Colombia

Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva, 207 km from Bogota, is a beautiful historic town, founded in 1572 and declared a national monument in 1954. The town has remained practically untouched as there are no modern buildings and it has just whitewashed colonial houses, cobbled streets and the Plaza Mayor, at 14,000 sq m is the country’s largest.

Why visit Villa de Leyva ?

Meander through the historic cobbled streets beneath flowery balconies
Soak up the atmosphere of this colonial gem’s expansive plaza
Visit the Santo Ecce Homo Convent founded by the Dominicans
Enjoy a tasty local meringue cake known as a ‘girlfriend’s kiss’
Explore the nearby artisan villages with their fine ceramics & sausages !

Villa de Leyva offers four churches dating back to the 16th & 17th Centuries, museums such as the Museo del Maestro Acuna, the Casa de Antonio Narinho, the house of Antonio Ricaurte, the House of Congress, and in addition, due to its altitude of 2144 m, numerous fossils from the Mesozoic and Cretaceous periods can be seen. Not far from Villa de Leyva is the Convento del Santo Ecce Homo, founded by the Dominicans in 1620 and considered a most outstanding Spanish legacy.

Casa de las Aguas

Posada de San Antonio

LOCATION

COLOMBIA KEY INFO

Visa

No Visa is required for UK passport holders.

Health Requirements

No mandatory vaccinations are required.

Time Difference

GMT - 5 Hours

Flight Time

11.5 hours Direct

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"Many thanks indeed. Fab holiday! Everything went incredibly smoothly, and all the staff/drivers etc charming and all our connections etc went smoothly. Highlights included white water rafting, zip wires, releasing new-born turtles into the sea, being in a boat amongst 200 dolphins, riding on beaches... Children and parents ticked off many from our “must do things in our lives” list. In terms of lodges, would rank Pacuare and Lapa Rios equal first. Quite different, but both outstanding in terms of people, location, set up, activities, comfort etc. So overall a brilliant holiday, expertly organised by WO/HL/JF! Many thanks indeed, and see you soon!"
J. & A. Family - Costa Rica: December
"Thank you so so much for including me in your adventure... Salt cathedrals, courtyard lunches, llamas, steak, Botero, humming birds, treks, cool pools, birthdays and lovely pressies, snorkelling, eating, drinking, music, bars with pools, boganvilla, large breakfasts, history, balconies and wooden windows, cocktails at sunset with humid sea breeze, Carribean ocean, ceviche, convents, markets, views, avocado, music, street acrobats... warmth in people, temperature and friendships. The list is endless... It was wonderful. Thank you."
Mrs S. Crawford - Colombia: November
"Couldn’t have been better, we took 1,400 pictures! We can’t thank you enough for putting the itinerary together, it was as perfect as perfect can be. If I can help you in return by being a reference or whatever, please just let me know. Rest assured next time we go on a serious vacation we’ll be in touch H xx"
M. Party – Peru: August 2016
"We have had a marvellous holiday! All the arrangements ran smoothly, the itinerary was just what we wanted and the guides, without exception, were fantastic. The hotels were very good too. The guides exceeded our expectations in terms of punctuality, courtesy and attentiveness. We have so many amazing memories and everyone agreed that it was one of the best holidays ever! Special highlights (and there were many) included Condors at Colca Canyon, Lake Titicaca, Machu Pichu and the Galapagos. Thank you for all your help in making the arrangements".
The M. Party - South America: June
"We had the most fabulous time at the bottom of the world. We believed it would be good but in fact it turned out to be one of the best adventures ever. All of our arrangements rolled as planned and we felt very well cared for. Our guides were superb. Their English was excellent and they were good company."
Eileen & Jane - Chile & Argentina
"Couldn’t have been better, we took 1,400 pictures and it was a very good balance between being busy and having time to relax. We can’t thank you enough for putting the itinerary together, it was as perfect as perfect can be. If I can help you in return by being a reference or whatever, please just let me know. Rest assured next time we go on a serious vacation we’ll be in touch"
Margerrison Party - Peru
"Fab holiday! Everything went incredibly smoothly, and all the staff/drivers etc charming. Your partner on the ground was efficient and good. And all our connections etc went smoothly. So overall a brilliant holiday, expertly organised by WO/HL/JF! Many thanks indeed, and see you soon!"
J&A - Costa Rica