Parque Metropolitano El Tunal, Urban park in Tunjuelito district, Bogotá, Colombia.
Parque Metropolitano El Tunal covers 55 hectares in the Tunjuelito locality of southeastern Bogotá, near the Portal Tunal station of TransMilenio. Its grounds hold football, micro-football, volleyball and basketball pitches, six tennis courts, squash courts, three hectares of artificial lakes, a coliseum, an events plaza and a bandstand. Two concentric skating rinks and two BMX tracks, one a race track and the other a skatepark, stand alongside cycleways and footpaths, with the El Tunal library integrated into the park.
El Tunal park opened in the early 1970s on land beside the San Carlos canal, with a few football pitches and mechanical rides. A football stadium was added in the 1980s and six tennis courts in 1997. The park closed for remodelling two years later and reopened at the end of 2001, after the district had invested nearly 12 billion pesos.
The templete in the park became well known after Pope John Paul II preached there during his 1986 visit to Colombia. On weekends the park receives more than 50,000 people from the neighbouring localities of Ciudad Bolívar, Bosa, Rafael Uribe Uribe, San Cristóbal and Tunjuelito. It also hosts festivals and sports tournaments.
The park lies beside the Portal Tunal of TransMilenio, and paths for cyclists and pedestrians cross its 55 hectares. Entry is free, but the coliseum and some courts charge admission. The templete and event plaza host festivals and tournaments, so check what is scheduled before a visit.
The templete in the park became well known after Pope John Paul II preached there during his 1986 visit to Colombia. The park also has two concentric skating rinks and two BMX tracks, one for racing and one skatepark used for other disciplines.
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