Villa de Leyva is three hours away from Bogota. It's a small town with stone roads and colonial style houses. The weather is a little warmer than Bogota but still a bit cold.
There are several hostels that are perfect like "Los Olivos" or you can also camp. There is a fossil dessert, so I recommend going horseback ridding, specially during the night. If you do it during the day, look out for the sea fossils it's really cool. Tell the guides to take you to the blue water reserves, it's a part of the dessert with holes that have bright blue and green water in them.
There is a french guy that arrived in Villa de Leyva 15 years ago and loved it so much he decided to stay. He opened a french bakery in the center of the town and it's delicious. Try the chocolate croissants and the cinnamon bread.
Last time I went, I visited the Ostrich Farm. This is going to sound a bit weird but you should go. They have baby Ostriches and you can also see the older ones. A tour guide will show you the healthy characteristics of this type of red meat, it's the healthiest red meat you can have. You'll see their growing process and if you want, you can take pictures with them but at the end of the tour there's a small restaurant where you'll eat their meat. It sounds worse than it really is and I thought it was actually really fun and the meat is great.
In the center court, beside the main church, there are lots of shops and little restaurants that are worth going to, specially "La Plateria" a silver jewelry store with great designs. Also, during the night, there are several small bars and you should try the "Lider Aguardiente" this is like the colombian "Tequila Shots".
I hope you have enjoyed my posts and if you go to Colombia some day remember my tips. If you ever think about visiting South America have Colombia in your list because it's a country worth going to, you will not regret it.
Hi- I am in south america right now for the first time. I am actually in Peru for work so can't quite ask for parallel tips. But, really appreciate what you are doing for your country. People are so scarred by how they are perceived in the foreign media that they are distrustful of journalists. However, the spirit and openness of peruvians in general seems to trump any hesitations the minute they begin to relate to you. Hope I make it to colombia someday soon.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a pleasure reading your blog the past few weeks. You are really knowledgeable about your country. I want to go! I love your quick tips, all of your insight, and the pictures! If I ever visit Colombia I definitely know who/where to come to for travel advice!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds amazing! If someone doesn't want to visit Colombia after reading your blog, they just don't like to travel. Period.
ReplyDeleteThe ostrich experience sounds great to me. I would love to try ostrich meat. I had a similar experience in Nairobi, Kenya eating at a famous restaurant called the Carnivore. The serve wild African game. I tried crocodile, wart hog, and wildebeest, and it was all delicius. Especially the crocodile.
Your blog was also especially good about having great visuals. Love the ostrich picks.
Thanks for the tips. Can't wait to see your country in November.
Juliana, I think you really grew through this blog. I learned a great deal about Columbia - and it was little things, things that you might not necessarily hear about. So I greatly appreciate your sharing your experiences and knowledge. I hope you'll use what you've learned to continue to flourish, using some social media tools!
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this blog- you've shown me a side of Colombia I never would have known. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I hope one day I'll get to visit Colombia and try out your suggestion- mainly the tequila :)
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