Colombia Travel Guide
Villa de Leyva
Colombia
Villa de Leyva, located 4 hours from Bogotá, is a charming colonial village in the Boyacá department. Known for its immense Plaza Mayor, it’s delightful to wander through its cobblestone streets filled with churches, museums, delicious restaurants, and beautiful hotels. You can enjoy various outdoor activities like hiking and cycling to explore the nearby tourist sites. It’s very popular with Bogotanos on weekends.
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KEY INFORMATION ABOUT VILLA DE LEYVA, COLOMBIA
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general overview
The quiet charm of a colonial Andean village.
Villa de Leyva is in the Boyacá department in the Andes region of central-eastern Colombia.
It is 40 kilometers from Tunja, the departmental capital, and a 4-hour drive from Bogotá, the country’s capital. Situated at an altitude of 2,149 meters, it lies in a varied rural environment between páramo and desert areas.
In the Cretaceous period, the region of Villa de Leyva was covered by a primordial sea that eventually receded, leaving behind lakes and valleys rich in paleontological findings. Numerous fossils have been discovered and continue to be found frequently.
The city was officially founded on June 12, 1572. Villa de Leyva was initially constructed to serve as a residence for soldiers after their military service. It also served as a supply center and granary for the surrounding areas, which explains the large size of its main square.
Villa de Leyva’s economy has always been based on agriculture. In recent years, a wine industry has begun to develop.
Because of its rich colonial architectural heritage, Villa de Leyva was declared a national monument in 1954. It has been part of the Network of Colombian Heritage Towns since 2010 and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Villa de Leyva is the perfect destination for a romantic escape from Bogotá. Enjoy wandering its cobblestone streets, where you’ll find excellent restaurants, cafes, and charming boutique hotels. It’s an ideal spot to wrap up your Colombian adventure.
The town’s museums, which feature impressive dinosaur fossils, are also a fun destination for children. Nearby theme parks keep them busy as well.
Villa de Leyva is also a great base for exploring the Boyacá department, home to other beautiful colonial villages like Iza, Tibasosa, and Firavitoba. Renting a car makes the experience even better.
Villa de Leyva has a semi-desert climate with a humidity rate close to 0%.
Temperatures remain nearly constant year-round, with average highs around 22°C and average lows around 12°C.
- The rainy season is split into two periods: April and May (with May being the wettest month), and from September to November.
- The dry season runs from early December to mid-March and from mid-July to mid-September.
Villa de Leyva is a popular tourist destination. If you can, avoid the high season (Semana Santa, mid-December to mid-January, and school holidays in June). The town is livelier on weekends and public holidays than on weekdays.
Villa de Leyva also attracts many visitors for its numerous festivals:
- The Festival de Las Cometas (July), featuring a competition of incredible kites.
- The Festival de Luces is held on December 7th and 8th. At night, the town lights up with thousands of candles and lights, and you can watch various fireworks displays.
To get a good feel for Villa de Leyva and explore everything it has to offer, I suggest staying for 2 nights. Add an extra night if you want a relaxing day during your stay.
If you plan to use Villa de Leyva as a base for exploring Boyacá, consider staying for 4-5 days.
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THINGS TO DO IN VILLA DE LEYVA
Various activities combining culture, nature and history.
Villa de Leyva reveals itself best at a leisurely pace.
Early in the morning, have a coffee at the Plaza Mayor. The locals head to work, and the children go to school in their uniforms. It’s the perfect time to observe local life.
Buy a pain au chocolat at Astral, a French bakery I love, and enjoy it in the park before visiting the Casa Museo Antonio Nariño, a hero of Independence. You’ll learn a lot about the daily lives of Villaleyvanos there.
Next, wander through the Casa Museo de Luis Alberto Acuña, a beautiful late 16th-century building I find fascinating. Its collections include paintings, sculptures, and archaeological artifacts.
Skip the Chocolate Museum—it’s a tourist trap. For good chocolate, I recommend Chocolate. Bean to Bar.
For lunch, choose a nice restaurant (there are plenty to choose from) and save some room for the famous milhojas (millefeuille) of Villa de Leyva—my favorite dessert here.
With a full belly, go shopping. Most of the shops are on Carrera 9 between Calle 10 and Calle 15. If you have room in your luggage, bring back a traditional hammock or a Ruana, the typical poncho from here. I bought one for my godson—too cute!
Known for its abundance of prehistoric fossils, Villa de Leyva features several fascinating museums and sites.
