Villa de Leyva is a small colonial town of around 17,000 people in the department of Boyaca, about four hours north of Bogota by road, sitting at roughly 2,140 metres in a wide, dry, mountain-ringed valley. It was founded in 1572 and it has been a national monument since 1954, which is the reason it looks the way it does: whitewashed walls, dark timber, clay-tiled roofs and no visible modern building in the historic core, because the protection has been in place for seventy years and is enforced.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, Roman Trail earns a small commission at no extra cost to you.
The centre of it is the Plaza Mayor, an enormous open square of rough cobblestones measuring something in the order of 14,000 square metres, with a stone Mudejar fountain in the middle and low white colonnaded buildings on all four sides. It is the kind of space that is hard to photograph because nothing gives it scale, and it is best at six in the morning and at night, when it is lit and empty.
What makes the town more than a pretty square is what surrounds it. The valley was a shallow sea in the Cretaceous and the ground is full of marine fossils, including a near-complete Kronosaurus displayed in a building constructed over the spot where it was found. There is a genuine high desert twenty minutes away, a pre-Hispanic astronomical site, vineyards at an altitude that should not support them, and waterfalls in the hills behind. Add that this is the weekend destination for Bogota's middle class, and you have a town that is beautifully preserved, very well fed, and completely overrun on Saturdays.
What you pack is decided by altitude: a wide daily temperature swing, fierce equatorial sun, and cobblestones.
The Plaza, the Convents and the Cobbles
One vast square, a set of colonial religious houses, and streets that are hard on feet.
The Plaza Mayor is the organising space and most of the town is within four blocks of it. The parish church on the east side is plain and seventeenth century. The surrounding streets hold a dense concentration of restored colonial houses, most now hotels, restaurants, craft shops and galleries, built around courtyards with fruit trees and geraniums. The Casa Museo Antonio Narino and the Casa del Primer Congreso are the historic house museums; the second is where the congress of the United Provinces of New Granada met in 1812, which gives the town a real place in the independence story.
The Monasterio de las Carmelitas Descalzas holds a museum of religious art and is still a working enclosed convent, and the Convento del Santo Ecce Homo, a few kilometres out of town, is a 1620 Dominican house with a stone-flagged cloister in which fossils are visible in the floor slabs, which is a detail that captures the whole area neatly.
The cobbles deserve their own warning because they are the single most common complaint about visiting here. These are not neat setts: they are large, irregular, rounded river stones laid unevenly, and walking on them in anything with a thin sole or a heel is genuinely unpleasant and a twisted ankle is a real possibility. The town is small and entirely walkable, and it is walkable only in proper shoes.
Saturday is market day in the square below the centre, which is excellent, and Saturday is also when Bogota arrives. If you can be here from Sunday evening to Friday, the town is a different and much calmer place. The main annual events are the astronomy festival in the dry, clear skies of early in the year, a kite festival in August when the valley wind is reliable, and a light festival in December.
Recommended Tours and Experiences
Fossils, the Desert and the Hills
A marine reptile, a Muisca observatory, a small desert and a set of waterfalls, all within half an hour.
El Fosil, about five kilometres west, is a small museum built over an almost complete Kronosaurus boyacensis, a marine reptile roughly 120 million years old, left in the position in which it was excavated. It is a modest place with an extraordinary object in it, and seeing a fossil in situ rather than mounted in a city hall is the point. The larger Centro de Investigaciones Paleontologicas nearby is a working research centre with a good collection and better explanation.
El Infiernito, the Muisca astronomical site, is a short distance further: rows of upright stone pillars used to track solstices and equinoxes, giving it a reasonable claim to be a pre-Hispanic observatory. The Spanish name, little hell, was given by priests who disapproved of what they assumed went on there. It is a quiet, bare, interesting site that takes twenty minutes.
