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Bogotá has grown along its north-south axis and is bordered to the east by mountains. Having expanded up the slopes as far as possible, it is now developing to the west and north.
The city center divides the metropolis into two very different parts. Its northern sector mainly consists of upmarket residential districts, while the southern part is a sprawl of lower-income suburbs culminating in vast shantytowns.
Western Bogotá is the most heterogeneous and industrial part of the city - the airport and bus terminal are located here.
The central area can be roughly divided into three parts: the southern area (south of Av Jiménez); La Candelaria, the partly preserved colonial sector which is the heart of the original town; and Centro Internacional (north of Calle 26), a small Manhattan where most of the city's skyscrapers have sprung up. Sandwiched between these two areas is the city center proper - it's full of office buildings, banks, restaurants, shops and cinemas.
Getting There
Bogotá's airport, Aeropuerto El Dorado, handles all domestic and international flights. It's 13km (8mi) northwest of the city center and has two terminals. The principal one, El Dorado (tel: 413 9053; Av El Dorado), has plenty of facilities. The other, Puente Aéreo (tel: 413 9511; Av El Dorado), is 1km (0.6mi) before El Dorado. It handles some of Avianca's international and domestic flights. Check which terminal your flight departs from.
The main bus terminal (tel: 428 2424; Calle 33B No 69-59) is a long way west of the city center. To get there, take a bus or a colectivo (minibus) marked 'Terminal' from Carrera 10, or a taxi. It's large, functional and well-organized, with left-luggage rooms and a tourist information desk. There are three departure halls: Norte (for buses traveling north), Oriente & Occidente (for buses traveling east and west), and Sur (for southbound buses). The terminal handles buses to most corners of the country, except for some short-distance regional trips.
Getting Around
Both the El Dorado and Puente Aéreo terminals are accessible from the city center by busetas (small buses) and colectivos marked 'Aeropuerto' - catch them on Calle 19 or Carrera 10. El Dorado has a taxi service to protect passengers from overcharging by taxi drivers. As you exit the baggage-claim, there's a booth where you get a printout with the expected fare to your destination. Buses and colectivos run between the terminals and the city center, but they're infrequent and stop mid-evening.
Buses and busetas run the length and breadth of the city. There are basically no stops - wave one down, board via the front door and pay the driver or assistant (you don't get a ticket). The fast and cheap colectivos operate on major routes.
Bogotá also has an impressive fleet of yellow cabs - insist on having the meter running and check for stickers displaying day and night-time fares.
The TransMilenio bus service has self-contained stations and its own lines - it's also cheap, frequent and operates from early morning till just before midnight. The main route is Av Caracas, linking the city center to southern and northern suburbs.
There's also an extensive cycling network. Most paths, however, are in the north, and central areas still suffer from heavy traffic.
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