The Museo Comunitario El Fósil, situated just under 5 km from the village, is centered around the nearly intact skeleton of a Kronosaurus (120 million years old) discovered in 1977. It has an impressive collection.
Directly across from this museum is the Centro de Investigaciones Paleontológicas, focused on the study and preservation of fossils. The museum offers children’s activities, including a workshop where they can dig out their own ammonite (an extinct mollusk).
Within walking distance from the town center, the Museo Paleontológico de Villa de Leyva is a small museum showcasing real fossils and replicas, with explanations in Spanish. Behind the museum is a charming little botanical garden.
Lastly, Gondava – El Gran Valle de los Dinosaurios, a 15-minute drive from Villa de Leyva, is a theme park that offers guided tours amidst life-sized dinosaur models in a natural setting. It is best to avoid visiting on rainy days, as the paths can become muddy and slippery.
The relatively flat terrain and various buildings and sites around the village make it perfect for exploration by bike, which you can rent from 90grados. Equipped with a map, helmet, and lock, you can set off on an adventure for an hour or half a day, depending on your preference. If you plan to go for the whole day, make yourself a good sandwich with bread from Astral Bakery and Iberian ham from the D1 store.
If you want to venture a bit further, you can enlist the help of Ciclotrip. A guide will lead you on unknown paths and tailor the route to your skill level—however, you will need to bring your own bike.
20 minutes on foot from the Plaza Mayor, you’ll find the fascinating Casa Terracota, an architectural marvel that brings to mind Gaudi’s whimsical style. Wander through this giant pottery and take in all the intricate details.
El Infiernito, about an hour’s walk from the village, is an ancient astronomical observatory constructed by the Muisca Indians. Walk among the fifty monoliths, whose shadows dictated the agricultural calendar through the months.
Opposite El Infiernito is the Sol Muisca Cultural Center, which complements the archaeological site. Here, you can delve into Muisca culture and hear about the famous El Dorado legend.
25 minutes by car from Villa de Leyva, the Convento de Santa Ecce Homo is a stunning convent with walls embedded with ammonites and other fossils. You can see a unique representation of Christ with open eyes.
For wine enthusiasts like me, Viñedo Ain Karim is a must-visit. This vineyard, 15 minutes by car from the village, offers various themed tours with tastings, opportunities to explore the vineyard, and, of course, the chance to purchase a fine bottle.
A brief walk from the village leads to the El Santo viewpoint, which offers stunning views of Villa de Leyva. I prefer to go up early in the morning before my coffee to take in the cool air and the peaceful atmosphere (30-minute hike).
Keep in mind it’s a steep climb!
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VILLA DE LEYVA surroundings
Nature, adventure, crafts, and colonial architecture.
Granja de Avestruces, just a 15-minute drive from Villa de Leyva, is an animal park where children can feed ostriches and other animals. The park is well-maintained, and the animals are well-looked after. While the entrance fee is a bit steep, it’s a good visit if you have young children. Note that it’s still essentially a zoo, and the on-site restaurant serves ostrich meat.
For thrill-seeking teenagers, Aventura Park Villa de Leyva (40 minutes by car from Villa de Leyva) offers great activities such as zip-lining over the canopy, crossing a Tibetan bridge, and biking on a cable 35 meters high.
For those wanting to push their limits, El Paso del Angel (1 hour by car from Villa de Leyva) is an adventure park in a breathtaking landscape. They can walk a narrow mountain ridge, bike over a deep canyon, or swing out over a river.
Ráquira, located 40 minutes by car from Villa de Leyva, is another village renowned as Colombia’s pottery capital. Wander through its streets, where pottery workshops and shops mix with colorful houses, and marvel at the impressive giant pottery pieces in the main square.
For those interested in working with clay, you can visit a potter’s workshop to learn about the pottery-making process and try your hand at it with a beginner’s lesson.
Take advantage of your visit to Ráquira to explore La Monasterio la Candelaria, the oldest rural monastery in Colombia.
A trek from Villa de Leyva leads to the Paramo of Iguaque. It’s a scenic route of medium to high difficulty (5 to 7 hours) with a considerable elevation gain, culminating at 3574 meters. The view from the lagoon, surrounded by frailejones, a plant endemic to the paramo ecosystems, is spectacular.
On the official website of Colombia’s National Parks, you will find interesting and up-to-date information about the Paramo de Iguaque.
For bird watchers, I recommend an organized tour with Ciclotrip. An experienced guide will pick you up from your hotel early in the morning and take you to a private nature reserve where you can spot various bird species, explore the area, and visit a farm.
