Villa de Leyva is one of the many heritage cities in Colombia and is promoted as a must-see stop on any visit to Colombia. I hate to be a contrarian but, while I enjoyed it, I think there are several more authentic heritage "pueblos" in the area. If I visited again, I would probably bypass it and spend more time in Barichara. In fact, after my first visit, I decided to opt out of a second stop there on my way from Monguí to Barichara (see that post below).
Villa de Leyva (VdL) is located in the Boyacá Department northwest of Bogotá. It is a two bus trip from Bogotá with the first bus going to Tunja, a major hub for the area, where you catch a second bus to VdL.
VdL is full of white structures and cobblestone streets. I stayed at Renacer Guesthouse. While the staff was helpful enough and the cabina was nice, the place seems to cater more to backpacking tours. One night when I went for dinner, I was informed that the restaurant had closed early because they needed to feed a tour group early the next morning. Also, a tour group commandeered the main dining area so that was off limits as well. All of these things plus the fact that it is a fairly long walk from the guesthouse to the main part of VdL (through lots of barking and snarling dogs) would not earn it a repeat visit from me.
My two favorite stops were actually NOT in VdL. I hired a driver to take me to el Puente de Boyacá (Boyacá Bridge) and also went on a bit of an adventure to Reserva Rogitama Biodiversidad.
As a serious Simón Bolívar aficionado, I knew that el Puente de Boyacá was the site of the last major battle which resulted in the independence of Gran Colombia (Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela - and later Panamá). Bolívar and his troops routed the Spanish forces in this battle. The site is located roughly an hour from VdL.
I had never heard of Reserva Rogitama Biodiversidad before staying at the Renacer Guesthouse. One of the staff members told me about it. Getting there was an effort. First, I took a minibus from VdL to the "pueblo" of Arcabuco. Much of the drive was on a one lane road. The driver more or less dumped me out at a little mini-super. The people there had never heard of Rogitama. Finally, the owner called a few "taxistas" until he found one who new the place. The taxi ride was about 30 minutes.
Rogitama is/was an interesting birding spot with sparse accommodations for researchers. There is also a little kitchen which can prepare a meal on request. The main building is lined with hummingbird feeders and there are many trails through the property. The key bird on there is the Black Inca Hummingbird. I was able to see it both on the trails and coming to the feeders thanks to the owner of the property who gave me a personal tour. Unfortunately, while researching information for this post, I read that the reserve is permanently closed. A major loss of a unique little birding spot.
Fotos - Villa de Leyva including the outdoor market and Sybarrita Café - the best coffee house in VdL
The "bus stop" in Arabuco and three photos from el Puente de Boyacá
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