Bogotá Nightlife in La Candelaria: A Saturday Night at Chorro de Quevedo

While on a chance visit to the Bogotá Police Museum, our guide asked what we planned to do that night. It was a Saturday—our first day in the city.

“Going for a drink or two,” I replied.

“At Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo?”

I hadn’t heard of the place before. He explained that it was the place to be for nightlife in Bogotá. I had no reason to doubt him. As our guesthouse happened to be just around the corner in La Candelaria, we headed straight there after dark.

Crowds walking beneath colorful umbrellas and string lights at Chorro de Quevedo in La Candelaria, Bogotá — The busiest street leading into Chorro de Quevedo

Plazoleta Chorro de Quevedo isn’t big, but it’s laid out in a way that concentrates noise and movement. A small, uneven square sits at the center, anchored by an old whitewashed church. Two narrow cobbled streets slope into it from the north side, both lined tightly with bars, their doors and windows thrown open as if the walls were optional.

People sitting and socializing outside the Ermita de San Miguel del Príncipe church at Chorro de Quevedo in La Candelaria, Bogotá — The square fills up as the evening gets going

Busy nightlife street in La Candelaria, Bogotá, with bars, colorful façades, and crowds beneath festive lights — One of the lively streets around Chorro de Quevedo

Sound hit first. Different kinds of music spilled straight into the square—rock, reggae, cumbia, electrónica—often live, often competing, sometimes collapsing into a single loud blur. Inside the bars, it was deafening; outside, just tolerable enough to linger. The air smelled of beer, sweat, fried snacks from nearby carts, and a constant haze of weed that seemed to hang over the whole area like a second atmosphere.

Bar entrance decorated with colorful murals and string lights in La Candelaria, Bogotá, with people gathered outside — One of the bars competing for your attention

People were everywhere, drifting rather than moving with purpose. Touts hovered at the edges of doorways, calling out drink deals, gesturing us inside with the urgency of men who’d learned that hesitation is the enemy. Lads wandered through the square selling chicha—thick, sweet, and lightly fermented corn drink, served in plastic cups—and, with considerably less subtlety, also offering the best pot and cocaine.

Street vendor selling chicha in Chorro de Quevedo, La Candelaria, Bogotá — Fresh chicha, anyone?

Near the church, a stand-up comedian—a cuentero, as these street storytellers are known in Colombia—had gathered a crowd that took up half the square. He performed with amplification, pacing and gesturing, his voice rising and falling with practiced rhythm. The audience reacted loudly, laughter breaking out in waves, though my Spanish wasn’t good enough to get the jokes. Still, the timing, the body language, the way people leaned in told the story well enough: this was a familiar ritual, not a novelty act.

Crowd watching a cuentero performing at Chorro de Quevedo in La Candelaria, Bogotá — A *cuentero* keeps the square entertained

We walked the triangle formed by the two streets and the square more than once, orbiting slowly, peering into bars, stepping in and out of the noise. We tried a couple of places—each loud in its own way—before settling at a bar right on the square with outdoor tables. There, you could hear yourself talk, smoke without squeezing into a doorway, and watch the whole scene unfold.

Live music performance inside a bar at Chorro de Quevedo in La Candelaria, Bogotá — Listening to some live music inside a bar

The square became its own kind of entertainment. Musicians tuning up, vendors weaving through tables, people of all ages and nationalities boozing. For a first night in Bogotá, fresh off a flight and still adjusting, it was an easy place to let the city introduce itself—loudly, messily, and without asking much in return beyond your attention.

People relaxing around the central fountain at Chorro de Quevedo in La Candelaria, Bogotá, late at night — The buzzing square

The party was still going strong when we headed home around midnight. It’d be nice to have stayed longer, but we needed some rest before hiking up Monserrate in the morning.

Colorful street art of a shark pouring a drink, with a smiling woman posing in front in Bogotá, Colombia. — The shark insisted on one more drink

Accommodation & Activities in Bogotá

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