Ciclovia Bogota

The ciclovia started in 1974 as a protest ride and became institutional: every Sunday and public holiday from seven in the morning to two in the afternoon, around a hundred and twenty kilometres of Bogota's main avenues close to motor traffic entirely and open to cyclists, runners, skaters and walkers, with stewards at junctions. Participation is generally put at over a million people a week. It is free, it is city-run rather than an event, and it has been copied in dozens of cities across the Americas and beyond - the term ciclovia is used internationally for the format because of this one. Recreovia stations along the route run free open-air aerobics classes. Bicycles can be hired in several places.

What you actually see

• About 120 kilometres of closed avenues - every Sunday and holiday.
• Over a million participants - by the usual estimates.
• Free aerobics stations - Recreovia points along the route.
• A format copied worldwide - the word itself is now international.

When to go

Sundays and public holidays, seven in the morning to two in the afternoon. A morning.

Honest expectations

It runs Sunday mornings only and ends at two sharp. Bogota's altitude makes cycling harder than expected for arrivals. Weather is changeable and often wet. The busiest sections are slow.

Nearby

Carrera 7 runs the length of the city; Simon Bolivar park connects to the route.