The Desierto de la Candelaria is a genuine arid badland of red rock and dry scrub, surprising at this altitude and used for horse rides and mountain biking, with a seventeenth century Augustinian monastery at its edge. The contrast with the green valley floor is abrupt.
In the hills, the Pozos Azules are bright blue-green pools in an eroded ochre landscape, visually striking and shallow; swimming is not permitted and the colour comes from minerals. La Periquera is a set of waterfalls and pools in forest, which is a decent half day with some scrambling. Further out, Iguaque National Park protects a high-altitude paramo and a sacred Muisca lagoon, reached by a steep climb to around 3,650 metres: that is a serious walk at genuine altitude, it is cold and wet up there, and it is the one activity here that needs real preparation.
Getting around: buses run from Bogota's north terminal to Tunja and on to Villa de Leyva, taking around four hours in total, and the town is small enough to walk once you arrive. The outlying sites are reached by taxi, tuk-tuk, bicycle, horse or a half-day tour, and several are close enough together to combine on one trip.
When to Go
December to March is driest and clearest. The daily swing matters more than the season.
At 2,140 metres in a dry valley, Villa de Leyva has a climate that does not change much month to month: daytime highs around 22 to 24C in strong sun, and night-time lows commonly between 8 and 12C. The swing within a single day is larger than the variation across the year, and that is the fact to pack for.
The driest and clearest months are roughly December to March, which is also when the skies are best for the astronomy festival and when the light on the white walls is at its best. These are the busiest months along with Colombian holiday weeks, and Christmas, New Year and Easter are very busy indeed.
April to May and September to November are the wetter periods, with afternoon rain rather than all-day rain, green hills and fewer people. June to August is relatively dry again and brings the reliable valley wind that the August kite festival depends on.
Whatever the month, the pattern is clear mornings, cloud building in the afternoon, cold after sunset. Do the outlying sites and any walking in the morning. And note that the sun at this altitude four and a half degrees from the equator is strong enough to burn you in an hour while the air temperature feels mild, which is the classic mistake here.
Is Villa de Leyva Safe for Women Travelers
Boyaca is not in any FCDO advised-against area, and this is one of the safest places in Colombia to travel alone.
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to PARTS of Colombia, and travelling against that advice can invalidate your travel insurance. None of the areas named covers the destinations in this guide, and it is worth knowing which they are rather than carrying a vague sense that the country is risky. The advice covers the Catatumbo region of Norte de Santander, all of Arauca Department except the capital Arauca, land within 5km of the Venezuelan border except the city of Cucuta, Choco Department except Quibdo and the whale-watching towns of Nuqui and Bahia Solano and the tourist site of Capurgana, western Valle del Cauca including Buenaventura, the municipality of Jamundi, western Cauca Department, the South Pacific, Sanquianga and Telembi regions of Narino, southern Cordoba, the Uraba and Bajo Cauca regions of Antioquia, southern Bolivar, all of Guaviare except San Jose del Guaviare, parts of Caqueta and Putumayo, and land within 5km of the Ecuadorean border except the named crossings and Ipiales. Read the regional risks page yourself before you travel, because this list changes.
Plainly: Boyaca department and Villa de Leyva appear nowhere in the FCDO's advised-against areas, and nor does anything on the road from Bogota. The named areas are all distant, mostly on the Venezuelan and Ecuadorean borders, the Pacific coast and the southern departments.
Boyaca is among the most settled and conservative parts of Colombia and Villa de Leyva is a protected heritage town whose economy is entirely domestic weekend tourism. The practical result is that this is about as benign a destination as the country offers. Violent crime against visitors is very rare, the square and the surrounding streets are busy and lit into the evening, the town is small enough to cross on foot in fifteen minutes, and a woman walking alone at night or eating alone in a restaurant is completely unremarkable. Petty theft in the Saturday market crowd is the realistic risk and a closed bag handles it.
Street harassment is markedly less of an issue here than on the Caribbean coast or in the big cities, and the atmosphere is family and couple rather than nightlife.
