Bogota, Colombia – the country’s capital city is noise and stress-free from more than 1.6 million private vehicles, 50,000 taxis, 9,000 buses, and around 500,000 motorcycles. Is it a miracle? Certainly not!
Every Sunday and holidays, Bogotanos get the unique opportunity to have the city for themselves and fall in love with it again and again. The weekly event tagged as Ciclovía, starts at 7 am and runs until 2 pm, provides the community with a rare chance to enjoy a little fresh air along its 75 miles stretches of highways and avenues. People can ride any non-motor mode of transport here such as their bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and wheelchairs.
Around 1.5 million Bogotanos go to Sunday Ciclovía to eat, dance, and watch other people go about their activities. You’ll find wanderer-filled sidewalk cafes with their canine companions nearby just alongside their chairs or baby strollers beside them.
There are also Fun Stops or recreovia at the Ciclovía where an amazing salsa band entertains passersby. There is something for everyone here, from Zumba sessions to those wanting to get in shape to orange juice and fruit salad sold at the curbside for the inspirationally fit.
The entire program is being run by Bibiana Sarmiento, who 14 years ago was a young skater and Ciclovía’s guardián. According to Sarmiento, “The most important thing is the social fabric that gets woven (among people who use) the Ciclovía.”