Views and a Viewpoint from Cisco Colombia!

124 hard-working Cisco employees. A modern skyscraper with fantastic city views. The best coffee you’ll find anywhere, hands down. Where can you find this office?

Welcome to Cisco Bogota, our main office in Colombia. I’m Lucero, I’m a Partner Advisor based in Costa Rica and a frequent visitor of Cisco Colombia, and I’ll be your blog tour guide today.

First, a bit about Bogota:

Bogota is located in the eastern territory of the Cordillera de los Andes, which means the city’s altitude is more than 2600 meters above sea level (over 8,600 feet, for those of you who are imperial system users.)

Even though the altitude isn’t as high as some other cities, if you live in a city with no altitude you will probably notice the difference. You’ll adjust over time, and you won’t get sick, but you might find yourself getting tired more quickly going up the stairs, and just feel like some things take more energy. The good side is that when you go back to a lower altitude, you’ll feel fit and have more energy!

Where to find Cisco:

Cisco Bogota offices occupy the 14th and 15th floor in the skyscraper I mentioned. Floor 14 is full of meeting rooms that are used to gather with clients and partners, and this is likely where you’ll enter as a visitor or if you have an interview. Our lobby ambassador is quite helpful and friendly.

Floor 15 is for Cisco employees only, and features lots of desk spaces and smaller meeting rooms for team gatherings.

The view from the 14th floor.

Prepare to be amazed:

If there is anything that I loved since I first stepped into the office, it was the city view. The building gives you a 360 view of Bogota city. The east side will give you a view of Usaquen and the mountains, but my personal favorite is the west side, it will give you a view of the entire city and amazing sunsets are a plus.

Sunset view from the 15th floor.

What should you wear?

The weather in Colombia is always fresh, with an average temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. It gets a little cold early in the mornings so if you are visiting remember to bring a coat.  Colombia is still a formal city when talking about business, so if you have important meetings dress accordingly, otherwise business casual is the norm on floor 15.

Let’s talk coffee:

Coffee lovers get ready to fuel innovation with one of the best coffees in the world. Yes, you heard me right. Colombia is known for having some of the best coffee anywhere. So take advantage of the onsite coffee machines, ask someone in the office to help you make one OR just walk five steps outside of the building and you will get to Juan Valdez. If you are not a coffee fan, you can always order a hot chocolate. But when in Colombia, you have to at least say you’ve tried from-the-source Colombian coffee!

Colombian coffee with a side of view. Yes please!

Fueled with coffee, ready to innovate, but now you’re hungry!

There isn’t an onsite café in the office, but honestly, you don’t need it. Just in front of the building, you can find a mall full of restaurants and one block away is Usaquen, a place known for having some of the best restaurants in town. So why stay in the office for lunch when you can walk ten steps, try some delicious Colombian food and enjoy a great colonial view?

Where to stay when you visit:

There are hotels for every need in Bogota. There are three really close to the office. The W is right in the building next to the Cisco Office. There is also a Novotel just a few steps away. My personal favorite is the Hampton by Hilton, which is a newly constructed hotel just three blocks away that has a great view of Usaquen’s church (If you chose this hotel ask for a fifth floor room or above, you will get the best view.)

Spend extra time in the city:

There are countless things to do here. You can take art tours, food tours, coffee tours, and hiking tours; there is even a graffiti tour. There are also many museums, like the famous Gold Museum or the Botero Museum. However, what you cannot miss is Monserrate.

If you have short time I would recommend waking up early and heading to Monserrate. The first funicular leaves at 6:30 a.m. and it takes 5 minutes for it to reach the top where you can enjoy a full view of Bogota city. Early in the morning, you have the whole place to yourself (and maybe a couple of joggers).  It takes about half an hour to get to Monserrate from the Cisco Office so going early morning means you can easily be back at the office before 9am.

The view from Monserrate at 7 a.m.

By night, do not forget to visit Andres Carne de Res. It is the craziest restaurant you will visit, you will have good food, and a great time, I promise. The most famous one is just outside the city but there is also one in the Zona T where you can have just as much fun.

Don’t you want to work at Cisco Colombia, or any of the other sites around the globe?  Here’s where you can find all open opportunities.

Visit some of the other Cisco sites with more Cisco site guides here!