The genuine risks are physical. The cobblestones are the first and most likely: large, rounded, uneven stones on which people turn ankles regularly, worse at night when the lighting is low and atmospheric rather than useful. The second is altitude and sun in combination, which catches people out because the temperature is mild: the UV here is intense, there is very little shade in the valley or the desert, and sunburn and mild dehydration are the most common ways visitors feel unwell. Two thousand metres is not high enough to cause altitude sickness in most people, though you will be more breathless on a climb than you expect and alcohol will hit harder.
Iguaque is the exception that needs respect. The climb to the lagoon reaches around 3,650 metres through paramo, it is cold, exposed and frequently wet, the weather changes fast, and altitude sickness is a real possibility on it. Start early, go with a guide or at least with the park's information, carry warm and waterproof layers regardless of what the valley looks like, and turn back if you develop a headache with nausea.
On the roads, the drive from Bogota is mountainous with heavy lorry traffic, and travelling it in daylight is the standard advice, both for the scenery and because night driving on Colombian mountain roads is best avoided.
Colombia has no reciprocal health agreement with the UK, so travel insurance with medical cover and repatriation is essential rather than advisable. Private clinics in the larger cities are genuinely good and are what insurers use. A droguería handles minor problems without an appointment and pharmacists are used to advising. Do not drink the tap water outside the big cities and be careful with ice away from established places. Yellow fever vaccination is worth checking against your itinerary, because some neighbouring countries require a certificate from travellers arriving from Colombia. Altitude is the one people forget: Bogota sits at 2,640m and arriving from sea level is felt.
The Villa de Leyva Packing List
Base layers, for a 14-degree daily swing
This is the destination that makes the case for merino better than almost anywhere in Colombia. You will be in strong sun at 23C in the middle of the day, walking uphill and sweating, and then sitting in a courtyard at 9C after dark in the same clothes. Merino at 160gsm handles exactly that: it moves moisture off the skin while you are working so you are not damp when the temperature drops, and it keeps insulating afterwards, which is the precise point at which cotton has become a cold wet layer against you. It also stays fresh for days of wear in dry cool air. Our merino base layers are 100% Australian merino at 17.5 micron with no synthetic blend. A long sleeve merino wool base layer for women does the whole day here and gives sun cover in a valley with no shade.
Shoes with grip and a real sole, for the cobbles
The most important item on this list and the one people get wrong. Walking shoes with grip and a sole thick enough to insulate you from large uneven river stones. Thin soles, heels and flat sandals all make the town unpleasant and make a turned ankle likely, especially at night. Merino wool socks, which handle warm days and cold evenings in one pair.
A warm mid layer, which visitors forget
A fleece mid layer. Nights here drop to single figures and the evening in the square is the best time to be out in it. This is the single most commonly regretted omission from a Boyaca packing list, because people pack for a tropical country.
A rain and wind layer
A packable rain jacket for women for afternoon rain in the wetter months, for the valley wind, and as the outer layer on anything in the hills. At paramo altitude on Iguaque, wind-driven rain at a few degrees above freezing is a cold-exposure problem rather than an inconvenience.
Sun protection, stronger than the temperature suggests
A wide brim sun hat and high SPF sunscreen, plus real sunglasses. At 2,140 metres and four and a half degrees from the equator the UV is severe, the desert and the square have no shade at all, and the white walls reflect. Burning here while feeling pleasantly mild is the standard visitor experience.
If you are walking Iguaque
Waterproof hiking boots for the paramo, which is boggy, cold and steep, with a long climb on wet ground. Day walks around the town and the desert do not need them.
The small things
A refillable bottle, because the dry air and the altitude dehydrate you faster than the temperature implies. Lip balm and moisturiser; this valley is genuinely dry and most people notice within a day. Cash in Colombian pesos for the market, the tuk-tuks and the smaller sites, though the town's restaurants take cards. A plug adapter for the US-style two-pin, since Colombia runs 110V. A torch or your phone light for the lanes at night, which are deliberately dimly lit. And a swimsuit only if your hotel has a pool, since swimming is not permitted at the Pozos Azules.
