Bogotá/South
The South is a large area comprising six localities of Bogota. This area tends to be where the majority of the city's low-income and middle-working classes live. It includes the localities of includes the localities of San Cristóbal, Usme, Tunjuelito, Antonio Nariño, Rafael Uribe, Ciudad Bolívar. Areas tend to be less organized than those in other parts of the city, however the government of Bogota has invested millions of dollars in increasing the productivity of the south and making its infrastructure better. Now, despite not being as nice as other parts of Bogota, the South has large avenues, planned neighborhoods, various public parks, libraries, and community centers. One of the main tourist attractions is the Paramo de Sumapaz, the largest moorland ecosystem in the World. Other key sights include visiting the Metro Cable public transportation system, and the Mayor shopping mall, the third largest shopping mall in Latin America, as well as the Mundo Aventura theme park (Second largest in the city), with multiple roller coasters and rides for all ages. If you do have some extra time in Bogota, definitely visit Mundo Aventura and Salitre Magico (located in the Teusaquillo locality in central Bogota), these are the main amusement parks in the city. Although much smaller than the Disney parks, this a great way to entertain yourself and to get the adrenaline up! Over the years, through investments in safety and infrastructure, the South has positioned itself as a far more appealing tourist destination than before! Although safety is not a huge concern when visiting the South of Bogota, just every once in a while occasional pickpocketing may occur. So just keep in mind that there may need to be little more precautions than when you visit any of the other localities in Bogota, but the South still, tends be a generally safe area, despite certain sectors and streets.
Get in
By Transmilenio
The H Zone and L Zone are the routes through the South on the Transmilenio, both running from downtown. The former runs along Avenida Caracas before splitting to go to either Portal Tunal or Portal Usmé. The L Zone runs along Carrera 10 (Décima) to Portal 20 Julio, which now sees connections to buses to Villavicencio.
By car
Avenida Boyacá is the main southern highway, which passes through the South on the way to Villavicencio, and is probably the extent to which most travelers see the South. From downtown—which is quite close to the south of the city—Avenida Caracas is a more local route goes straight through, meeting up with Avenida Boyacá, while Kra 10 does the same, but the path onward after it terminates is much more confusing.
See
If you are looking for tourist attractions, there aren't that many as in other parts of the city. But at the very least, you could find one very attractive, a huge historical church:
- 🌍 Iglesia San José Obrero, Kra 13 #26AS-1–26AS-99 (A little less than 1 km from the Olaya H Zone Transmilenio stop).
Do
Ride on the 🌍 TransMiCable cable car, connect at Portal Tunal bus station. M-Sa 4:30am-10pm, Su 5:30am-9pm. Free transfer from Transmilenio bus, otherwise the ride costs $2950.. This ride is integrated with the public transit system and meant for easier access for Bogota citizens living on the hillside communities to access employment opportunities and daily activities. Hence, there are 3 cable car stations in the hills after the Portal Tunal cable car terminal. But tourists are equally welcome! You can view the entire Bogota South side and Bolivar locality in the air. It's recommended that you do not exit the cable car station and take the return trip back to Portal Tunal (for free) because the communities that the cable car stops serve are unsafe.
Hiking in Sumapaz National Park is a reasonably popular day-trip excursion, usually arranged with a tour company.
Buy
- 🌍 Centro Comercial Centro Mayor, Avenida NQS (Autosur) at 38AS. 8AM-10PM daily. While this mall has fewer high-end stores than the shopping centers in the north of the city, it makes up for that in sheer size—with over 430 stores, it's the biggest mall in Colombia, and it's quite nice. As it's just off the Autosur, it is really convenient if you are coming into the city. Notably, it houses the southernmost Crepes & Waffles in the city!
Eat
Along Avenida Caracas, west of the Olaya TransMilenio station, is a row of restaurants specializing in lechona, a Colombian variation of lechón (roast pork). The many lechonerías here have their lechona of the day on display, enticing passers-by to try theirs over someone else's.
- 🌍 Lechonería La Dietética de Natagaima, Avenida Caracas #28B-03 (TransMilenio Olaya), ☏ +57 310 3307193. Featured in Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations, this place is arguably the best-known of the many lechona places in Bogotá. First-time diners also receive a complimentary branded piggy bank and magnet. 8,000-15,000 COP.
- 🌍 Restaurante Don Roque, Calle 2 #8-10, ☏ +57 601-794-5735. Rotisserie chicken restaurant. The portion size is massive but it's in an unsafe neighbourhood. COP $7,000-15,000.
Stay safe
The San Bernardo and Santa Barbara neighbhourhoods, just south of La Candelaria, are unsafe even for Bogota's standard. There is no tourist attraction there and you should avoid this area at night.