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Ask someone what to do in Bogotá and you will always hear the same three suggestions, The Gold Museum, Monserrate and the Salt Cathedral, which isn't even in Bogotá.

Three attractions in a city of nearly 8 million people seems a bit lame, so here is our pick of alternative activities in Bogotá

Send an email if you would like to suggest other cool stuff to do in and around the city.

Hit the Ciclovía

Each Sunday and public holiday, Bogotá closes about 180km of roads and gives them over to cyclists, skaters and joggers. In addition Recrovía sites can be found along the routes, such as keep fit classes in the Parque Nacional.

Hire a bike (here for example) and join in with up to 2 million Bogotanos on their Sunday outing.

Suggested route: From Plaza Bolívar, head directly down la Séptima to Av Pepe Sierra (Calle 116) where you will find numerous empanada stalls. Turn left at Carulla Supermarket and go South down Carrera 15 until Calle 72. Head East on Calle 72 until la Séptima, turn right and return to the centre. Parque Nacional is on the Séptima at Calle 38.

Paloquemao

Shhhhhhh don’t tell the Bogotanos, but in Paloquemao they have arguably the most amazing fruit and vegetable market anywhere in the world. Incredible contrasting colours, fruits and vegetables that seem to be from another planet, the freshest herbs anywhere in Bogotá and the whole market is immaculately clean and orderly.

Take yourself a large bag and $10 will fill it with enough vegetables and fruits for the whole week. Look out for feijoa, a small green fruit with tapered ends that makes an incredible smoothie with ice and skimmed milk.

Open 6 days per week Monday to Saturday, for the best choice try to get there before midday. Transmilenio Paloquemao or take a buseta from Calle 19 con 7.

Click here for photographs of La Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao from THE COLOMBIAN WAY

Treat yourself to flowers

Colombia is the world’s second largest exporter of cut flowers, principally to the USA where they are renowned for their quality. Since you are in Bogotá though, why not treat yourself to some here. $5 will get you a dozen fantastic red roses, pick your own arrangement and marvel at the value for money. Fill your boots, or your vase even.

Head to Transmilenio Flores station. The market itself is a spectacular sight but some of the sellers on the stalls can be a bit pushy, Bogotá Directory recommends you try Floristería Dígalo con Flores, a shop at the back of the flower market. They will be happy to let you choose the flowers you want at your own leisure.

Central Cemetery

A cemetery is always an interesting day out isn’t it? With row upon row of decrepit tombs, Bogotá’s Central Cemetery is not the most glamorous of places, but it does offer a unique view into Colombia’s chequered and violent past, as ex businessmen, assassinated politicians, dead presidents and gangland victims rub their dead shoulders with each other.

Highlight of the cemetery is the tomb of Leo Kopp. Kopp was a German immigrant that established Colombia’s Bavaria Brewery, coupled with his enterprise, Kopp was renowned for his philanthropy and the help he gave to his own employees. Credited with giving much to Colombia’s poor, his tomb and golden statue is tended by those that come to “ask favours” of Kopp

Bogotá’s Central Cemetery is within walking distance West of Transmilenio Calle 26 station. Best days to visit are Saturday and Sunday.

Click here for photographs of The Central Cemetery from PANORAMIO

Guinea Pig Racing

Forget the over the top hotels of Las Vegas or decadent hats of Royal Ascot. Only in Bogotá can you place a bet on the guinea pigs.

Betting on the guinea pigs can be found most Friday afternoons/evenings and most weekends at Av Jimenez con Carrera 7. Go to Transmilenio Museo del Oro and you ought to spot it there on the corner opposite McDonalds.

Botanical Garden

At times Bogotá can appear overbearingly grey, noisy and a bit grimy, so take a break from the city life and head out to the botanical garden. Founded in 1955, Bogotá’s Botanical Garden houses species of plants from all of Colombia’s climates.

To prove Colombians have a sense of humour, the botanical garden is under the El Dorado flight path, so the tranquility of the lakes and well manicured gardens is punctuated every 15 minutes by the roar of an Airbus.

Find it on Calle 57 con 61, COP$2000 entrance, open 8-5 Monday to Friday and 9-5 weekends and public holidays

Click here for photographs of The Botanical Garden from PANORAMIO

Parque Jaime Duque

No visit to Bogotá is complete without a visit to Parque Jaime Duque. 40 minutes on a bus from Bogotá’s Portal Norte, Jaime Duque is the most idiosyncratically Colombian park there ever was.

On the one hand it is immaculately kept and curious, but on the other hand, it echos the sadness of place where time sort of stood still. Don’t be surprised if you go and nobody else seemed to bother to go at the same time.

The park was opened in 1983 by Jaime Duque, famous Colombian aviator and ex Avianca pilot. If you didn’t know Jaime Duque was an aviator, you might presume he was a flambouyant gay or a narco-baron, such is the decadence and whimsical folly of the park.

Highlights of the park are the “monument to god” (a giant hand holding a giant globe), a replica of the Taj Majal and what is arguably the world’s most rubbish and slowest monorail. Spend an hour on it travelling just over 1.5km around the park, it is so bad it is good.

Click here for photographs of Parque Jaime Duque from THE COLOMBIAN WAY

El Septimazo

Nothing seems to please a Bogotano more than the chance to congregate for no particular reason, eat pinchos and gawk at random stuff. Which is presumably why they stage the Septimazo each Friday night from 5pm onwards.

In a nutshell, they close la Avenida Séptima between Plaza Bolívar and Calle 26, and it seems to be a free for all for bric-a-brac vendors, amateur entertainers and street food. Win a duck, see some live music, and buy yourself an aromática.

Start at Transmilenio Museo del Oro and follow the crowds, be aware of petty crimes, it is dark and there are lots of people.

Flea Markets

If you can navigate your way through the Ciclovía on a Sunday, then it is worth aiming for Avenida Carrera 7 con Calle 24, there in a parking lot you will find… well you never know what you will find, from retro furniture, brassware, old power tools, to broken accordions and oil lamps.

At the side of the market on Calle 24, you will find unbelievably cheap ice creams.

Another flea market can be found on Sundays in Usaquén Carrera 5 con Calle 119.

Botero Museum

The Botero Collection is the jewel in the crown of Bogotá, situated in a cluster of extremely well maintained colonial houses, the museum houses the biggest collection of works by Fernando Botero, one of Colombia's most famous sons.

Apart from the works by Botero, you will also find Botero's personal collection of works by Dali, Renoir, Picasso, Chagall and Max Ernst to name but a few.

The real charm of the museum, aside from its panelled halls and pristine colonial courtyards, is the informality of the place, it has none of the stuffiness of the art galleries of Europe and North America.

Entrance is free, find it at Calle 11 #4-41

Coffee on the roof of the library

After visiting the Botero Museum, you may well notice that you are opposite the Biblioteca Luis Ángel Arango. Colombia's biggest library and one of the largest in South America.

If you can resist the temptation to splash out nearly 5 thousand pesos on a latte next door at Juan Valdez. You should head to the library for your thirst quencher. Take the elevator to the top floor and the library has a very simple cafeteria. The thing that makes this cafeteria special though, is that you can sit out on the balconies on the roof of the library and take in the view of Monserrate and downtown Bogotá

Note: On recent visits the balconies have been closed although it is still possible to have a coffee next to the large windows.