Essential Resources for Women in Villa de Leyva
Emergency numbers: 123 is the single national emergency line in Colombia for police, ambulance and fire, free from any phone.
Non-emergency police and tourist police: Colombia's National Police operates a Tourist Police service, the Policia de Turismo, and Villa de Leyva has a police presence suited to a heritage town with heavy weekend visitor numbers. A theft needs an in-person report, the denuncia, to produce the document an insurer will require, and it can be started through the Fiscalia's online system.
Main hospital or clinic: Villa de Leyva has a local hospital for ordinary and urgent problems. Anything serious goes to Tunja, the departmental capital about forty-five minutes away, which has larger hospitals, and complex cases go on to Bogota. A drogueria in town handles minor problems without an appointment.
Official health authority: the Colombian Ministry of Health. Colombia has no reciprocal health agreement with the UK, so insurance with medical cover and repatriation is essential rather than advisable, and check that it covers trekking above 3,500 metres if Iguaque is in your plan
US Embassy: the United States Embassy in Bogota. Bogota, which is the only US diplomatic post in Colombia and is around four hours away by road
Official tourism authority: Colombia Travel, the national tourism board. With the Villa de Leyva municipal tourism office for museum and convent opening hours, which include a long midday closure, and Colombia's national parks authority for Iguaque access, which is capped and sometimes closed for conservation
Iguaque and altitude: the climb to the sacred lagoon reaches around 3,650 metres through cold, wet paramo where weather changes quickly, and visitor numbers are capped. Start early, carry warm and waterproof layers whatever the valley weather looks like, and descend if you develop a headache with nausea rather than pushing on.
The cobblestones: large, rounded, uneven river stones throughout the historic centre, poorly lit at night by design. Turned ankles are the most common injury visitors sustain here, and shoes with a thick sole and real grip are the entire solution.
US State Department travel advisory: the Colombia advisory. Read the current level there directly rather than relying on a figure printed in any guide.
UK FCDO travel advice: gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/colombia, and read the safety and security page rather than only the landing page, because that is where the substance sits.
Solo women safety assessment: Villa de Leyva is among the safest and easiest destinations in Colombia for a woman travelling alone, and the reasons are structural rather than impressionistic: Boyaca is one of the most settled parts of the country, the town is a protected national monument whose economy rests entirely on domestic weekend visitors, it is small enough to cross on foot in fifteen minutes, and the square and surrounding streets stay busy and lit into the evening. Boyaca and Villa de Leyva appear nowhere in the FCDO's advised-against areas, and nor does the road from Bogota. Violent crime against visitors is very rare, eating alone or walking at night is completely unremarkable, and street harassment is noticeably less of a presence here than on the coast or in the big cities. Petty theft in the Saturday market crowd is the realistic risk and a closed bag deals with it. What will actually cause you trouble is physical. The cobblestones are large, rounded and uneven, the lighting at night is atmospheric rather than useful, and turned ankles are the commonest injury: thick soles and real grip solve it. The altitude and the equatorial sun combine to burn and dehydrate people who feel perfectly comfortable, because the air is mild and the UV is not. And the nights drop to single figures, which catches out everyone who packed for a tropical country. If Iguaque is in the plan, treat it as a proper mountain day at 3,650 metres rather than a walk from a pretty town.
Reading On
For the country-level picture, start with the Colombia travel guide for women. For why fine wool handles a warm day and a cold night in one garment, read the guide to merino wool base layers for women. Every destination we cover is indexed at the travel packing guide for women, and the base layers are at the Roman Trail collection.
If the outer journey is calling you, the inner one usually is too. Explore SoulMap at romantrail.com/blogs/soulmap.
