Septimazo

If there's one thing that's part of Bogotá's collective consciousness, it's the "Septimazo." Synonymous with gatherings, showcases, displays, and recognition, a stroll down Carrera Séptima in any direction is more than just a tradition; it's a way to understand who Colombians are and what they're like.

And while the city's collective imagination defines the Septimazo by its precise boundaries between Plaza de Bolívar and the San Diego Parish, its 23.4 km make it feel almost endless. At every step, on every street, and with every picture-postcard scene, this is the city's culturally iconic avenue.

In the past, it was known as the main street or Calle Real, later Avenida Séptima, Avenida de la República, or Avenida Alberto Lleras Camargo. It was built on an indigenous road that the Spanish conquistadors called the "salt road" or "Tunja road," which connected Santafé with the indigenous town of Usaquén and the town of Zipaquirá.

The heritage of Carrera Séptima isn't limited to the National Monuments and Cultural Heritage Sites that surround it; it also lies in the diverse activities it offers: there you'll find gambling, street entertainment, dancing, food, laughter, and even daytime and nighttime revelry.

The Carrera Séptima is also a journey through architecture and its history. Sometimes colonial, sometimes framed by the popular and middle-class construction of the 19th century. In some places it's Republican style, in others Neoclassical, and even modern. 

The Carrera Séptima is a journey of delightful contrasts. Walking along it offers the visitor a diverse array of spectacles, from military marches and political demonstrations to street performances by mimes, caricaturists, photographers, tireless chess players, and impromptu jazz, salsa, and indigenous music artists with their quenas and charangos.