Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá

Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá tickets: which one to buy

The Primatial Cathedral stands on the east side of the Plaza de Bolivar, the main square of Bogota, in the historic La Candelaria district, and entry is free. The square is surrounded by the Capitolio, the Palace of Justice and the city hall, and walking tours of La Candelaria start or pass here, continuing to the Gold Museum, the Botero Museum, the street art of the old town and the cable car or funicular up to Monserrate.

The cathedral is open for visits outside service times, and guided visits are sometimes available. The Chapel of the Sagrario next door has a fine baroque interior. The square is busy with pigeons, vendors and demonstrators, and visitors should keep an eye on their belongings, especially after dark, when La Candelaria is best visited with a guide or by taxi. Tourist police posts on the Plaza de Bolivar can help with directions and safety advice.

Visiting Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá: what to see

A modest church was built on this site in 1539, shortly after the foundation of Bogota, and it was rebuilt several times after collapses and earthquakes. The present cathedral was designed by the Spanish-born friar and architect Domingo de Petres in a neoclassical style and completed in 1823, just after Colombian independence. It is one of the largest churches in Colombia. The facade of stone has two bell towers and statues of saints. The interior is vast and sober, with three aisles, a gilded high altar, side chapels with colonial paintings and religious art, and a large organ.

The cathedral contains the tomb of Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, the Spanish conquistador who founded the city. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Bogota, the primate of Colombia, which gives the cathedral its title. The treasury holds valuable pieces of colonial gold and silver work. The side chapels contain paintings by Gregorio Vasquez de Arce y Ceballos, the leading painter of colonial New Granada, and the choir stalls are carved in dark wood. The cathedral was restored after damage during the riots of 1948 that followed the assassination of the politician Jorge Eliecer Gaitan.

Primatial Cathedral of Bogotá opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with visits restricted during mass. Bogota has a cool climate all year because of its altitude of about 2,600 metres, with rainy seasons from April to May and October to November; bring a jacket and an umbrella. Mornings are often clearer, and the Plaza de Bolivar is lively during the day. Sundays bring the Ciclovia, when major roads are closed to cars and filled with cyclists and walkers.

Christmas and Holy Week bring special services. The altitude can make walking tiring for new arrivals. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral, and walk to the Gold Museum, one of the finest in the Americas, about fifteen minutes away. The funicular and cable car up to Monserrate, the mountain above La Candelaria, give views over the city and run from early morning.