Usaquen

Usaquen was a separate town founded in 1539 and stayed one until 1954, when Bogota annexed it along with several other surrounding municipalities as the city expanded north - the plaza, the church of Santa Barbara and the low colonial streets around them survived the absorption and now sit inside an otherwise modern and affluent district. The Sunday flea market fills the streets round the plaza with several hundred stalls selling crafts, jewellery, antiques, food and a good deal of ordinary market goods, and it is one of the busier weekend events in the city. The restored houses hold restaurants and bars, which is what the district now runs on. Hacienda Santa Barbara, a shopping centre built into a colonial hacienda, is adjacent.

What you actually see

• A colonial plaza and church - from a town annexed in 1954.
• A Sunday flea market - several hundred stalls round the square.
• Restored houses as restaurants - what the district runs on now.
• A hacienda converted to a shopping centre - next door.

When to go

Sunday for the market; year round otherwise. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The market is Sunday only - other days the district is restaurants. It is expensive by Bogota standards. Sunday crowds are heavy. The colonial core is small, surrounded by modern development.

Nearby

Northern Bogota's business districts are south; the eastern hills rise behind.