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:
- Go to Terminal Salitre or Terminal del Norte in Bogota, two different bus terminals.
- 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:
- 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).
- After Puente de Boyacá, take the next U-turn and then turn right where there’s a sign pointing towards Samacá.
- 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.
- Not much later, the road will end. Turn left.
- 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!
