A Weekend in Villa de Leyva, Colombia
Villa de Leyva is a small town surrounded by mountain ranges just a few hours north of Bogota. You will feel the charm of this town as soon as you arrive with courtyards, cobbled streets, colonial-style buildings and flowers everywhere, it’s the perfect escape from the big city.
Unlike other colonial towns/villages we visited on our Latin America trip, the buildings in Villa de Leyva are all painted white with terracotta rooftops, it’s dreamy.
Although it is possible to visit Villa de Leyva in a day from Bogota, I don’t recommend this, it would rush the experience too much. I think 2 nights it’s the perfect amount of time to soak up all Villa de Leyva has to offer. A weekend is practical for those working, however, if you are a wandering backpacker I would choose to visit in the week, you’ll find a lot fewer visitors in Villa de Leyva.
How to Get to Villa de Leyva
From Bogota, we got the bus from Terminal Salitre and it took just over 4 hours to get to Villa de Leyva and was 35,000 COP for a return. We booked our tickets online with the bus company Omega but honestly, there’s no need to book online, it was quite the faff.
As there are so many buses that go to Villa de Leyva it’s much simpler to purchase your ticket at the bus station, you can check different companies and times on the RedBus website, so you don’t turn up completely clueless. Also, I would recommend going from Terminal Norte in Bogota as opposed to Salitre, this way you spend way less time stuck on the bus in Bogota traffic.
The bus driver will likely make many stops on the way but don’t worry it will be pretty obvious when you arrive in Villa de Leyva, just look out for the beautiful white and terracotta town. From the bus station in Villa de Leyva, you are within walking distance of pretty much anywhere in the town.
I really struggled with the pronunciation of Villa de Leyva, so if you are stumbling on your words like me, here’s a breakdown “vee-ya duh lay-va”
Where to Stay in Villa de Leyva
Booking.comWe stayed at the Selina Hostel in Villa de Leyva, find my review here —–>
How to Spend 2 Days in Villa de Leyva
Day 1
I’m assuming you arrived in Villa de Leyva last night, so you woke up refreshed and ready to explore what Villa de Leyva has to offer. First things first you need coffee and maybe breakfast if that’s not included in your accommodation. The best way to find yourself some morning caffeine is to start wandering the streets and pop into the first cafe that catches your attention. I know this is where I normally recommend a particular spot, but honestly, that is just not the vibe of Villa de Leyva, I recommend less planning and more wondering for your stay here. Once you have found your spot, you have some time, so pick up that book, call a loved one, paint a picture or do whatever your heart desires.
Now it’s time to get a little out of town and head to a local vineyard, Viñedo Ain Karim was the vineyard we opted for. You’ll find taxis willing to take you from nearby the bus station or alternatively your accommodation will be able to help you find one. We did the ‘Marques Plan’ which included a tour of the crops and cellar, explaining their process and of course a tasting too. It’s worth noting the tour is all in Spanish, but in my opinion, it was a great way to practice, however, you would need a basic understanding. It’s an absolutely gorgeous way to spend the afternoon, I recommend relaxing and chilling on the vineyard patio after your tour.
After all the wine you may find yourself needing a little bit of time to drink some water and have a bit of downtime, but don’t wrap the day up just yet. This evening I recommend heading out for dinner, again wherever takes your fancy. After a delicious meal you have to stop by Plaza Mayor, at night you’ll find many people kicking back, meeting friends and having a drink or two. If you find yourself here on a night with clear skies, you can even do a little stargazing.
Day 2
For your second day in Villa de Leyva, I recommend a slow morning wandering the streets, taking some photos and just soaking up the beauty of the town. Maybe you would like to do a little bit of shopping, stopping by places to pick up some souvenirs or a new outfit. There was a delicious chocolate shop called Bean to Bar, find on maps here. On your morning of wondering make sure to stop by Plaza Mayor as it’s the hub of the town, there’s always something to see.
Plaza Mayor in Villa de Leyva is the largest square in Colombia and one of the most impressive in South America, with over 150,000 square feet.
