Villa de Leyva

Department: Boyaca Population: 14,000 Altitude: 2150m Climate: Mild, cool at night (average temp. 18ºC)

Nestled in the hills of rural Boyaca, Villa de Leyva is one of Colombia's treasures. The vast majority of this small town consists of cobbled streets and plazas lined by quaint white colonial buildings. The town backs on to steep hills giving it a lovely isolated feel. The climate is fresh, sometimes a little hot in the early afternoon sun and a bit chilly at night, so be sure to bring warm clothes for evening strolls. There are also some interesting spots in the countryside around Villa de Leyva to be explored. The town and surrounding area is still relatively untouched by tourists due to its distance from large urban centres.

Things to see/Places to go

In Villa de Leyva:

The heart of the town is the huge Plaza Mayor (the largest plaza in Colombia). On the south-east of the plaza is the Iglesia Parroquial. The other buildings bordering the plaza include hotels, restaurants, bars and a couple of small banks with cash machines. From the plaza simply walk off in any direction and allow yourself to be enchanted by the historic, charming feel of the town and its frienly people. As you pass along the quiet, cobbled streets keep an eye out for entrances to small courtyards of cafes and handicraft shops.

Another of Villa de Leyva's churches is the Iglesia del Carmen (photo, left) a block north-east of Plaza Mayor. It has a small park in front it. Continue one block further and then walk a block to the right to reach Parque Ricaurte with La Iglesia de San Agustin just behind it.

Around Villa de Leyva:

To the north-west of Villa de Leyva lies a small desertous area. About 3km along the main road leading to Santa Sofia on the left are a series of small lakes of a striking sky blue colour (photo, left). A couple more kms down the main road brings you to El Fosil (a museum dedicated to a dinosaur fossil) and a couple more to El Infiernito, an archaelogical site. All of these places can easily be visited on foot in a few hours, but bikes and horses can also be rented from Villa de Leyva. This area is quite exposed to the elements so be sure to whack on some sun cream if you're heading out in the middle of the day as the sun can be strong and catch you unawares.

Accommodation

Hostels and Backpackers

Colombian Highlands: Carrera 9 No. 11-02 Tel. (8) 7321379 Cel. 3113083739 website

An excellent backpacker ecolodge located on the outskirts of Villa de Leyva. It offers cooking facilites, internet, BBQ, pizza oven and bonfire areas, TV room, cycles and horses for rent. The ecolodge also organises a wide range of adventure activities.

Transport

Villa de Leyva can be reached from Bogota in between 3 and 4 hours. Buses leave frequently from the capital's main terminal.