Boyacá

The department of Boyacá evokes a sense of patriotism among Colombians; it was here that Colombian troops won their independence from Spain at the Battle of Boyacá. The department is dotted with quaint towns; you could easily spend a few days bouncing between them. Boyacá's crown jewel is the spectacular Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) El Cocuy, located 154 miles (249km) northeast of the department capital, Tunja, though access has been cut back by park officials.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Boyacá.

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Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy
One of Colombia's most spectacular national parks, PNN El Cocuy is mostly made up of a diverse ecosystem known as the páramo. This glacially formed, neotropical system of valleys, plains and mountain lakes includes the largest glacier zone in South America north of the equator. The park has 15 peaks that are at least 5000m, the highest being Ritacuba Blanco at 5330m, and is an outdoor playground popular for trekking, mountaineering, camping and climbing, although many activities are currently restricted.
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Paso de Angel
This vertigo-inducing mountain path running along a ridge on the way to the Guatoque waterfall is a popular attraction in its own right. At its narrowest point, the Angel's Step, it's only around 33cm wide for about a meter and a half, with vertical drops of over 100m on one side and 30m on the other. Views on both sides are amazing.
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Convento del Santo Ecce Homo
Founded by the Dominican fathers in 1620, this convent is a large stone-and-adobe construction with a huge, faintly regal 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.
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Playa Blanca
This white-sand Andean beach on the southwestern shore of Lago de Tota is one of the highest beaches in the world (3015m). On weekends it gets crowded with day trippers, the bravest of whom enjoy taking a dip in the lake's icy waters. Stalls sell refreshments and piping hot cups of coffee, while small boats offer trips out on the lake. During the week the place is pretty much deserted.
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Monasterio de La Candelaria
Set amid arid hills, 7km beyond Ráquira, the Monasterio de La Candelaria was founded in 1597 by Augustine monks and completed about 1660. A guide will show you around: through the chapel (note the 16th-century painting of the Virgen de la Candelaria), a small museum, a stunning courtyard with a collection of 17th-century canvases, and the cave where the monks originally lived. If you want to be led by the monks themselves you'll need to visit on Sunday.
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Santuario de Flora y Fauna de Iguaque
Covering 67.5 sq km, this unique páramo (high-mountain plains) neotropical ecosystem contains hundreds of species of flora and fauna but is most noted for the frailejón, a shrub typical of the highlands. There are eight small mountain lakes in the reserve, sitting at an altitude of between 3550m and 3700m, although the only one accessible to visitors is Laguna de Iguaque.
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Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón
The finest historic mansion in town, this place is 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 an aristocratic residence from the time of the Spanish Conquest. Among its many interesting features are the ceilings in two of the main rooms, covered with intriguing painted scenes that were only discovered when a false ceiling collapsed.
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Museo Arqueológico Eliécer Silva Célis
This very well-done archaeological museum was built on the remains of Sogamoso's Muisca cemetery and highlights this very important Chibcha-speaking culture – among others – through art, ceramics, sculpture, music and paleontology. The most interesting exhibits include the mummified remains of a cacique (tribal leader) and the spine-shivering shrunken-head techniques of the Jivaros and Shiworas peoples.
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Casa de Barro
One of Villa de Leyva's most magnificent buildings is the Gaudí-esque Casa de Barro, an artistic house made from entirely handworked clay fired in stages to produce one continuous terracotta structure. It's decorated with ornamental flourishes throughout, with delightful wrought-iron features on the windows. The garden hosts surrealistic sculptures, some of them made of recycled metal.