BOGOTÁ vibrant areas in the Colombian capital. Affectionately known as Chapi, the district is located to the northeast of Bogotá and stretches over 38 square kilometres towards the mountains. In Chapinero, which is divided into six are-as comprising distinct neighbourhoods, visitors can enjoy wandering around its steep streets, shops, parks, museums, Tudor-style brick houses, bookshops and antique stores. In recent years however, it has also become the setting for a new gastronomic wave, with chefs looking inland for dish-es inspired by the country’s incredible biodiversity. Sustainable management and chicha sauce The Mini Mal restaurant (Trv 4 Bis # 56A - 52) opened its doors 23 years ago in Chapinero, in the family home of agronomist Manuel Martínez, who created an interdisci-plinary team with graphic designer Ángela Martínez and visual artists Manuel Romero and Antonuela Ariza. Since then, their cuisine has revolved around the three pil-lars of biodiversity, creativity and cultural diversity. ‘We are all women in the kitchen, women who have learned from their families and come from all over Colombia,’ says Antonuela Ariza, who firmly believes in food as a collective creation. This open house creates initiatives for environmental protection and sustainable resource management, as well as maintaining a strong link with the land and, in particular, with local producers. ‘We have chicken with a chicha sauce that’s been on the menu for 15 years. We can take the chick-en off the menu, but not the chicha. How do we tell Señora Angela (the local producer) that we aren’t going to buy any more chicha from her?’ asks Antonuela. This ‘surprisingly Colombian’ group, as they often call themselves, leads to a wide variety of products from across the country. They are renowned for their ripe plantain frit-ters stuffed with jaiba blue crab and a trout salad from the Nariño region, accompanied by chayote and fresh guava. When the larder is the páramo Colombia has 2,500 varieties of fruit and many of these can be found at the Paloquemao Market (Av. Calle 19 No. 25-04), which features products from the Andean, Caribbean, Pacific, Orinoco, Amazonian and Insular regions. This variety of ecosystems and products is a constant inspira-tion for chefs like Jefferson García, who, after 14 years in European, Asian and Latin American restaurants, returned to Bogotá to open his own business, Afluente (Kr 3a 57-35), in Chapinero. Before making a decision, he spent his time walking, connecting with the land and discovering its fruits. ‘I began to understand Colombia’s water connectivity. The páramos are like the country’s veins,’ says Jefferson. The páramos are high mountain ecosystems, a refuge for many species and an essential source of water for the coun-try. Colombia has 50% of the world’s páramos and Jefferson has used them as the inspiration for his original and sus-tainable menu, with products grown only in these areas, such as the camarón grape, páramo chilli, coralitos (acidic, red bush fruits) and the vinagrillo (a herbaceous plant with an acidic, refreshing taste). ‘The páramos are sacred, protect-ed lands. They are where I met Señor Alonso, who taught us how the Muiscas ate before the arrival of the Spaniards. That’s how I started to discover ingredients, and work with them,’ he says. Jefferson, Álvaro and Antonuela all invite guests to explore the exuberance of Colombia, along with a long list of neighbours offering more casual options, such as Café Bar Universal (Calle 65 #4a-76) and Café Varietale (Calle 41 #8-43). And they all come together in Chapinero. Quinta Camacho: a cultural haven One of Chapinero’s most iconic neighbourhoods is Quinta Camacho. Its Tudor-style brick houses from the ear-ly decades of the 20th century were constructed as the area became a weekend residence for wealthy families. According to the book Diario de viaje a Quinta Camacho, by Alejandro Henríquez, the name comes from ‘the propor-tional part that the owners of the farms demanded from the peasants for the rent of the neighbouring houses’. In one of these houses, Yolanda Aúza fulfilled her dream of opening a bookshop she named Wilborada 1047 (Calle 71 # 10 47), after a 10th century Swiss nun known for her devo-tion to books. This place is a true oasis of peace, with a café, reading lounge and room for book launches. Just a few metres away is Moovil (Calle 71 #10-47, house 3) which features an impressive collection of books ded-icated to cycling, as well as collectibles related to one of Colombia’s most popular sports. Ricardo Montezuma, an expert on cycling in Latin America, is the perfect guide to show you around this shop, bookstore and art gallery. Under the slogan ‘Nothing is forever’, the Nada book-shop (Calle 69 # 10a- 09) features art exhibitions, work-shops, chocolates and a wide variety of art books, design, photography and independent publications. An unmissable place to pick up a souvenir of the picturesque and historic Quinta Camacho. Librería Nada, un lugar para descubrir publicaciones independientes. // The Nada bookshop, ideal for browsing independent books. El barrio de Chapinero conserva una arquitectura de finales del siglo XIX y principios del siglo XX. // The Chapinero neighbourhood preserves the architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. El edificio nuevo de la EAN University. // The new building of the EAN University. BOGOTÁ Vuelos // Flights: Un vuelo al día entre Madrid y la ciudad colombiana programa Air Europa. Conocer la animada vida cultural de Bogotá está mucho más cerca. // Air Europa schedules a daily flight between Madrid and the Colombian city. Getting to know Bogotá’s lively cultural life is much closer than you think. www.aireuropa.com