Bogotá  is  the  capital  city  of  Colombia  and  the  country’s  most  populated  city.  With  almost eight  million inhabitants it is the most important political city in the country. The city is situated in the geographical centre of Colombia at an altitude of 2640masl on a plateau known as the Sabana de Bogotá to the west of the Andes.  

Bogotá’s privileged location means that it is blessed with a year round spring-like climate where the flowers are always in bloom. The average temperature is 14ºC and fluctuates between lows of 4ºC and highs of 28ºC. December, January, February and March are the driest months; June and July the rainiest and August is hot and sunny with a strong breeze. Bogotá has a great variety of barrios or neighborhoods: the tall modern buildings are located in the Centro International and just beside is the bohemian Macarena district which takes in the Plaza de Toros. The historic centre is called the La Candelaria and is where the city was created and the seat of government and congress. Just north of here are the barrios of La Merced and Teusaquillo which are defined by having British architecture. Chapinero, Avenida Chile, Calle 2 and Calle 100 make up the commercial and financial districts. Further to the north is the colonial area of Usaquén formerly a town in its own  right  but  now  absorbed  into  Bogotá.  To  the  West  are  the  industrial  barrios  of  Restrepo  and  Las Americas.  

This city was founded on August 6 1538 with the name of Santa Fe by the conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada who  arrived in  these  lands  in  pursuit  of  gold and  defeated  the  Chibcha indigenous people in Bacatá. Bacatá is the indigenous Chibcha word for capital of the Zipa confederation. This town made up part of the Muisca territory, an indigenous group of the Chibcha linguistic strain. In 1717 the kingdom of New Granada was established here and in 1819 Simon Bolivar chose this city as the capital of Gran Colombia, a territory that included Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.  

Bogotá today is a modern city with a bubbling cultural scene and vibrant social aspect. Picturesque, with an important architectural heritage, the most impressive collection of Pre-Columbian art in the world and fantastic museums it is also a city of futuristic architecture with enormous and modern building.