Every Sunday, Bogotá bans cars on some main roads so its residents can enjoy Ciclivía, roaming the streets with bicycles or on foot without inhaling or emitting fumes. It’s an excellent way to get to know the city and its people.
Since its initiation in the 70s, the locals have embraced Bogotá’s Ciclovía. And the approach has become a model for other cities. It is scheduled every Sunday and public holidays between 7 am and 2 pm. The network length extends to 127.69 km, consisting of closed roads and the exiting bikeways.
Note: the map rotates counterclockwise. Left is north and right is south. The shape of Bogotá is north-south elongated. I figured, to optimise sign space, many official maps including ones at BRT stations orientate this ways.
My starting point was on Carrera 7 southward to La Candelaria, the city’s old colonial area. From solo and group cyclists to families and pets; from food and bike repair vendors to street markets; from an outdoor yoga class to occasional marching bands—Sunday morning in Bogotá was lively and vibrant.
Two reactions when people saw me with the DSLR camera. One, they came forward to ask me to take photos of them. When obliged, the next thing I found myself in a circle of marching band kids, requesting their shots.
Other incidents involved security. Before finishing the photoshoot, I went off the Ciclivía routes where local sceneries got more interesting. A police whistled at me and probably warned me (in Spanish) about the camera. Anyhow, I kept going to a BRT station to get back. The street market around the station seemed rough with homeless shelters and piles of second-hand goods. Again, a random guy warned me (in English) about the camera. That was a convincing wrap!
It feels like a lot is going on in Bogotá. It welcomed me with the Pride parade. Colombia cruised through Copa América 2024 and boosted the country’s patriotism. And they were against Argentina in the final on the same Sunday I took this photo walk. Sadly, it didn’t get the trophy. I’ve only been here less than a month.
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