A year ago, I was passing through la Carrera Séptima, one of the main streets in Bogota, when I looked over to my right and saw a cobblestone wall with cast iron gates surrounding what seemed to be a park or cemetary. It was night time and the first thing that came through my mind was that the dark and mysterious place looked like the perfect setting for a Carlos Ruiz Zafón novel (one of my favorite authors, you can check him out here). The tall trees reaching the night sky and the iron between the cobblestone columns definitely made me wonder what was inside. It seemed gloomy enough to scare you but also interesting enough to venture deep within it– just like the characters in scary movies would.

It was the night before coming back to Miami, so I didn’t get to discover this place. This year, I made sure not to miss it from my itinerary.

It turns out this gloomy, peculiar place that seemed so frightening at night, is one of the most beautiful parks of the city: El Parque de El Chicó. Located in the modern heart of Bogota, the premises are the gardens of a Colonial house from the 19th century, that belonged to one of the richest women in Colombia at the time. She donated the park, the house and her belongings, composed of a collection of art, china, and other artifacts gathered from all over the world, to the city of Bogota. She wanted to leave a legacy to Colombia and turn her backyard into a public park for children and adults to enjoy.

My boyfriend and I visited the museum and then walked around the park, breathing in the fresh air from the huge trees, watching the sun set slowly. Time froze for a moment, allowing us to capture these shots: