En route from Salento to Villa de Leyva we stopped in Bogotá for the night. Bogotá is crazy, hectic, and huge — a typical massive city with commercial products and a slew of places to eat. We stayed with the lovely Luisa and her just-as-lovely mother, ate fantastic food, and wandered a bit of Bogotá before getting to bed early.
The next morning we drove to the northern bus terminal and boarded a bus to Tunja (20,000 pesos) and then, two hours later, we quickly transferred into a mini-bus to Villa de Leya (6,500 pesos). Unfortunately, we got stuck for 30-40 minutes due to a landslide, but made it to Villa de Leyva an hour and a half later. A quick taxi ride (5,000 pesos) to Renacer Hostel, and we were setting up camp surrounded by stunning vistas. As soon as we started wandering the town, we had wished that we allocated more time for Villa de Leyva. While all we did was eat (all day), we had a fabulous time in the quaint city. The town is adorable, located in what feels like the middle of no where. There is a nice, large square with plenty of small, cute shops to get very cheap food and clothing. While wandering the streets, you’re reminded of some small cities in Spain because, architecturally, it is unlike most of the cities we had seen in Central and South America. According to locals, the town is very safe, to the point where anyone can walk around late at night with no problems.
5FT Tip: There is a lot to do in the surrounding areas that, unfortunately, we missed out on, so I really recommend a few days in the area.