If you’re a spelunking enthusiast, rappel down into El Hoyo de la Romera (Santa Sofía – 1 hour’s drive from Villa de Leyva), an impressive 40-meter deep chasm. Once at the bottom, a guide will provide explanations about this geological formation.
You’ll need to climb back up using tree roots and the rocky walls of the chasm, which is pretty cool!
The Boyacá department is teeming with lovely colonial villages that you can explore on a guided tour (or on your own).
Your tour will include Paipa, famous for its hot springs, Pantano de Vargas, with its monument honoring a Republican colonel, and Tibasosa, with its colorful houses and known for its variety of guava (“Feijoa”). In Iza, enjoy a tasty artisanal dessert before visiting Cuitiva, the smallest town in Boyacá.
You’ll then visit the stunning Laguna de Tota, Colombia’s largest natural lake and a sacred site for the Muisca people. The tour continues to Nobsa, renowned for its wool work, where you can buy a “Ruana,” a traditional poncho, directly from an artisan.
Before returning to Villa de Leyva, you’ll stop by Duitama to visit Pueblito Boyacense, a reconstructed village showcasing the architecture of Boyacá’s main towns.
© Tomplanmytrip
Where to stay in Leyva
My favorite hotels in Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva is typically calm, though it gets busier when tourists arrive for the weekend.
If you’re short on time, I suggest picking a hotel near the center to easily enjoy the great restaurants.
For a 3-night stay, consider a hotel outside the village, where you can enjoy a beautiful landscape.
If you want a cozy romantic stay, a SPA hotel in Villa de Leyva is ideal. With a serene setting and wellness amenities like a spa, jacuzzi, pool, and body treatments, it’s the perfect way to relax. The food is generally very good, and the staff is attentive.
Located in a quiet area just a 10-minute walk from the Plaza Mayor, the Hospederia Centro de Convenciones Duruelo is a large colonial-style building surrounded by beautiful gardens. The hotel includes sports facilities like a tennis court, mini-golf, and three pools.
For a great value close to the center, Spa Getsemaní has a massage room, a Turkish bath, and an indoor pool. Some rooms even feature a private jacuzzi.
There are good value accommodations in the village.
Off Hostel is a great example, a youth hostel located on a quiet street near the Plaza Mayor. With vibrant decor, comfortable rooms, and a beautiful dormitory with capsule-like beds for extra privacy, everything is impeccably clean.
Another fantastic choice is the Hotel Villa del Angel, a charming traditional house on a quiet street corner. The bedding is top-notch, and the owners go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. Breakfast is served on an open gallery with a delightful view of the village.
Santa Lucia Casa Hotel, located 500 meters from the Plaza Mayor, offers a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere. It features slightly old-fashioned yet charming traditional colonial decor and a lovely patio. To avoid noise at night, choose a room not facing the street.
A boutique hotel with stunning colonial architecture, a few rooms, attentive staff, and lots of comfort and detail in the decor is an excellent choice for a romantic getaway.
Just 350 meters from the main square, Casa Terra offers a tranquil and picturesque setting. The breakfast in the beautiful garden is especially delightful, and the owners are always eager to assist. It’s a real gem.
Two streets away, in a higher price bracket, El Carmel is the perfect spot for a romantic escape. It has plenty of spacious rooms, some with terraces and jacuzzis.
Close to the center, Casa del Árbol offers a more minimalist yet charming decor. Breakfast is served on the terrace, offering a lovely view of the village and the mountains.
For those preferring to sleep amid greenery, Casa de Las Flores is 25 minutes on foot from the center of Villa de Leyva. This traditional building with a lovely garden offers a serene, cozy atmosphere, perfect for unwinding.
If you seek more independence, Casa de Las Aguas (a 15-minute walk from the center) has charming, fully-equipped cottages with balconies, nestled in a peaceful setting surrounded by lush vegetation.
A bit further out (30 minutes by car from the village), in a beautiful setting surrounded by animals, Hotel Campestre La Periquera is a modern and elegant hotel. It provides an ideal environment for relaxation and nature enjoyment, with the La Periquera waterfall just a 15-minute walk away.
EATING AND DRINKING
My favorite bars and restaurants in Villa de Leyva.
Got the munchies?
Why not try a Besito de Novia (Fiancée’s Kiss)? This traditional biscuit from Villa de Leyva is made from sponge cake dusted with powdered sugar. Legend has it that its origins go back to the Spanish conquest. You can find them at Besitos de Novia bakery.
