Things to do in North Of Bogotá
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Parque El Gallineral
San Gil’s showpiece is the mystical Parque El Gallineral, a 4-hectare park set on a triangle-shaped island between two arms of the Quebrada Curití and Río Fonce. Nearly all of the 1876 trees are covered with long silvery tendrils of moss called barbas de viejo, or old man’s beard, hanging from branches to form translucent curtains of foliage and filtered sunlight. It’s like a scene set in JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth. Several paths and covered bridges snake through the urban forest and over the rapids. After your hike, relax with a swim in the large spring-fed pool or sip a cerveza at one of the pricey restaurants and cafes.
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Plaza de Mercado
For a true locals’ experience, head to Plaza de Mercado, a bustling covered market where you can grab plenty of comida corriente, tamales and fresh-squeezed juices.
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Zarina
In-the-know locals vote this Lebanese joint the best eatery in town. There’s no shawarma, but you can enjoy a genuine felafel with tahini.
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Estación Astronómica Muisca (El Infiernito)
The Estación Astronómica Muisca (El Infiernito) dates from the early centuries AD and, like a sort of Stonehenge, was used by the Indians to determine the seasons. The site contains 30-odd cylindrical stone monoliths sunk vertically into the ground about 1m from each other in two parallel lines 9m apart.
By measuring the length of shadows cast by the stones, the Indians were able to identify the planting seasons. The complete lack of shadow (corresponding to the sun's zenith), which occurred for a short instant twice a year, on a day in March and September, is thought to have been the time for great festivities.
The observatory was also a ritual site, a fact that got in …
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Convento del Santo Ecce Homo
The Convento del Santo Ecce Homo, founded by the Dominican fathers in 1620, is a large stone-and-adobe construction with a lovely courtyard. The floors are paved with stones quarried in the region, so they contain ammonites and fossils, including petrified corn and flowers. There are also fossils in the base of a statue in the chapel.
The chapel boasts a magnificent gilded main retable with a small image of Ecce Homo and the original wooden ceiling. Look out for the drawing of Christ in west cloister - from different angles it appears that the eyes will open and close.
Part of the convent has been turned into an ethnography museum, with displays of agricultural tools and t…
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Plaza Mayor
You are likely to start your tour of the town from the Plaza Mayor. Measuring nearly 120m by 120m, this is reputedly the largest main square in the country. The vast expanse is interrupted by only a small Mudejar fountain in its middle, which provided water to the village inhabitants for almost four centuries.
Unlike all other Colombian cities and towns where the main squares have been named after historic heroes, most often Bolívar, the one in Villa de Leyva is traditionally and firmly called Plaza Mayor.
As you stroll about, pop into the Casa de Juan de Castellanos (Carrera 9, No 13-15), Casona La Guaca (Carrera 9, No 13-57) and Casa Quintero (cnr Carrera 9 & Calle 12),…
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Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara La Real
Founded in 1571, the Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara La Real is thought to be the first convent in Nueva Granada. In 1863 the nuns were expelled and the convent was used for various purposes, including serving as a hospital. The church, however, continued to provide religious services. The single-naved church interior shelters a wealth of colonial artwork on its walls, most of which comes from the 16th to 18th centuries. Note the golden sun on the ceiling, a Spanish trick to help the indígenas convert to Catholicism (the sun was the principal god of the Muisca people). Next to the choir is the cell where Madre Francisca Josefa, a mystic nun looked upon as Colombia’s St…
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Iglesia de Santo Domingo
The nondescript exterior of the mid-16th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo hides one of the most richly decorated interiors in Colombia. To the left as you enter is the large Capilla del Rosario, dubbed La Capilla Sixtina del Arte Neogranadino (Sistine Chapel of New Granada’s Art). Decorated by Fray Pedro Bedón from Quito, the chapel is exuberantly rich in wonderful, gilded wood carving – a magnificent example of Hispano-American baroque art. The statue of the Virgen del Rosario in the altar niche is encrusted in mother-of-pearl and clad with mirrors.
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Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva is a leisurely place made for wandering around charming stone streets, listening to the sound of church bells and enjoying the lazy rhythm of days gone by. It's still very traditional, and locals greet strangers in the street with 'Buenos días' or 'Buenas tardes'. Be sure to return the greeting. Small as it is, the town has half-a-dozen museums, most of which are in old colonial buildings. For a marvelous bird's-eye view of the town, walk SE of the market and climb the Hill.
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Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón
One of the finest historic mansions in town is the Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón, the original home of the founder of Tunja. Built in the mid-16th century on the eastern side of Plaza de Bolívar, it’s a fine example of a magnificent aristocratic residence from the times of the Spanish Conquest. Its most interesting feature is the ceiling, covered with intriguing scenes that were only recently discovered when a ceiling collapsed. There’s also a good bookstore and artisan workshops.
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Casa Cultural Gustavo Rojas Pinilla
This small but lovely colonial home was the birthplace of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, who became president of Colombia in a 1953 military coup with promises of reform. Instead, his tenure was marked by corruption and brutality until he too was overthrown three years later. The ground floor contains an art gallery with regular exhibits by local art students. Upstairs, a small museum explores Pinilla’s life through photographs, documents and personal belongings.
