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Villa de Leyva - travel guide

Villa de Leyva is a perfectly preserved colonial town north of Bogota, and the surrounding mountains are stunning too.

Incredibly beautiful colonial town, with decent tourist infrastructure but not overrun by tourism yet. You easily can see the entire village in a few hours, but you'll want to hang out longer.
Hiking in the surroundings is great, and you can go camping too.
It's safe.

Villa de Leyva was declared a national monument in 1954, and has been preserved almost perfectly: houses are whitewashed, streets are cobblestoned. The town is small, but the surrounding area will make you want to stay and hike and perhaps camp out. The weather is nice (fresh at night, 18 degrees C average).

Most tourists here are Colombians, and people from Bogota (mostly in the weekend). During the week you'll find the town nice and quiet.

You'll notice (as of December 2006) that half of the houses (including the church) around the plaza mayor are no longer white - they've been painted in various colors for 8 months (until June 2007) for the filming of a motion picture called La Espada y La Rosa (the sword and the rose) - an adaptation of the Zorro story. After that they will be restored to their previous state. If you go during the week (Mon to Wed), you can witness the filming activities.

If kids ask you for something ("me invitas a una gaseosa?") say no, and if your Spanish is good enough, tell them kids shouldn't be asking things from strangers.

The whole area is one of the safest in Colombia. There are a bunch of fast internet cafes all over town.

Getting there and away.

Bogota. Buses from Bogota leave twice a day at the Bogota terminal, and take about 4 hours (6 US$). There are nice views along the way. There are also 2 buses a day to Bogota, one leaves from the Villa de Leyva bus station at 5am and one at 1pm. The alternative to a direct trip like this is to take a bus to Tunja and change there.

Tunja. There are regular minibuses to and from Tunja - 45 minutes, US$ 2. From there you can move on to Bogota.

Buses to the ecce homo convent leave at 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am, 13:00pm and 16:00pm (2500 pesos - US$1).

Taxi prices: to El Fosil 17000 pesos (US$ 7), to El Fosil + Infiernito + Ecce Homo convent 47000 pesos (US$ 20). There is a paper with official taxi prices posted at the bus station.

Places to stay.

(Research updated November 2006.)

There is lots of good accomodation in Villa de Leyva. Prices in the high season (December, or during the weekends) might be somewhat higher, or less negotiable than in the low season.

The cheapest way to stay is to camp, there are a bunch of places within the town that offer camping, and it's a good way to meet students from Bogota (in the weekends and holidays).

Zona de camping (for lack of a better name, on the corner of Calle 10 and Carrera 10) is just a big grassy square with a wall around it. You just put up your tent, and someone will come to collect 5000 to 7000 per person. There's a shower and basic bathrooms.

Casa Molina del Balcon (Carrera 12 # 11 - 51) is on a similar terrain, but with lots of trees and a house (it's like a big park). At the entry (there's a sign), pull the chord at the door to ring a bell. They charge 5000 per person for camping, there are showers, bathroom and you can cook.

There are also some places with dorm rooms and affordable double rooms.

A brand new budget place (from December 2006 onwards) is EL Solar, 1 block from the main square. Run by a friendly lady called Martha, it offers camping (8000 pesos), dorm rooms (15000 per person) and double rooms. She has an outside shower in the garden, surrounded by plants, that could be fun.

2 other cheapies 1 block from the main square are Hospederia Colonial and Posada Don Blas (next door, tel: 987 320 406). Both charge 30.000 for a double, 15.000 for one person. Hospederia Colonial is slightly nicer, but none of them are great.

The family Fitata doesn't run an official hostel but they rent out rooms anyway at Calle 12 # 7 - 31, tel 7320 574. Prices are negotiable around 15000 per person.

The Renacer Guesthouse (732 1379) is out of town (quite a walk, or go to Colombian Highlands and they might take you there), in a very nice house. It's run by Oscar Gilede, and it's connected to the Colombian Highlands tours. It's one of the only backpacker-y places. Dorm beds are 12000, rooms are 18000 per person (more in high season), and they have a "suite" (a big double room) for 24000 per person. Breakfast is extra at 5000 pesos, and you're unlikely to walk all the way to town to have breakfast there. You can also camp there for 7000 per person (12000 in the high season).

Mid-range places.

There are a lot of very nice mid-range hostels.

One of the friendliest must be Posada San Martin. It's located in a beautiful historic house, and the friendly couple (that lives there too) will make you breakfast beyond the usual eggs-n-toast. It charges 50000 for a double with bathroom and breakfast. Rooms are very clean and well kept.

Hospederia La Roca seems to have raised its prices, it now charges 50,000 for a double without breakfast. It has a great location on the main square, and a lot of rooms.

Dino's is listed in the Lonely Planet but no longer exists - the house has changed owners and is no longer a hostel.

