Staying safe

The short version

Chicó, Parque de la 93 and Zona T, where most participants will stay, eat and walk, are busy, well-lit neighbourhoods that are comfortable on foot by day and in the evening. Bogotá receives millions of visitors every year, and the great majority of visits are trouble-free.

As in any city of this size, the main risk for visitors is opportunistic theft. Colombians have an expression for the habit that prevents it: no dar papaya, which roughly means “do not make it easy”.

Everyday habits

• Phone. Keep it in a pocket or bag while you walk. To check a map or a message, step into a shop or café.
• Valuables. Carry what you need for the day: one card, some cash, and a photo or copy of your passport. Leave the passport and the rest in the hotel safe.
• Bags. Keep them closed and in sight in cafés and restaurants, and in front of you on crowded buses.
• At night. For anything longer than a short walk on busy streets, order a ride through an app, or ask the restaurant or hotel to call a taxi.
• Cash machines. Use the ones inside shopping centres or bank branches, during the day.
• Drinks. Keep an eye on your drink in bars, and politely decline drinks or food offered by strangers.

In the unlikely event that someone tries to rob you, hand things over and do not resist. Belongings can be replaced.

The centre and Monserrate

La Candelaria is at its best during the day. It gets quiet in the evening, so take a ride back to your hotel after dark. On Monserrate, use the cable car or the funicular. The footpath is for daytime only, at the hours when it is open and busy. The congress tour visits both as a group.

Travel advisories

Government travel advisories usually cover Colombia as a whole. The areas they warn against, mostly some border and remote rural regions, are far from Bogotá and from every place mentioned on this site. Please read the advice from your own government, and check that your travel insurance is valid for the trip.

Demonstrations

Demonstrations take place from time to time, mostly in the city centre, and are usually peaceful. They can disrupt traffic and public transport, so avoid them and allow extra time for the trip to the airport.

In an emergency

• 123 is the single emergency number for police, ambulance and fire services.
• Several of the country’s best hospitals are a short drive from the congress area, including Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá and Clínica del Country.
• Your hotel reception can call a doctor, an ambulance or the tourist police for you.