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Color de Hormiga
Literally named ‘The Color of Ants, ’ Barichara’s best restaurant specializes in dishes made with the region’s famous delicacy. The filet mignon drenched in ant sauce and topped with fried ants is a must. There are also many insect-free dishes, like the scrumptious lamb curry and steak with blue cheese. Don’t forget to sample the extensive wine and dessert list. The lovely thatched-roof, open-air restaurant faces a lush garden and fishponds.
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Colorde Hormiga
Literally named ‘The Color of Ants, ’ Barichara’s best restaurant specializes in dishes made with the region’s famous delicacy. The filet mignon drenched in ant sauce and topped with fried ants is a must. There are also many insect-free dishes, like the scrumptious lamb curry and steak with blue cheese. Don’t forget to sample the extensive wine and dessert list. The lovely thatched-roof, open-air restaurant faces a lush garden and fishponds.
reviewed
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Handicraft Shops
Villa de Leyva has a number of handicraft shops noted for fine basketry and good-quality woven items such as sweaters and ruanas (ponchos). There are some artisan shops on Plaza Mayor and more in the side streets, particularly on Carrera 9. A number of weavers have settled in town; their work is of excellent quality and their prices are reasonable. Most craft shops open only on weekends for the tourist rush.
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Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción
The 18th-century sandstone Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción is the most elaborate structure in town, looking somewhat too big for the town’s needs. Its golden stonework (which turns deep orange at sunset) contrasts with the whitewashed houses surrounding it. The building has a clerestory (a second row of windows high up in the nave), which is unusual for a Spanish colonial church.
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Casa Anzoátegui
Now housing a museum with a modest collection of exhibits related to the crucial events of the period, Casa Anzoátegui was the home of General José Antonio Anzoátegui, the Venezuelan hero of the independence campaign who fought under Bolívar. His strategic abilities largely contributed to the victory in the Battle of Boyacá of 1819. He died here, three months after the battle, at 30.
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Casa Museo de Antonio Nariño
Casa Museo de Antonio Nariño is the house where Antonio Nariño, the forefather of Colombia’s independence lived until his death in 1823. Nariño was a fierce defender of human rights and is also revered for translating Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man into Spanish. The house has been converted into a museum containing colonial objects and memorabilia related to this great man.
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Colombia Paragliding
Bucaramanga’s most popular sport is paragliding. The hub for this high-flying activity is atop the Ruitoque mesa. Colombia Paragliding offers 15-minute tandem rides for COP$50,000, or go all-out and become an internationally licensed paragliding pilot; 10-day courses begin at COP$1,000,000. Owner/instructor Richi speaks English and also runs the KGB and the Nest hostels.
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Ostrich Farm
About 5km southwest of Villa de Leyva, in the direction of El Fósil, is this slightly incongruous Ostrich Farm, home to more than 120 ostriches and a handful of llamas, horses and sheep. There’s a small shop that sells ostrich leather shoes and enormous ostrich eggs. There’s also a restaurant where you can sample ostrich meat, but it’s only open on weekends.
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Restaurante Savia
The delightful Savia (previously Xirrus and Don D’Bill) specializes in inventive vegetarian, vegan and organic fare. Carnivores will love the fresh seafood and poultry dishes such as chicken in mango sauce. A plaque outside commemorates the last concert performed by former Elvis Presley drummer Bill Lynn before he died in Villa de Leyva in 2006.
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Casa de Aquileo Parra
The Casa de Aquileo Parra is a small, humble home of Alquileo Parrera, who served as Colombia’s 11th president (1876–78). There’s a small museum but most of the building is now a cooperative for elderly weavers where you can watch them at work. The woman who runs the co-op can give you a tour, though there is little to see.
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Casa Colonial
One of the oldest buildings in town, Casa Colonial dates from the early Spanish days. The collection includes some pre-Columbian pottery, colonial sacred art, artifacts of several indigenous communities including the Motilones and Tunebos (the two indigenous groups living in Norte de Santander department), plus antiques.
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Museo de Arte Moderno Ramírez Villamizar
In a 450-year-old mansion, this museum has about 40 works by Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar, one of Colombia’s most outstanding artists, born in Pamplona in 1923. The collection gives an insight into his artistic development from expressionist painting of the 1940s to geometric abstract sculpture in recent decades.
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Casa del Primer Congreso
On October 4, 1812, legislators met here to install the First Congress of the short-lived United Provinces of New Granada and elect its first president, Camilo Torres Tenorio. The 2nd floor of the Casa del Primer Congreso houses a small museum that contains the congressional desk, documents and other artifacts.
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Museo Casa de Bolívar
The Museo Casa de Bolívar is housed in a colonial mansion where Bolívar stayed for two months in 1828. The museum displays various historic and archeological exhibits, including weapons, documents, paintings, and mummies and artifacts of the Guane people who inhabited the region before the Spaniards arrived.
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