Plans and destinations to celebrate your father’s life
Nature, entertainment, gastronomy, and other surprises can make Father’s Day very special and hilarious.
This Sunday, June 16, Colombia celebrates the traditional Father’s Day. Although children choose to gift clothes, shoes, perfumes, watches, and other accessories, Visit Bogotá suggests some plans and destinations to celebrate your father’s life differently and entertainingly in Bogotá and its surroundings.
Capital Delicacies
In La Candelaria, a historic neighborhood in the heart of Bogotá, you’ll find several options to delight your dad’s palate. There, in Calle 11, above the Carrera Septima and the Bolivar Square, you can enjoy the best ajiaco in the city, a typical dish of Bogotá par excellence. Emblematic restaurants such as La Puerta Falsa or La Puerta de la Tradición, among others, are excellent choices. There are other options in the north of the city, like Zona T, Chapinero, and Usaquén, where you’ll have a diverse gastronomic, including international cuisine restaurants.
Calle Bonita, located at the International Center, is another recommended place. A few blocks from there, you’ll find a varied and delightful menu for good food lovers in the La Macarena neighborhood. When you choose the restaurant of your preference, we recommend you make the reservations to avoid long lines.
Sacred Lakes of Siecha
For those parents who love nature, we recommend the Siecha Lakes, located in Guasca, Cundinamarca. They are sacred lakes that spring from the mountains, where our Muisca ancestors made offerings and ceremonies. It is worth mentioning that Siecha means “Man of Water” in this indigenous language. Guasca is 58 kilometers from Bogotá, and the most recommended way to get there is by taking La Calera Road. However, we suggested contacting an operator to live a more enriching experience. Local guides will take you on a hike that may last three hours and a half while you hear legends and talk about the need to preserve this ecosystem that is responsible for providing water to a large part of the region. They will also take care of your food. Make sure to wear warm clothes (preferably waterproof) and tennis shoes or shoes with grippy soles.
Tejo and bolirana
If you are looking for a fun time with traditional games, we have a plan for you. At La Embajada, Carrera 24 # 76-20, in the San Felipe neighborhood, you can enjoy the national sport: tejo. In customized courts for groups, you and your father and family can play with these cast iron pucks while enjoying a delicious picada of traditional Colombian food and some good beers or cocktails.
Bolirana, or sapo, is another typical Colombian game that consists of throwing rings from a determined distance at a kind of board with different holes. The winner will be the one who gets the most hits in the holes. While the game has ancient origins, it can now be played on an electronic board. One of the recommended sites is Frog Bolirana Club, located at Carrera 24 # 75 32.
Climbing giant rocks in Suesca
If your father is an outdoor extreme adventure and pure adrenaline lover, Suesca is the ideal place. It is an hour from Bogotá on the road that leads to Tunja, a Cundinamarca municipality that has become one of the main attractions in the country for rock climbing. It is a two-kilometer-long rocky line where you can challenge your fears by climbing stone walls, and its size ranges from 20 to 130 meters high. We recommend you hire an operator who will be in charge of all the logistics. This person will also give you instructions and the necessary equipment to ensure your safety.
Learn how to prepare handmade cocoa
In Bogotá's downtown, you can learn how to prepare, in an artisanal way, one of the most emblematic Colombian fruits: cocoa. Cacaote is an enterprise located at Carrera 4 # 12b-13, which offers a workshop where, in a fun way, they teach you to roast the bean and transform it into a delicious cocoa mass.
It is a face-to-face workshop led by experts who will teach you their culinary secrets and supply you with the tools for its preparation. The activity lasts an hour and a half, and at the end, you will get cocoa derivatives such as nibs (small pieces), cocoa husks, and chocolate to prepare a hot drink at home. It includes an apron, a cap, and a certificate of participation. If your dad is a lover of cooking, this is the right plan.
The healing waters of the Cruz Verde Paramo
Fathers work hard and deserve a good relaxing day, so how about a hot springs bath without traveling too far from Bogotá? In the midst of the biodiversity and mesmerizing landscapes of the Cruz Verde Paramo, 20 kilometers from Bogotá's downtown, on the road to Choachí, you will find the Santa Mónica Hot Springs. You can enjoy the warm, medicinal waters that flow from the mountain and complement your experience with a good massage at the on-site spa.
This Sunday, June 16, Colombia celebrates the traditional Father’s Day. Although children choose to gift clothes, shoes, perfumes, watches, and other accessories, Visit Bogotá suggests some plans and destinations to celebrate your father’s life differently and entertainingly in Bogotá and its surroundings.
