Torre Colpatria Mirador

Info & History

If you’re in the area of Bogotá, Colombia, you should definitely consider checking out one of the top tourist attractions, Torre Colpatria Mirador. While the entire building is impressive, the tourist attraction is usually the observation deck which is found on the top floor of the tower. This is a skyscraper with fifty stories that is found right in the center of the city of Bogotá, so you can imagine how it has an unbeatable view of the surroundings being so high up in the air. It opened in 1979 after five years of construction, and it remained the tallest skyscraper in Colombia until 2016 when the BD Bacatá was finished. The building can be found where 26th Street and 7th Avenue intersect, and it houses many businesses including financial corporations such as banks. The vertical concrete structure gives it a distinct appearance and the impressive design allows tons of light into the building.

In 1998, the Torre Colpatria was lit up with thirty-six different colors of lights, and in 2012 they were replaced with high performance LED lights. The light show that this building gives off is unique and beautiful! It’s not uncommon to see high definition images projected onto the building at night time, which is part of it’s the charm to tourists and locals, especially during holidays. However, the main activity that brings in tourists is the observation deck that is located on the 49th floor of the building. You get an amazing 360 view of the area when you’re up that high! It’s perfect for photo opportunities. It is especially beautiful at night time when you can view all of the city lights in Bogotá. It is worth noting that it is open to visitors on weekends and on holidays. There is also a race each year on December 8 where participants climb up nearly a thousand steps. If you want to try your hand at the race, you have some serious competition. The record time it has taken for somebody to scale the steps is around 5 minutes and eleven seconds!

How to Get There

It is quite easy to get to Torre Colpatria via public transportation. Get on a bus or Transmilenio to get to the center of Bogotá. There is also a tourist bus runs a route ten minutes from the building. If you are driving yourself, you’ll find meters where you can park very close to the building. As with many other tourist destinations in the area, you can often find local tour guides who include this destination in their itineraries, and they usually offer round trip transportation from your hotel and back. This is a good way to go because you’ll get to enjoy a full itinerary of local activities to get the best tourist experience. It’s good to have these options when you’re traveling!

Admission

As we’ve stated before, the observation deck is open to the public during weekends beginning with Friday, as well as holidays. The tower is open on Friday from 6:00 pm. to 9:00 pm. Saturday from 2:00 pm. to 8:00 pm. and Sunday and Holidays from 11:00 am. to 5:00 pm. It only costs around 8.000 COP for admission which is quite a low price when you consider the amazing views that you’ll get to look on. It’s easy to spend an hour or so here soaking in all of the views before leaving.

Tips

The entrance for the observation deck isn’t clearly labeled, but you can find it between the main building and the other building on the south side. Look for the security checkpoint within the glass and wait by the door adjacent to the metal detector, and the guards will let you in when they notice your presence.

It can get pretty crowded at the observation deck after the sun sets, as many people want to get the view of the city lit up at night time. If you want to avoid crowds, consider coming as early as possible.

To get to the observation at the top of the building, you have to go into the elevator up to the 46th floor, and then it is required that you walk stairs the rest of the way. For these reasons, this is not a suitable activity for those who need wheelchair accessible options or have limited mobility otherwise.

There are awesome destinations near the tower to consider checking out before or after you go to the observation deck such as the National Museum.

There is a free bathroom upstairs, as well as options for vending machines if you’re in need of a snack.

It can get pretty cold and windy at the top of the observation deck! Remember to bring some warmer clothing with you, particularly if you are visiting the observation deck during the night time or when you know it’s going to be colder than usual.

If you decide to check it out on a Sunday, you should also consider going to the street market that happens each week right next to the tower. You can get some fresh produce, baked goods, and check out some awesome souvenirs being sold by local vendors.

If you want to reach them, you can call them at +57 6090052 or +57 6091615. It is recommended to call before coming to the observation tower so you can make sure that they will be open and accepting visitors.