Don’t leave Villa de Leyva without tasting the famous Milhojas, a millefeuille filled with arequipe (dulce de leche). I adore them; my favorites are at La Milhoja Bakery & Coffee Shop.
If you’re planning a day trip and need sandwiches, the best bread is at Astral Bakery. They offer a variety of sourdough and whole wheat breads.
For a dessert, visit Amore Mio, or if you’re very hungry, try their pasta dishes—they’re delicious and available in vegan options.
If you’re in Villa de Leyva on a Saturday, have lunch at the market held at the Plaza del Mercado from 5 AM to 4 PM. You’ll find all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and specialties at the many colorful stalls. You can enjoy a traditional dish in a designated dining area of the market.
On the main square, Sazón is another great place for lunch. They serve traditional dishes such as Ajiaco Criollo (chicken and corn soup), hearty and reasonably priced, in a simple decor with a friendly atmosphere.
At La Feria Piqueteadero, just steps from the main square, you can enjoy typical dishes in a vibrant and colorful setting. The food is generous and delicious, and the service is fast. It’s perfect for sharing dishes with family. I loved the stuffed platano maduro with chicharron.
If you’re a beer enthusiast, check out the craft beers at Cervecería HISCA, a fantastic brewery. With a cozy atmosphere and surrounded by old stills, you’ll lose track of time. If you start to feel lightheaded, they offer some delicious Mexican specialties from the neighboring restaurant.
For wine lovers, Dolce Vid Wine Bar on the main square is the place to be. The knowledgeable owners will serve you quality wines and share their passion with you. Their mulled wine is particularly popular.
Chelsea Pub Music & Sports is perfect for fans of good rock music, beer, and football. With striking decor, live concerts, and a great atmosphere, it has everything you need for a fantastic time.
For a delectable onion soup, try Chez Remy Restaurante Francés. It offers superb traditional French cuisine in a charming local atmosphere. The potato mille-feuille is fantastic.
Another choice is Mercado Municipal, renowned for its slow-cooked meats (especially lamb). The setting is stunning, though the prices are on the higher side for Colombia.
© Tomplanmytrip
HOW TO GET TO VILLA DE LEYVA
And getting around.
Most visitors to Villa de Leyva come from Bogotá.
Several buses leave the North Terminal in Bogotá daily for Villa de Leyva. These buses are run by Flota Valle del Tenza (3.5 – 4 hours’ journey). You can also depart from the Salitre Terminal.
The bus terminal in Villa de Leyva is just a 5-10 minute walk from the Plaza Mayor.
If you’re in San Gil, perhaps after some rafting, you can catch a bus from San Gil to Tunja, the capital of Boyacá (4-5 hours). From there, you can take another bus to Villa de Leyva (1 hour).
If you’re flying into Bogotá, you can rent a car at the airport and drive straight to Villa de Leyva. This way, you won’t need to stay overnight in the capital.
This is also a great idea if you plan to visit Zipaquirá (1 hour from Bogotá) or Guatavita (60 km from Bogotá) on your way.
Moreover, it will save you the hassle of taking 3 buses if you’re heading to Barichara after your visit to Villa de Leyva.
Villa de Leyva is a destination where it’s worth taking private transportation to save time. Just like renting a car, you can choose to come directly from Bogotá Airport and stop along the way to visit Zipaquirá and Ráquira.
I personally enjoy strolling through the streets of Villa de Leyva on foot. The town is small enough to cross in 30 minutes. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, as the streets are all cobblestones.
If you like biking, you’ll have a great time exploring the town and its nearby areas by bicycle. The terrain is relatively flat.
There are some taxis, but they aren’t very common on the streets. I recommend arranging one through your hotel whenever you need it.
To visit the surrounding villages, numerous small buses leave from the Villa de Leyva terminal. Private transport is also an option.
© Tomplanmytrip
IS Villa de Leyva SAFE?
The atmosphere in Villa de Leyva is peaceful, and I’ve always felt extremely at ease.
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my last tips
To make the most of your stay in Villa de Leyva.
Avoid booking a day trip from Bogotá, as various agencies in the capital propose. The travel time is too long to be worthwhile.
As you’ve seen, Villa de Leyva is a very popular destination. During high season, on weekends, and during various festivals, make sure to book your reservations in advance.
The nights and mornings can be chilly in Villa de Leyva, so make sure to bring a pair of pants and a jacket.
© Tomplanmytrip
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