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Travel Guide

What to do in Villa de Leyva

Posted on October 27, 2018
what to do in Villa de Leyva, how to get to Villa de Leyva, hiking, adventure, food tips, where to eat, vacation

Villa de Leyva is a dreamy place. The Spanish tiles, cobbled roads, every restaurant’s vibe and the combination of dessert and forest make it one of Colombia’s most beautiful towns. Only 3 hours and 4 tolls away from Bogota, it’s a great place to rest, go on some adventures and enjoy its unique culture. In this blog post, you’ll get tips on where to go on adventures and where to eat, two of Lala and my favorite things to do. This is what to do in Villa de Leyva (and how to get there too, below!).

You may also be interested in reading: how to get to Mongui, a town that competes with Villa de Leyva for Boyacá’s most beautiful town.

What to do in Villa de Leyva

*Note: the map with all the following places and how to get from Bogota to Villa de Leyva is at the end of this travel guide!

Hiking at the Iguaque Fauna and Flora Sanctuary

We do this hike up to Iguaque Lake (Laguna de Iguaque) every time we go to Villa de Leyva. We’ve done it 7 or 8 times and have enjoyed it every time. After a 30 minute drive on an unpaved road you get to a center where to pay to enter. Then you walk a little to a hostel and restaurant they have, and there you begin the steep hike up to the lake through forests and paramos. For more information about this park, read this blog post with everything you need to know!

Eat at Antique

One of many traditions we have as a family is eating at Antique after hiking. That is, of course, after sleeping a couple of hours. Antique is one of those beautiful restaurants you can find in Villa de Leyva for a special occasion. It can be pricey, but after a tough hike and on vacation you just have to treat yourself. If you earn in dollars, or another well-off currency, though, this will be an amazing meal at a good price.

Eat Dessert at La Galleta or at Pastelería Francesa

Villa de Leyva is diverse when it comes to cultures. Two places I love to taste two different cultures and at La Galleta and at Pastelería Francesa. At La Galleta, you can find desserts from Colombia and the world, but my recommendation is you eat the miloja, which has bunches of layers with cream in between and Arequipe on top. It’s the best dessert I’ve ever had. At Pasteleria Francesa, you can experience French pastries. I have three words to describe the place: chocolate, chocolate and chocolate. Eat anything and everything that has chocolate! Both these places are marked on the map below.

Hike up to el Santo (the Saint)

If you still have energy after hiking up to Iguaque Lake or if you prefer a shorter, easier but equally beautiful hike, you can walk up to the statue of the Saint that towers over Villa de Leyva. You can see it in the distance from town. To get to the trail, go to Calle 12 and walk towards the mountains. In other words, if you’re in the main plaza facing the church, take the road to the right towards the mountain. That road, Calle 12, will take you directly to the start of the trail.

Eat at Sutamarchan

Sutamarchan is a town about 20 minutes from Villa de Leyva. It is so tied to my family’s experiences in Villa de Leyva that I had to include it in this list. We always eat there on our way back to Bogota – it’s known for its Fritanga. Fritanga is unhealthy, but delicious—all friend meat products. It is an extremely traditional Colombian meal and Sutamarchan is one of the best places for it. How to get to Sutamarchan: exit Villa de Leyva on Carrera 12, which you can take one block down from the plaza which the mountains on your left. Follow the signs towards Sutamarchan and Chiquinquira. When you get to Sutamarchan, take a left on the corner with the restaurant Fabrica de Longaniza and eat there… it’s our favorite place.

Ride a Bike in the Desert

One of the best things you can do in Villa de Leyva is ride your bike. Here are some routes you can take, but the funnest way is to go where you want. I recommend you get lost in the small desert, where there’re some awesome hills. It’s almost like BMX! I marked the dessert on the map below. You can find companies that rent bikes and can guide you in Villa de Leyva.

How to get to Villa de Leyva

On Public Transportation:

  1. Go to Terminal Salitre or Terminal del Norte in Bogota, two different bus terminals.
  2. Take a bus straight to Villa de Leyva for $23.000 Colombian pesos ($8 USD).