Posade de Los Angeles (Cra 10 No. 13-94 Tel: 987 320 562) is a step up, they have a variety of very nice rooms at 35000 (US$ 15, US$ 20 in the high season) per person.

Hotel Plaza Mayor is even more expensive. 1st floor rooms are 176000 for a double, 2nd floor rooms have a king-size bed and are 198000 for a double, and 3th floor rooms have a real bathtub and are 220000 (US$ 100) for a double.

Hosteria del Molino La Mesopotamia (US$ 50 for a double) is a fancy hotel in an old flour mill on the border of the town. They have a natural swimming pool (with healing properties) where you can have a swim for 4000 pesos (take a towel), or they might forget to charge you. Careful with the mosquitos.

Places to eat & drink.

As usual, most restaurants serve a decent meal at noon with everything included for about 5000 pesos (US$ 2). Your hotel will usually serve breakfast. There are also a bunch of fresh bakeries in town, as you walk around just follow the smell of freshly baked bread.

Sazon y Sabor, on the Plaza Mayor next to De La Cava (on the corner, a good place to drink) serves the best lunches for 5000 pesos (a different menu every day).

Casa Quintero, on the other corner of the Plaza Mayor, is a type of 'shopping mall' - a large house filled with small shops and restaurants. There is a good Lebanese place called Zarina, a healthy ecological restaurant called Xirrus with some Indian specialties (try the lentil wrap) and a brilliant bar whose owner "El Pote" is a local character. The bar is filled with writing on the walls and chairs, and the floor is full of eucalyptus leaves. It's probably the most bohemian place in Villa de Leyva.

There are a few more of these 'shopping malls' on Carrera 9 where you can find other interesting restaurants.

Don'd Bill, a great place mentioned in the Lonely Planet and other guides is closed. The owner, a drummer who used to drum with Elvis Presley, died recently.

There are 2 'discos' to dance, Latin Dreams Disco Bar (Carrera 10 1 block from the Plaza Mayor) and Cava del Marquez (on Carrera 9, 2 blocks north of the plaza mayor), which is downstairs and seems more popular. In the weekends, the action is on the main square.

Things to do.

Villa de Leyva is a town for walking. You can just stroll through the streets (it's pretty small), sip a coffee on the main square, drink a warm wine in the evening.

The market on Saturday is a must of course. It's locals selling fruits and vegetables (no handicrafts), and you can eat there too. There is an older gentleman who uses a particularly hard-core selling method to sell overpriced cheese - be warned. He's friendly but insistent!

Apart from that, there are lots of stores that sell very nice warm clothing and handicrafts, just walk around the town, especially during the weekends. The ruanas (warm woollen ponchos) are particularly nice. Not all of them are made of real wool or handmade, so shop around.

There is a lot of great hiking around Villa de Leyva - see our separate Villa de Leyva hiking guide.

There are also a number of sights to see in the surrounding area. You can take buses there (ask at the bus station), taxis (who offer tours) or hike (not to all of them). Sights include:

Ostrich Farm (about 5km southwest). You can visit and eat ostrich meat at the restaurant.
El Fosil. A baby-kronosaurus fossil measuring 7 meters.
El Infiernito. A kind of stonehenge of the Indians.
Convento del Santo Ecce Homo: a convent founded in 1620. The monks will show you around.
Santuario de Iguaque: see our hiking guide.
The architect Octavio Mendoza has built an interesting, Gaudi-like mud house. It's a short walk from the town.

For friendly tourist information, tours etc try Guias y Travesias (732 0742 guiadevilladeleyva at yahoo.com), run by the friendly and knowledgable Enrique Maldanado. He has lots of maps (6000 pesos for a map of the region) and information, and rents bicycles (30000 for a day, 17000 for 6 hours) and tents (15000 for 2 people). He also does tours to various sights and can help you organize custom hikes.

Another good option for tours etc. is Colombian Highlands (732 1379 colombianhighlands at hotmail.com), which is connected to the Renacer guesthouse.

The atmosphere of the village can get touristy in the high season and on bus weekends. During the week in low season it's pretty quiet.

Some of the dates when it gets really busy:

June 12: this is the "birthday" of the town and the market is held on the main square for once.
July 16: fiesta de carmen: this is a big local event, tourists don't really come here at this time, but all the campesinos from the surrounding area have a big event.
7-8 December: festival de luzes (big party with fireworks).
The whole of December is tourist season.

Websites.

http://www.villaleyvanos.com (in Spanish)
http://www.villadeleyva.net (in Spanish)
http://www.randales.com (rafting and hiking, Spanish)

Notice how the walls are no longer whitewashed in parts of the town but painted for the filming of a movie. They'll be restored afterwards.

By Peter (Moderator) on Nov 30, 2006, 13:47 in Travel tips.

litost says on Dec 1, 2006, 01:17:

Great thanks Peter, finally a forum dedicated to travel advice!!!

