Welcome to Villa de Leyva
One of the most beautiful colonial villages in Colombia, Villa de Leyva is a city frozen in time. Declared a national monument in 1954, the photogenic village has been preserved in its entirety, with cobblestone roads and whitewashed buildings.
Top experiences in Villa de Leyva
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Villa de Leyva activities
Villa de Leyva Day Trip from Bogotá
You will hardly find a place in Colombia that takes architectonic preservation as serious as Villa de Leyva. This small village located in the department of Boyacá and it’s a 3-hour drive from Bogotá. Spanish colonizers founded the village in 1572, visiting it gives the sensation of going back in time and in 1954 it was declared a national monument. Get a closer look at the colonial history of Colombia’s and the fascinating towns outside of Bogotá on an 11-hour daytrip to Villa de Leyva. This mellow area’s exceptional architecture, great artisan craft shopping and historical richness offer the perfect combination.Get started with a 7 am pickup at the hotel, proceeding north towards Villa de Leyva. Enjoy of a historical stop at the Boyacá Bridge, where the battle of Boyacá took place in the 19th century which helped secure Colombia’s independence from the Spaniards. Afterwards you’ll arrive to Villa de Leyva where you can take your time to admire the striking architecture of this area and learn the history around it thanks to a professional guide. Go to El Infiernito (Little Hell) and marvel in an ancient Muisca observatory and how they used to calculate the optimal time for harvest and then visit the blue pond, a water reservoir created by farmers. The water’s color has turned into a surprisingly vivid blue that contrasts beautifully with the arid vegetation.Finish your visit to Villa de Leyva with an authentic Colombian lunch and (at your own expense) before proceeding to Raquirá, a small village nearby, famous for its amazing craftsmanship of woodworking, pottery, basketry and more. Have the opportunity to do some souvenir shopping and the then proceed to go back to Bogotá where you’ll be taken back to your hotel. Optional: Change any of the activities above for the Casa de Terracota, which is a house made of clay measuring 500 m², considered the largest piece of pottery in the world. Designed and built by architect Octavio Mendoza, this house is baked in the same manner as pottery makers when they produce vases, dishes and other decorative objects.
Bogota to Villa de Leyva Private Full-Day Trip Including Lunch
This full-day trip will start at 7am in the morning, departing from your hotel in Bogotá. The number of attractions in this little town are uncountable—from shopping around the handicraft markets to drinking a glass of wine in one of the wineries near the town, this day tour will be unforgettable for you.Villa de Leyva won’t stop surprising us. The blue wells, located in the middle of a nearby desert, are a mandatory destination. Let’s see the Kronosaurus at the Fossil Museum (Museo el Fosil) and let the beauty of the town architecture blow your mind. With this tour you have plenty of options and places that we can visit.The tour can travel through the unique towns of Ubaté, Chiquinquirá and Raquira, where the landscapes and little warehouses of handcrafts will astonish you. The tour can also pass along the highway going north, where you can witness the greatness of the Sisga lagoon, a reserve that looks like it's appeared straight out of a fairy tale.
3-Day Trip to Villa de Leyva from Bogotá
You will hardly find a place in Colombia that takes architectonic preservation as serious as Villa de Leyva. This small village located in the department of Boyacá and it’s a 3-hout drive from Bogotá. Spanish colonizers founded the village in 1572, visiting it gives the sensation of going back in time and in 1954 it was declared a national monument. Get a closer look at the colonial history of Colombia’s and the fascinating towns outside of Bogotá on an 11-hour daytrip to Villa de Leyva. This mellow area’s exceptional architecture, great artisan craft shopping and historical richness offer the perfect combination.