In a Car:

With a GPS: enter “Villa de Leyva” into Google Maps or Waze and follow the directions.

Without a GPS:

  1. Exit Bogotá going North, following signs to Tunja. You’ll go by Tocancipá, Suesca, the Sisga Dam, Chocontá and Puente de Boyacá (the Boyacá bridge, where Bolivar fought the battle that won Colombia its independence from Spain).
  2. After Puente de Boyacá, take the next U-turn and then turn right where there’s a sign pointing towards Samacá.
  3. Follow this road all the way to Samacá. When you get to the town, get to Calle 4 following the main road, where you’ll turn left and then to the plaza, where you’ll turn right. On this road you’ll be on route to Villa de Leyva.
  4. Not much later, the road will end. Turn left.
  5. Right after the next toll (called peaje Sachica) turn right where a sign points to Villa de Leyva. That road will take you straight to town.

Some things to know:

–          I recommend you go to Villa de Leyva on a weekend that isn’t a holiday or vacation because this town is very touristy and can get really full.

–          However, if you don’t mind crowds, Villa de Leyva has amazing events like the Kite Festival in August.

–          All of Villa de Leyva’s streets are cobbled and all its structures are similar: white walls and Spanish tiles. It’s so nice.

–          Take cash to pay for services you can’t pay with a card.

–          The rainy season is between April and May, and October and November.

I hope this helped you get to know what to do in Villa de Leyva. Enjoy your trip!

If you like adventures, read this blog post about outdoor adventures close to Bogota!

Travel Guide

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

Posted on May 3, 2018
fit, strong, what to do in san andres, adventure edition, scuba diving, beach, ocean, caribbean

I’m so glad San Andres is Colombia. I say this because it is a tiny island that is a full 800 km (500 miles) from mainland Colombia. The island is surrounded by “the sea of seven colors”, a visual effect created by the sea-bottom’s varying depths and huge, expansive coral reefs. Clear, calm waters, beautiful beaches, chill vibes, and great diving make this island a paradisiacal vacation hot-spot. Lala and I had our honeymoon here! I’m going to let you know my favorite way to adventure in San Andres. Read this travel guide if you like doing exercise, enjoying nature and feeling fulfilled! Let’s get into it – this is what to do in San Andres, adventure edition!

If you’re looking to have a classy, super relaxed vacation, read our post “What to do in San Andres, Tourism Edition.”

What to do in San Andres, Adventure Edition

  1. Rent bikes.

The best way to move around in San Andres is on a bike. When we go to San Andres, we bike all the time—to the city, the lagoon, the beach, you name it! San Andres isn’t nearly as small as the other paradisiacal islands surrounding it, but biking is the best way to get to know the place and get some great exercise while you’re at it. You can park them practically anywhere you go. There once was a study that showed cyclists are the happiest athletes. And who isn’t happy vacationing on an island? Biking is a must. Our friend Konan, whose contact info is below, can get you what you need, but so can hundreds of other companies and people!

  1. Scuba dive.

Because you can’t go to an island in the Caribbean and NOT scuba dive!! This place has incredibly clear water, and the underwater world is as colorful as it gets. San Andres’ main attraction is the sea itself. No, scratch that, it’s a DESTINATION! Here’s my view on diving: it may sound scary before doing it, since the ocean is enormous and unknown. But scuba diving is the most relaxing and impacting thing you can do on the island. We’ve gone diving with Sharky Dive Shop or Karibik Diver, and we’ve enjoyed both experienced a ton!

  1. Snorkel.

Because if you don’t want to scuba dive, at least you can go snorkeling in crystal clear water. Actually, when we’re not diving, we’re snorkeling. The depths (or shall I say shallows?) of San Andres are something everyone needs to experience. What I love about San Andres is that the visibility is so perfect, the water so clear, that you can literally float, look down, and see the world beneath you without a problem. If you have your gear, get in the water anywhere and enjoy the reefs! You can see tons of colorful fish, and there’s large sting rays and sharks if you’re lucky. Our contact Konan is a snorkeling pro, and any dive shop will rent you some gear or guide you on a trip.

