Day Tour to Villa de Leyva

Discover the charming colonial architecture and cobblestone streets of Villa De Leyva, one of Colombias magical villages, on an 11-hour day trip departing from Bogota. Explore its fascinating history, how its been beautifully preserved and the variety of sights including Boyac Bridge, El Infiernito (Little hell), the blue ponds and Rquira. You will hardly find a place in Colombia that takes architectonic preservation as serious as Villa de Leyva. This small village located in the department of Boyac and its a 3-hour drive from Bogota. Spanish colonizers founded the village in 1572, visiting it gives the sensation of going back in time and in 1954 it was declared a national monument. Get a closer look at the colonial history of Colombias and the fascinating towns outside of Bogota on an 11-hour day-trip to Villa de Leyva. This mellow areas exceptional architecture, great artisan craft shopping and historical richness offer the perfect combination. Get started with a 7 am pickup at the hotel, proceeding north towards Villa de Leyva. Enjoy of a historical stop at the Boyac Bridge, where the battle of Boyac took place in the 19th century which helped secure Colombias independence from the Spaniards. Afterwards you'll arrive to Villa de Leyva where you can take your time to admire the striking architecture of this area and learn the history around it thanks to a professional guide. Go to El Infiernito (Little Hell) and marvel in an ancient Muisca observatory and how they used to calculate the optimal time for harvest and then visit the blue pond, a water reservoir created by farmers. The waters color has turned into a surprisingly vivid blue that contrasts beautifully with the arid vegetation. Finish your visit to Villa de Leyva with an authentic Colombian lunch and (at your own expense) before proceeding to Rquira, a small village nearby, famous for its amazing craftsmanship of woodworking, pottery, basketry and more. Have the opportunity to do some souvenir shopping and the then proceed to go back to Bogota where youll be taken back to your hotel. It is also optional to change any of the activities above for the Casa de Terracota, which is a house made of clay measuring 500 m in Villa de Leyva is considered the largest piece of pottery in the world. This is the Terracotta House, bricked colored structure that architect Octavio Mendoza baked in the same manner as pottery makers when they produce vases, dishes and other decorative objects. It is a construction which according to its creator, transforms it into habitable architecture.