Villa de Leyva Day Tour
This full day tour is made for those who love the villages that have maintained that particular colonial air over the centuries, Villa de Leyva will surely give you one of the best options in your visit to the Andean territories of the country.After a trip of approximately three hours through the beautiful savannah, you reach the Plaza Mayor of the village, famous for its large size and cobbled floor. From there one leaves towards 'El Infiernito', an incredible place of more than two millennia of antiquity, that presumed served as an indigenous astronomical observatory. From that point we then move to the Blue Wells, a quiet and relaxing space whose waters have a beautiful and very characteristic blue color, and on our way back to Bogotá, we cross the town of Ráquira, a picturesque and charming place world famous for its long tradition of working in ceramics.
Tour Villa de Leyva from Bogota - Straight Out of a Fairy Tale
ItineraryThis is a typical itinerary for this productStop At: Bogota Pass, BogotaYou will be pick up at 5:30 am at your hotel. You can enjoy the road or sleep before our first stop.The Boyacá department has awesome landscapes that thrill the eye. Locals are kind and hospitable people, and their cuisine is delicious. The entire “altiplano” is agricultural land in a cold climate.Duration: 4 hoursStop At: Plaza de Raquira, Raquira, Boyaca DepartmentWe will drive on to Raquira to do a little souvenir shopping. The town is very picturesque and has many shops that sell pottery made of the local red clay. Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Pozos Azules, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca DepartmentThen, you will visit Pozos Azules, a water tank created by farmers. The color of the water has become a surprisingly intense blue that contrasts with the arid vegetation.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Casa Terracota, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca DepartmentA blend of architecture and art, Casa Terracotta is an unusual, fantastical-looking cottage that lets visitors imagine what it would be like to live inside a giant piece of artisanal pottery.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Alcaldia Villa de Leyva, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca DepartmentEnjoy a delicious lunch in an authentic and colorful restaurant. You can enjoy diversity of flavors.Duration: 1 hourStop At: Alcaldia Villa de Leyva, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca DepartmentYou will arrive in Villa de Leyva and walk around the village, taking note of the fossils which the Spanish colonists incorporated into their buildings and pavements as decoration. Duration: 2 hoursStop At: Puente de Boyaca, Boyaca, Boyaca DepartmentDuring the way back, have a sample the local specialty of arepa made with corn flour and local cheese. Duration: 30 minutes
7 Days Capital Culture, Villa De Leyva, Guatavita, Bogotá
ItineraryDay 1: Bogotá, ColombiaStop At: Zona G Bogota, BogotaArrive at anytime to be collected from the airport and taken to your accommodation. Depending on your arrival time we can provide you with another tour or with suggestions of places to see and where to go.Duration: 12 hoursNo meals included on this day.Accommodation included: Bed & Breakfast Chorro de Quevedo or SimilarDay 2: Bogotá / Villa De LeyvaStop At: Alcaldia Villa de Leyva, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca DepartmentYou will begin with an early pickup from your Bogotá accommodation of 6am, when you’ll be be collected in our comfortable vehicle and driven to the beautiful location of Fúneque. Once here you'll enjoy time exploring an artisans workshop full of items, made from wax, wood and iron. Some of which can be bought and some of which are destined to be filling shops and lining the streets of Villa de Leyva and other colonial towns. You'll also get the opportunity to try your skills at creating something yourself, under the guidance of Jorge, the owner and master craftsman of this workshop.Next, you'll be cruising over Fúneque lagoon and enjoy time bird watching some of the beautiful endemic species found in this area.You'll then enjoy a stop for lunch continue your journey through the amazing landscape to the over 400 year old town of Villa de Leyva. Here you will wander the cobblestone streets, taking photos of these beautiful stone buildings, fantastic wooden and stone fences, and awe-inspiring doors and gates, which you’ll think are straight out of the 1500’s.You’ll enjoy a short walking tour of this wonderful town and relax for the remainder of the day and stay the night in this simply surreal colonial