Located in the Andes’ Eastern Cordillera region, Bogota is the capital city of Colombia. As of 2015, the sprawling metropolis is home to 8,854,722 people. It was the centre of civilization in the country prior to the Spanish conquest. The European settlement was established by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada in 1538 and was called "Santa Fé de Bacatá." It gradually grew until 1940 but has since drawn locals from the suburbs in search of greener pastures. Today, Bogota is a modern city with a cultural centre situated in La Candelaria, the cobbled downtown area where most travellers gravitate.
Santa Fe – Bogota’s official red-light district, also known as “the high impact zone.” It is the only area in the city where prostitution is legal and permitted to be publicly shown on the streets. Just like in Amsterdam, the move was made by the local government to have more control over prostitution and consolidate inclusive processes. However, there’s also a lot of illegal prostitution occurring outside the designated area. The high-class courtesans are known as “pre-pagos” because they charge in advance through credit card. This may not be a common practice in other cities but the girls are generally honest and the oldest profession in the world is practiced more safely and with less exploitation. The sad part is that there are also girls who prostitute themselves in order to support their drug habits.
How to Find the RLD
Santa Fe is located in downtown Bogota, the area around Carerras 13 and 13A, between Avenida 19 and Calle 22, and between Avenida Caracas and Avenida Fernando Mazuera. It is situated west with respect to Avenida Caracas.
Stay Safe in the RLD
Bogota is a hot destination in South America, with its dazzling nightlife and proud locales eager to show off their city. However, the growing disparity between the rich and the poor contributes to the struggle with street crime. In Sana Fe, the northern and eastern sections are okay, but things can get sketchy as you head south, where there have been reports of armed robbery and muggings. There are also some places where delightful and dodgy sites bump against each other and a couple of blocks of detour can put you in peril. Talk to the hotel staff about your plans for the day so they can advise about safety.
When in Bogota, you’ll often hear the term ‘rumba’ which means to hit the bars and club and party all night long. It also pertains to drinking and dancing till the wee hours of the morning, the only way the spirited locals know how. You may also spend the night in the various adult entertainment venues like sex shops, erotic massage parlours, swinger clubs, and a myriad of strip clubs with flashing neon lights that attract men and women of all ages.
Adult Cinemas
You can find street hookers in the following:
Swinger Clubs
Bogota has a number of clubs for swinging couples. Some of these swinger clubs allow access for single male and female visitors.
Prostitution is legal, with the minimum age set at 18. However, the law prohibits pimping and facilitating or organizing sexual tourism. Violators face penalties of three to eight years' imprisonment.
With regards to gays, their rights have progressed considerably since authorities decriminalized consensual homosexual activity in 1980. Amendments were made to the Criminal Code, making Bogota one of the most advanced cities in terms of gay rights legislation. Between February 2007 and April 2008, the Constitutional Court made three rulings that gave registered same-sex couples similar pension, property rights and social security, just like registered heterosexual partners. Moreover, the law reforms made during the 1990s equalized the age of consent at 14 for both heterosexual and homosexual sex.
As a diverse city, the wide selection of nightlife options in Bogota is simply unrivalled in Colombia. While cities like Cali and Medellin may have the edge in terms of spicy salsa clubs and Latin music, there are definitely a lot more venues to choose from in the capital. Aside from its Latin offerings, Bogota hosts a variety of other bars and clubs that tend to be more familiar to foreign tourists.
While it’s true that most of Bogota’s tourist hotspots are located in Candelaria, the nightlife in the city’s historic centre may disappoint travellers with more discerning tastes, and the hipster stronghold can get a bit dangerous after dark. A majority of the city dwellers move north for the evening, to the posher entertainment districts. For instance, Zona Rosa and its surrounding neighbourhoods have some of the best restaurants, coolest bars, hottest clubs, and most exclusive shopping establishments. More importantly, they are safer to walk around even well into the wee hours. There you’ll also find most of the city’s finest hotels and you certainly want to be there for the nightlife, which ranges from trendy dance clubs to cosy pubs that serve locally made brews.
If you wish to visit hotspots like Alma, Penthouse or Dlirio, dress to impress and expect some steep prices. There is also Zona G which is home to a number of popular and rather quirky nightspots such as 6L6, with DJs and live music, or the free and easy El Sitio that provides more of a lounge ambiance.
Bogota is a typical ‘macho’ Latin American city which has witnessed the development of a gay scene in recent years. It also saw significant improvements in terms of gay and lesbian rights including efforts to provide gay and lesbian partnership rights, along with protection from discrimination. In spite of the more positive legal scenario, Bogota is still a pretty dangerous and violent city. Over the past couple of years, the social attitude towards gays and lesbians has hardened. There are some bright spots though, like the bustling gay-friendly neighbourhood of Chapinero Alto (a.k.a “Chapigay”) and a progressive approach towards equal rights and same-sex couples. This was featured on the “South American travel ‘gaydar’” which mentioned the more welcoming attitude towards gay partnerships. Such development is largely attributed to a series of rulings made by the Constitutional Court over the past three years that gave cohabiting gay couples similar common-law marriage benefits as heterosexual couples, including the sharing of health and social security benefits as well as immigration rights for partners.
General Attitude Towards Gays
Bogota is a predominantly Catholic city so you can expect some reservations towards the concept of homosexuality. Nonetheless, the public is largely nonchalant and acts of aggression or discrimination are seldom reported. Gays can roam around without much fear or anxiety and they tend to congregate in Chapinero, where the LGBT community is strongest. You’ll also find that a huge chunk of the north, particularly Zona Rosa, is largely gay-friendly.
Transsexual Prostitutes
Shemales can be found along Caracas and on 19th street, and also along Carreras 13A, between Avenida Fernando Mazuera and Avenida Caracas, and between Calles 22 and 23. There are also some shemales in Carrera 15 Calles 56-60. The price for sex with transsexual prostitutes is 15,000 to 50,000 Colombian Pesos.
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