The local expat and digital nomad community certainly has a lot of great tips for remote workers in Bogota. After all, this is not Colombia’s most popular city for visitors which makes it slightly less intuitive in terms of navigating and understanding. Nonetheless, Bogota is Colombia’s most important city and, most certainly, one of the most important global capitals in the continent. As such, you can expect it to be easy to find basic amenities here and for the local infrastructure to be up to the standard required for those looking to stay medium and long-term.
Below, we suggest some useful tips for remote workers in Bogota.
Bogota is a huge city and this cold metropolis can certainly feel lonely sometimes for the solo visitor. Nonetheless, the city is filled with digital nomads and international travelers all the time - meaning a great tip for remote workers in Bogota is to join one of the many international communities available. Facebook groups, meetup communities, coworking spaces and language exchanges are excellent ways of feeling part of the city and getting to know locals as well as other visitors in the city. Having a group of friends or colleagues in the city is likely to make it much easier for any solo remote workers to live here.
As Colombia’s capital, Bogota is a global city, and you can certainly expect people to know more than just a few words of English here. In fact, it will be common to hear Portuguese, English and even German across the city. Nonetheless, one of the top tips for remote workers in Bogota is certainly to learn at least some Spanish - this is likely to make you feel comfortable in a city as big as this one, and give you an important sense of belonging. Conveniently, Colombian Spanish is very neutral and Bogota accents are generally easy to understand even for beginners. Some good Spanish schools in the city include the Spanish World Institute, Don Quijote School and the Whee Institute.
As with other cities in Colombia, safety can certainly be an issue around Bogota. As such, it is important for all visitors to take the appropriate measures when it comes to walking and traveling across the city. It is a good idea to not walk alone at night around certain parts of the city at night and to avoid altogether the more dangerous neighborhoods. An important tip for remote workers In Bogota is to be careful also around the city’s fantastic nightlife districts, as these can be hotspots for pick-pockets and scammers targeting visitors.
Without a doubt, Colombia has one of the most vibrant and accessible cultures in Latin America! A great tip for remote workers in Bogota is to delve deep into the local cultural and take advantage of the many music, art and theater venues available across town. The city’s street art is certainly deserving a full tour, and you’ll also want to visit the Modern Art Museum and the Botero Museum. Beyond the arts, certainly try to make some local friends in Bogota and get to know how locals live in this unique city - taste local menus del dia and play some tejo!
This city can get extremely congested. As such, it is an important tip for remote workers in Bogota to plan accordingly to avoid getting stuck in traffic for a long time. Whenever boarding a taxi, ask the driver if they know a faster route that is safe and convenient, so you can avoid paying extra for just being stuck in jams. Equally, you’ll want to be careful using the Transmilenio and buses during peak hours as these can become dangerously congested.
For more information about living in Bogota as a remote worker, check out our complete Bogota guide.