  1. Go to the Rocky Cay Wreck.

Rocky Cay is a Cay that is about 100 meters (300 feet) from the San Luis beaches. It’s a small islet with a few trees and clear water. Even though it’s pretty far from the shore, you can walk to the cay because the water never gets above your neck. Further on from the cay is and enormous, decomposed wreck where the water is 20 to 30 feet deep. You used to be able to jump from the top of the wreck into the sea, but a few hurricanes hit recently and made it pretty dangerous. I was thankfully able to do it beforehand, though!

  1. Find Lodging far from Downtown.

San Andres looks like this: the Northern tip is the touristic downtown, much like any other downtown: loud music everywhere, restaurants, hotels, and crowds. Though it can be awesome, we honestly prefer being able to choose when we want all of that – and we like sleeping well. The western or south side of the island are best for being away from the party tourism. There are some great hotels and hostels that feel secluded and outdoorsy. We’ve stayed at the Sunset Hotel, and its great. The only problem on the western or south side is that there are few sand beaches: it goes from spiky coral beaches to the ocean. It makes for great snorkeling and diving, though!

The eastern side of the island is where most locals live, in the city of San Luis. There are some great AirBnBs, and you don’t get crowds quite like you do in the north. Also, there are some great beaches on the eastern side, and the ocean has a lot larger waves. Our recommendation is to find a hostel on the western side or the eastern side. That way, you’re close enough to everything to bike everywhere, but also far enough away from crowds and partying to have peace and quiet.

  1. Surf.

You can surf in San Andres if you travel between November and February or June and September (hurricane season). San Andres is perfect for beginner or amateur surfers because the water is calm and the waves are generally small. Some surf spots are El Paraíso, Yelllow Moon (La Perla Bar), and Punta Sur. Most of the surfing is over coral reefs, except Punta Sur, which has a sandy bottom, so that’s the best place to learn. That being said, it is very expensive.

  1. If You’re Going Shopping…

Do it right! Go the day you’re leaving; maybe even after dropping off your bags at the airport! There’s a room at the airport where you can leave your bags if you can’t check them yet – the perfect solution if you have to check out of your hotel way before your flight. The airport is only a few blocks from the downtown area. San Andres has some really good products to offer, and it’s known for having great prices because of reduced taxes. Fun fact: there are malls called San Andresito in Bogota named after the island and its great prices. What is cheaper in San Andres is perfumes and alcohol.

A video for you to SEE what there is to do!

How to get to San Andres:

The only way to get to San Andres is to fly from Colombia, Panama or Costa Rica. There’s also a direct flight from Miami!

You can sail there, of course, but no one does because of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Seriously though, there’s pirates.

Some things to know:

–          You need to get a tourist card that costs $108.974 Colombian pesos, or $38 USD, before flying to San Andres. Get it at the airport before flying to San Andres. You have to show it when you enter and leave the island, so keep it safe. Children below the age of 7 don’t have to pay it, as well as if you’re going to be on the island for less than 24 hours.

–          We know a great driver who has a big car and is extremely trustworthy. His name is Julio Machado. His telephone number is  (316) 622 8720 or (311) 874 6749.

–          Konan can take you snorkeling and can rent bikes and golf carts. Go ahead and contact him at +578 (317) 518-0579 or at konanparadise@gmail.com.

–          The North side of the island has buildings, more crowds, more restaurants and hotels, and calmer water. The South side of the island is less populated, there are less crowds, and the water can tend to be a little rougher (but in San Andres it’s never really rough!)

–          Take extreme care of your surroundings. San Andres is suffering overpopulation and pollution, and they’re connected. So please do YOUR part and throw your trash away, even returning with the trash you can take back to the mainland. Clear, perfect water will be worth nothing if it becomes a plastic grave for everything that lives in it.

I hope this has helped you know what kind of adventures you can have in San Andres!

Would you like to visit another Colombian island on the Caribbean? Check out our blog post about Isla Fuerte!

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