A whitewashed colonial town in a dry Boyaca valley, built around one of the largest cobbled plazas in South America. Beyond the plaza lie a Cretaceous fossil museum built around an in-situ kronosaurus, the pre-Columbian observatory known as El Infiernito, vineyards and the ochre desert of Candelaria.
| Distance | 165 km north of Bogota |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 3.5-4.5 hours each way by bus; about 3.5 hours by car |
| Getting there | Mode: Bus; Detail: Direct coaches from Terminal Salitre or the Terminal del Norte, or a change at Tunja onto a frequent Villa de Leyva shuttle |
| Cost | COP 70,000-90,000 (about USD 22.22-28.57) return bus fare, plus site entries of COP 10,000-25,000 each (about USD 3.17-7.94) |
| Address | Plaza Mayor, Carrera 9 con Calle 13, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca, Colombia |
How to get there
- Bus: Terminal Salitre or Terminal del Norte direct, COP 35,000-45,000 (about USD 11.11-14.29)
- Bus: Bogota to Tunja, then a local bus or colectivo for the final 45 minutes
- Car: Autopista Norte to Tunja then the Arcabuco road, about 3.5 hours
- Organised tour: long day tours run, though most visitors stay overnight
Location
Plaza Mayor, Carrera 9 con Calle 13, Villa de Leyva, Boyaca, Colombia
5.6339, -73.5247 View on map
Highlights
- The 14,000 sq m cobbled Plaza Mayor
- The Museo El Fosil and its in-situ kronosaurus skeleton
- El Infiernito, the Muisca astronomical site
- The Pozos Azules turquoise pools and the Candelaria desert
Tips for visiting
- The round trip fills a very long day - an overnight stay is far more rewarding
- The Saturday market on the plaza edge is the best day for produce and crafts
- Nights are cold and the daytime sun at altitude is fierce, so layers and sun protection both matter
- Sunday afternoon buses back towards Bogota fill early and the Tunja road slows badly