Now for your afternoon you have a few options and I’m going to run through them below:
Museo El Fósil/Museo Paleontológico– As this area is known for its discoveries of fossils and archaeological sites. You will be able to learn more about the history and see some pretty cool discoveries that were made including a Kronosaurus skeleton in the Fossil Museum.
Pozos Azules– Outside of the town, the terrain becomes desert like and people opt to take ATV or horseback tours to visit the Pozos Azules. They are lakes that will look a striking bright blue colour when the sun is shining, unfortunately, you are unable to swim in them.
Terracotta House– A short 20-minute stroll from the town and you will find this striking structure made out of clay. An unusual attraction for sure, but nonetheless rather intriguing, it costs 15000 COP to enter.
Convento del Santo Ecce Hommo– A little further afield, about 13km from Villa de Leyva you’ll find this beautiful monastery. You’ll want to stroll the beautiful courtyard and gardens, but don’t miss the many ancient fossils that have been built into the walls.
Saturday Market– Obviously this one is only for if you find yourself here on a Saturday, but you will find the freshest produce here. With farmers setting up stalls in the Plaza de Mercado on Saturday mornings.
Make sure your rain jacket or umbrella is never too far from you, we got caught out in a pretty big rainstorm here. It’s a scenic place to see lightning though that’s for sure.
My favourite moment in Villa de Leyva was when we were all sitting in a restaurant just off the Plaza Mayor, people-watching, chatting and drinking a refreshing limonada. The point of telling you that is to describe the charm of Villa de Leyva. There may not be 10 million super exciting things to do here but it’s a beautiful place to do a whole load of nothing. I guess that’s why it’s so popular with locals from Bogota who want a break.
Villa de Leyva is often described as a town that has stopped in time and although I see that to be somewhat true, it’s well catered towards visitors. Most locals (not all) that we spoke to lived in villages and towns outside of Villa de Leyva and it did seem like a lot of buildings were hotels, cafes or shops. Not that a touristy place is a bad thing, there are tourists there for a reason but it was just an observation I made.
Anyway, if you find yourself in need of a little escape from a busy life in Colombia this magical and peaceful town will welcome you with open arms.
*Disclaimer* This post may contain affiliate links, if you purchase through one of these links I would receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
PIN FOR LATER
Colombia Travel Tips
The national currency of Colombia is the Colombian Peso or COP. Two things about the currency you may often see it written with the dollar symbol and also if you see prices written like this ‘$25” it most likely means 25,000 COP.
You’ll find in the large cities of Colombia such as Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena you will be able to pay by card for most things. However, outside of the cities, you will most likely need to pay in cash or if you can pay on a card you may incur a fee.
We didn’t have a problem taking cash out however a lot of ATM charge a fee, this blog post shows the different banks and which ones are fee-free.
The national language of Colombia is Spanish, not only is it respectful to know the odd phrase, I also think your trip becomes a lot easier if you have a basic understanding. Whether you watch some TV shows in Spanish, take some Spanish classes or just simply download Duolingo to practice, I think it’s important.
The plug sockets in Colombia are type A and B, which is the same as in the US, so unless you have US chargers you will need a travel adaptor. I always recommend the worldwide ones as you can be ready for anything and also it allows you to charge multiple things at once.
There is a popular saying among Colombians “no dar papaya” which basically means don’t be an easy target. Don’t flash valuables or cash, keep phones and wallets secure and close to you and have a fabulous but safe trip.
The weather in Colombia depends more on location than the season. Mostly it’s a country that has 2 seasons, dry and wet. You’ll find it’s warmer in the north e.g. Santa Marta, Cartagena and the further south you go it gets a little cooler. The weather in Medellin is described as ‘eternal spring’ and the high altitude in Bogota makes for a much cooler climate.
In terms of transport around Colombia, the fastest way is normally by taking a flight, the main airlines are Wingo, LatAm and Avianca, I usually found Wingo to be the most budget-friendly. However the most affordable way is by taking buses, you’ll find many long-distance buses available, just expect nothing to arrive on time and be extremely patient with these buses.
