A kids’ guide to Bogotá – Colombia

This article A kids’ guide to Bogotá – Colombia is for native English speakers and learners of English as a second or foreign language. It can help children practise reading and comprehension, learn new vocabulary, and discover fun facts about Bogotá, the capital of Colombia in South America. Written by Sinead O’Carroll, a writer and EFL teacher since 2017.

An introduction to Bogotá

Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia, a country in South America. It sits high in the Andes Mountains, about 2,600 metres above sea level, making it the third highest capital in the world after La Paz in Bolivia and Quito in Ecuador. Bogotá is home to more than 10 million people.

Facts about Bogotá

• Currency: Colombian peso
  
• Language: Spanish
  
• Bogotá’s flag: Yellow on the top half and red on the bottom half, with Bogotá’s black eagle in the centre when used officially.
  
• Colombia’s national flag: Yellow, blue, and red horizontal stripes.
  
• National animal of Colombia: Andean condor, a huge bird that lives in the mountains

What’s Bogotá famous for?

Bogotá is famous for its rich history, colourful street art, and lively music. It has a mix of old colonial buildings and modern skyscrapers. The city is also known for its museums, like the Gold Museum, which has one of the largest collections of gold in the world.

Cool places to visit in Bogotá

• Monserrate – A mountain with a church on top, offering amazing views of the whole city. You can go up by cable car, train, or hiking.
  
• Plaza de Bolívar – The main square of Bogotá, surrounded by important buildings like the Cathedral and the Palace of Justice.
  
• Gold Museum (Museo del Oro) – A fascinating museum with over 55,000 pieces of gold and artefacts made by ancient cultures.
  
• Botero Museum – A fun museum showing the work of Fernando Botero, a Colombian artist who painted and sculpted in a unique “big and round” style.

What’s on the menu?

Bogotá has lots of tasty foods to try. 

Street vendors sell arepas, round corn cakes that can be eaten plain or filled with cheese. Another favourite snack is empanadas, small pastries often filled with potatoes. For something sweet, many people enjoy obleas, thin wafers spread with caramel called arequipe. 

Bogotá is also known for its amazing variety of tropical fruits, which you can find at markets like Paloquemao.

What do people wear?

People in Bogotá wear modern clothes like jeans, jackets, and trainers, especially because the weather is cool most of the year. Traditional Colombian clothing includes ruanas, which are similar to warm ponchos, perfect for the chilly mountain climate.

Fun facts about Bogotá for kids

• Bogotá is sometimes called the “Athens of South America” because of its many universities and libraries.
  
• The city is filled with great cycle paths, making it one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world.
  
• On Sundays, many main roads close for Ciclovía, when people ride bikes, run, and skate without cars.
  
• The city is so high up that visitors may feel a little out of breath at first!

Vocabulary list

• Capital – The main city of a country where the government is located.
  
• Metres – A way to measure height or distance
  
• Skyscraper – A very tall modern building.
  
• Artefacts – Old objects made by people in the past.
  
• Cable car – A small vehicle that moves on a wire high above the ground.
  
• Pastry – Baked food made from dough, often filled with something tasty.
  
• Poncho – A piece of clothing like a blanket with a hole for the head, worn to keep warm.
  
• Cycle path – A road or lane made especially for people riding bicycles.
  
• Climate – The usual type of weather in a place.

Comprehension questions

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