setting.Approximate Duration: 10 hours (6am-4pm)Duration: 1 dayMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: La Posada de San Antonio or similarDay 3: Villa de LeyvaStop At: Alcaldia Villa de Leyva, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca DepartmentFree DayExplore this wonderful region however you like. Perhaps you'd like to enjoy a horseback or bike ride to all the main tourist locations, or we can take you on the tour in our air-conditioned vehicle, as both your guide and transport will be available for the day.Visit locations such as the Blue Lakes (Pozos Azules), where you can take a quick dip; the Terracotta House (Casa Terracota), the largest piece of pottery in the world; the Fossil Museum (Museo Fosil), with fossils of ancient dinosaurs that once ruled this land; and a winery, where you can try some of the finest wines Colombia has to offer.Duration: 1 dayMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: La Posada de San Antonio or similarDay 4: Villa de Leyva / Raquira / GuatavitaStop At: Laguna de Guatavita, Tierra Negra, Cundinamarca DepartmentYour day will be begin with a short journey of around 30-40 min. to Raquira; a small town absolutely full of artisans, with something for almost everyone. Here you'll enjoy 2 hours strolling through the stalls and shops or simply enjoying a relaxing coffee in the town square.Next you’ll then be driven to the wonderful location of the Guatavita Reserve. Once here you’ll explore the paths that take you to the magical place of Lake Guatavita; which is actually where the legend of El Dorado was born. Here you will enjoy the story of the true history of this famous area, where the local indigenous would place gold into the lake for sacred ceremonies, along with covering future kings in gold.Following this tour into nature and into the past you'll will enjoy the views of Guatavita town, filled with whitewashed buildings and tiled roofs. This town was actually moved in the 70’s to accommodate the construction of the huge Tomine Dam. Here you'll enjoy a short walking tour and relax in this idyllic setting for the night.Approximate Duration: 8 hours (9am-5pm)Duration: 1 dayMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: Hospedaje El Mirador De Pueblo Viejo or similarDay 5: Guatavita / Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral / BogotáStop At: Museo Arqueologico de Zipaquira, Zipaquira, Cundinamarca DepartmentYou’ll enjoy yet another beautiful drive through more picturesque landscape to the town of Zipaquira and the Salt Cathedral in the mountain overlooking this beautiful place. Here you will walk into this salt mine that was first used thousands of years earlier by the local Musicas Indians. You will wander into the caverns almost 600ft below ground, which have been carved from the salt of this mountain for centuries. You’ll love the serenity and peacefulness that comes with this amazing location, being underground with amazing crosses, paths, lights and a grand cathedral which has over 3000 visitors every Sunday of the year.You'll then enjoy a walking tour of Zipaquira town and relax in the plaza before enjoying the peaceful journey back to Bogotá and an expected arrival of 2pm and some free time.Approximate Duration: 5 hours (9am-2pm)Duration: 1 dayMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: Bed & Breakfast Chorro de Quevedo or similarDay 6: Bogotá La Candelaria and MonserrateStop At: Zona G Bogota, BogotaYou’ll be collected from your accommodation in Bogotá and taken on a guided excursion, where you’ll encounter the most important historical locations within La Candelaria.Once you have visited these beautiful sites it will be time for you to ascend to the great height of 10,341 ft (3152m) and the summit of Monserrate; almost 2,000 ft higher than Bogotá. For this climb you have the choice of taking either the teleferico (aerial tramway) or the funicular (included in the cost of this tour) to the top, where you’ll have time to wander through the artisan markets, visit a beautiful 17th century monastery and enjoy some of the most spectacular panoramic views of the capital city of this great nation. You’ll learn how this mountain was sacred to the indigenous Muiscas people for hundreds of years, how during the June solstice, the Sun rises exactly from behind Monserrate and how hundreds of pilgrims journey to this destination every year.Approximate Duration: 5 hours (9am-2pm)Duration: 1 dayMeals included: • BreakfastAccommodation included: Bed & Breakfast Chorro de Quevedo or similarDay 7: BogotáStop At: Zona G Bogota, BogotaFree DayDepart at any time.Duration: 12 hoursMeals included: • BreakfastNo accommodation included on this day.