The Pasaje Rivas, a central Bogotá market which offers the essence of Colombianness, commemorated its 120th anniversary this week. The L-shaped pasaje connects Carrera Decima to Calle 10, and is full of souvenirs, furniture, clothing and lots more. Its vendors are proud that the pasaje pioneered the retail trade in Bogotá.

The National Museum, in Bogotá, is holding a colorful exhibition about Colombia's 14 UNESCO World Heritage sites, which include both cultural and natural phenomena. These include very concrete things, such as the Coffee Region and carnaval parades, as well as immaterial phenomena such as music and indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge.

On the 30th anniversary of Gabriel García Marquéz's Nobel Prize for literature, it seems worthwhile to look at a little-know chapter in his life: his time in Bogotá's La Candelaria neighborhood.

If you only have time to visit one museum in Bogotá, consider making it the less-known National Museum, which has a little of everything. Art? It's got abstract art, classical paintings, sculpture, modern art and even some Boteros. History? You'll find all you want, from pre-Columbian times, through the revolution, to Colombia's growth and contemporary exhibits. How about gold? They've got rooms of it, and silver, too. Anthropology? Yep. African face masks? Yep. Mummies? Yep. You get the idea.

For my first blog trip, courtesy of ProExport (the same people who bring you colombia.travel), my mission was to discover Villa de Leyva in the state of Boyaca. Villa de Leyva is a focal point of history, paleontology, art and nature. There is no crime, no garbage in the streets or streams, no raucous crowds. All the buildings are in the colonial Spanish style, with white walls and tiled roofs as mandated by the town's charter. Most of the streets are made of the original stones and mortar, completing the illusion that here time has stopped. The climate is perfect thanks to the dry air of the adjacent Candelaria desert, despite being located at over 2,000 meters (6,000 feet) above sea level. It is a place of singular beauty, and not unlike many others who have discovered it, I fell under its spell and long to return, not just to visit, but to live!

For mature visitors, Cartagena is the number one place of interest within Colombia, just as New York is for the United States, or Paris is for France. It is not the capital, but it is the city that offers itself as both a seaside resort as well as a picturesque historic destination.   For this reason, you will find no shortage of articles about its attractions, but I hope to give you a more practical guide to La Heroica (the Heroic), as Cartagena is known here.

Usaquén's colonial district has always been one of my favorite places in Bogotá, especially during the popular flea market held on every Sunday and holiday. In addition to the market, this area has several great restaurants, a large beautiful plaza, and a lot more history than you'd imagine.