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Villa de Leyva · Boyacá
Villa Joya
An exclusive-use villa in Villa de Leyva, Boyacá's best-preserved colonial town.
Villa4–6 guestsMountain view
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Colonial town, national monument
Villa de Leyva
Stone, wide highland sky and the largest cobbled square in Colombia, four hours from Bogotá and a world away from the Caribbean.
- Region:
- Boyacá
Villa de Leyva is a colonial town on the Boyacá highlands, declared a national monument, which has frozen its architecture: cobbled streets, white tile-roofed houses and wooden balconies, with no cables or signs to break the ensemble. Its Plaza Mayor, at around 14,000 square metres, is the largest cobbled square in the country.
It sits at about 2,100 metres above sea level, in a dry valley ringed by mountains. The climate is cool, the nights cold and the sky so clear that the area is known for stargazing.
The valley also has a geological peculiarity: more than 100 million years ago this was sea floor, and today it is one of Colombia's most important Cretaceous fossil sites. You can see kronosaurs and ammonites where they were found.
For the Unique Colombia portfolio it is the cool-climate counterweight to the Caribbean: anyone wanting to combine beach and highlands in one trip finds the other half here.
What to see and do
The Plaza Mayor
Some 14,000 square metres of stone, ringed by white colonial houses and presided over by the church. It is the largest cobbled square in Colombia and the centre of all the town's life.
The Cretaceous fossils
The El Fósil Museum preserves an almost complete kronosaur in the exact spot where it was found. Around it are more sites and a palaeontological research centre. A hundred million years ago this valley was sea.
Casa Terracota
An entire house built from fired clay, a piece of experimental architecture that has become a symbol of the town. It sits on the outskirts and can be visited inside.
The desert and the pools
The Candelaria Desert and the Pozos Azules, turquoise lagoons in the middle of arid ground, make up the most photographed landscape around the town. They are explored by bike, on horseback or by car.
How to get there
- From Bogotá it is about 165 km, between three and four hours by road depending on traffic leaving the city.
- There are direct buses from Bogotá's Terminal Norte.
- From Tunja, the capital of Boyacá, it is about 40 km, close to an hour.
- Everything in town is walkable, though the cobblestones demand comfortable shoes.
When to go
- December to March and July to August are the driest, clearest seasons.
- At weekends and on public holidays the town fills with visitors from Bogotá. Midweek it is another place entirely.
- Nights are cold all year because of the altitude. Always bring a coat.
- The clear highland sky makes stargazing exceptional in the dry season.
What to know before you go
- It sits at 2,100 metres: cool by day and cold at night. If you are coming from the Caribbean, the change is sharp.
- The cobbled streets are uneven and beautiful, but hard on heels and wheeled suitcases.
- Highland sun burns even when it is not hot. Sunscreen even on cloudy days.
- It is a weekend town: if you want quiet, go midweek.
- Villa Joya is rented whole and confirmed on request, not by instant booking.
Frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Villa de Leyva?
Two nights let you see the town without rushing and make one trip into the surroundings: the fossils, the Candelaria desert or the Pozos Azules. With three you can add the Santo Ecce Homo convent and a route on horseback or by bike.
Can Villa de Leyva be combined with the Caribbean?
Yes, and it works well because they are opposites: beach and heat on one side, colonial stone and highland cold on the other. Since almost all domestic flights pass through Bogotá, the natural route is the Caribbean, one night in Bogotá and then Villa de Leyva, or the other way round.
Where to stay
See all places to stayNearby destinations
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The unavoidable stopover
Bogotá
At 2,600 metres, the city almost every trip to Colombia passes through. Worth one good night rather than an airport hotel.
Cundinamarca