Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva is a small, very beautiful and well preserved colonial city about five hours from Bogota by road.
It was founded in 1572 by Andres Diaz Venero de Leyva by order of the kingdom of Granada and declared a National Monument in 1954. It remains relatively untouched with very few modern buildings. It is definitely worth a trip here for a night or two and you could visit the Salt Cathedral on the way.
The town is best explored on foot. There are lots of small alleys, cobbled streets and white-washed buildings. The area was inhabited by the Muisca, a Chibcha speaking people, who built their main astronomical observatory on the site of the current town, before the arrival of the Spanish.
A few kms from Villa de Leyva is the Convento del Santo Ecce Homo founded by the Dominicans in 1620. It is one of the most outstanding legacies of the Spanish; the pavement is made of local stone full of fossils and ammonites and the chapel has a magnificent golden altarpiece.
Excursions from the town are best done on horseback, but if you don’t ride then fear not as you can go by vehicle. Be sure not to miss El Fosil, an impressive 120 million year old pre-historic marine reptile fossil measuring over 12m long.
Hotel Duruelo is a former monastery which has been turned into a traditional country hotel with 85 rooms and cabins set in the carefully tended gardens. More…
Hotel La Plazuela de San Agustin is just a few minutes from the centre of town facing the Plaza San Agustin. This lovely two story colonial house has a central patio, 20 rooms and its own restaurant. Its central location means you are free to wander around the town and really get to know it. More...