I'll add a couple of things that I remember from my visit there last year that weren't mentioned.

Getting there: if you are in the North of Bogota it may be more convenient to go catch a bus at the Portal del Norte (calle 170, in front of the Exito), there is no official bus stop but you will see all the buses going to Tunja usually stopping there to pick up passengers.

Things to do in surrounding areas:
- I really enjoyed horseback-riding (with a guide) for a couple of hours in the nearby Candelaria "desert" which also has some crystal blue lagoons (pozos azules) you can take a dip in. Don't be fooled, negotiate the price until it sounds reasonable, particularly in low season.
- There is a beautiful area some 40 mins away from VdL with cascading waterfalls called "La Periquera". You have to go to the bus terminal and catch a microbus which will drop you off there. Ask the driver about the time and place you can catch the same bus service back to VdL. Also camping possibilities in the area near the river.

Special events: in fact the most important and busy time in VdL for tourists wasn't mentioned, it's the Kite Festival (early august) which gets tons of visitors but well worth going to see the most impressive kite flying competition in Colobmia.

See my pics of Villa de Leyva at: http://travel.webshots.com/album/471489031UZBSEm

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Peter (Moderator) says on Dec 1, 2006, 06:08:

Thanks for sharing all the good stuff! I can't believe I never had a travel forum before... what a mistake! ;) I'll be writing more detailed guides in the coming weeks...

Poor but snappy

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el flaco says on Dec 1, 2006, 06:39:

Don't forget Tunja As mentioned above the buses go via Tunja, this town has wonderful colonial buildings mixed in with modern buildings. A lot of them are museums with outstanding interiors, in my opinion the best in Colombia. There are good cheap hotels near the bus station so try and spend a night there. For high season it might pay you to do a day trip to Villa de Leyva.

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arthur brode says on Dec 1, 2006, 11:20:

nice guide,Peter i cant wait to go.do you know if there is an option of flying directly into Tunja then taking the 45 min. bus ride to Villa de Leyva?or is the 4 hour bus trip from Bogota the only way to go?

http://www.calirentals.net/

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aztec says on Dec 1, 2006, 17:38:

We have made... ...several trips to Villa de Leyva. Stayed over night in the town. We love it enough to even consider purchasing a "vacation" home in the vicinity. Not a weekender but where one could spend several months. We are even now contemplating renting in the area for the month of January.

My Brother-in-laws wife's family lives in the general area. He is a Professor and one of the few doctorates in a University in Tunja.

Is there anyone here with enough information to advise us on the wisdom of such a purchase?

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goosekirk says on Dec 3, 2006, 19:01:

Ostrich Farm, El Fosil y El Infiernito At the Ostrich Farm, you'll see a short film about the ostriches, and then you can mingle with some of the adolescents. Adults are too aggressive to get close to, but the younger ostriches are curious and somewhat friendly. Don't wear shiny baubles, and be aware that the ostriches may very well "bite" at you. They may seem a little scary, but their bite is really nothing more than a pinch. They're interesting animals and it's a worth a visit to be able to get so close to them.

At El Fosil, you can buy some gorgeous fossils and rocks for very cheap.

El Infiernito is a little more interesting than just a Stonehenge. There is an astronomical clock, but more fun is the field of giant stone phalluses, apparently intended to bring fertility to the crops from the feminine sun. And is that one of the phalluses in the courtyard of the Convento del Santo Ecce Homo?

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el flaco says on Dec 4, 2006, 05:31:

airport There is no airport at Tunja although it used to have one and of course none at Villa de Leyva.

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arthur brode says on Dec 4, 2006, 16:30:

thanks flaco .

http://www.calirentals.net/

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aztec says on Dec 7, 2006, 15:14:

Peter, please move my inquiry,,, ...regarding real estate purchase in Villa de Leyva to the section "Rent, sell & buy". We are actually looking for something that would serve as a family compound in this area.

Thanks.

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jan 5, 2007, 17:21:

Aztec, just post it again over there :)

Poor but snappy

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cali373 says on Mar 29, 2007, 09:05:

I plane to go to Villa de Leyva and Tunja for the scenery and some trekking but are there places to go to meet people, have a drink, dance?

Smile if you are a thinker!

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cali373 says on Mar 29, 2007, 09:37:

"Don't be fooled, negotiate the price until it sounds reasonable, particularly in low season."

What is a reasonable price?

Smile if you are a thinker!

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randdanr says on Apr 29, 2007, 02:09:

Getting there ! If I didn't want to catch a bus (shaking with fear and horror at THAT thought) is there any other way of getting to DdL ? What would a cab from Bogota and back cost does anyone know ? Is there an airport that would be even mildly convienient for VdL ? My wife isd esperate to go there and I would love to, but oh dear that bus ride !!! :)

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