and the driver will wait for you while you tour the cathedral, then take you back to Bogota.

Bus from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral

Buses leave the outskirts of Bogota for the Salt Cathedral, and are a less expensive way to get from the city to the cathedral. The bus is a good way to get from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral if you are on a budget.

The Salt Cathedral (Catedral de Sal in Spanish) is an underground cathedral in an old salt mine near Bogota.

The cathedral is located 25 miles outside of Bogota in the town of Zipaquira.

The Salt Cathedral is a must see on any visit to Bogota, religious or otherwise.

Getting from Bogota to the Salt Cathedral is easy and can be done by several different modes of transport.

Bogota is built on a standard city grid layout.

Carreras (streets) are abbreviated “Cr” or ‘K’.

They run parallel to the mountains from South to North.

The calles (also streets) run perpendicular to the Carreras from east to west.

The word calles is often shortened to ‘C’, “Cll” and “Cl”.

Avenidas (abbreviated Av.) are usually larger main streets.

Most are numbered and larger ones have common names such as Avenida Bolivar.

Each address in Bogota consists of a sequence of numbers, for example: Calle 16 # 2-43.

This indicates that the building on Calle 16 is about 43 long steps (i.e., yards) from the corner of Carrera 2 to Carrera 3.