I definitely think it is worth visiting Villa de Leyva, Colombia because it's a beautiful and charming colonial town.

Is Villa De Leyva Worth It? (Why Visit This Colonial Town In Colombia)

ByHaley Posted on
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Planning A Trip To Colombia And Wondering If The Small Colonial Town Of Villa de Leyva Is Worth Visiting Or If It Is Too Difficult To Get To?

When I was living in Colombia, Villa de Leyva was one of my top must-see destinations in the country, and while I thought it was definitely worth the trouble of getting to, if you have limited time or different interests, you might find that other places around the country are more worth your time.

🇨🇴 Is It Worth Visiting Villa De Leyva, Colombia?

Villa de Leyva is not terribly far from Bogota, but how to get there can be more difficult because there is no airport.
Monasterio de Santo Eccehomo

I loved the time I spent in Villa de Leyva so I definitely think it’s worth it, but it is located in the central-ish part of the country about 3.5 hours from Bogota, and because there is no airport, you do have to reach it by land, so that may or may not be worth it depending on your interests and the amount of time you have in Colombia.

Why Is Villa De Leyva Famous?

I definitely think it is worth visiting Villa de Leyva, Colombia because it's a beautiful and charming colonial town.
Main Square

The main reason people love to visit Villa de Leyva and what makes it a more famous small town in Colombia, is that it’s a small colonial Spanish town that was founded in the 16th century (1572 to be exact).

It has cobblestone streets, charming white walled buildings, surrounding mountains that look really cool when the clouds hang over them (like the picture I took above), and a few interesting historical sites.

🎥 imagine the town from Disney’s Encanto and that’s kind of what Villa de Leyva feels like

What Things Can You Do In Villa De Leyva?

I thought seeing the dinosaur fossil right where they found it was pretty cool.
Museo el Fósil

Since it’s a small town there isn’t an endless amount of things to do in Villa de Leyva, but I think there are still enough interesting sites to see that it makes it worth it for a short trip.

You can do a guided tour of Villa de Leyva to see some of it’s top sites, or go on your own and choose some of the best things to do in Villa de Leyva:

  • Wander the Main Square – the main square in Villa de Leyva is the most charming part of town and I highly recommend checking it out early in the morning when there are less people and the weather might be a little cloudy/foggy (which makes it look really cool in my opinion)
  • Do Your Own Mountain Bike Tour – when I visited I was going to do one of the popular ATV tours but after talking with some of them it felt really sketchy to me so instead I rented a mountain bike from a very friendly and helpful store and went out on my own with the little paper map they gave me and ended up having one of my favorite adventures in Colombia
  • Pozos Azules – if you rent a bike, go hiking, or go for a drive, one of the first stops you’d make is at the Villa de Leyva Pozos Azules (pictured below) which are just bright blue man-made lakes in this deserty landscape
  • Museo El Fósil – the next stop would be the fossil museum where they discovered an aquatic dinosaur (pictured above) over 115 million years old when this part of Colombia used to be underwater; instead of moving it, they just built a museum around it; there is also a Paleontological Research Center museum down the street with more fossils
The monastery was my favorite place in this small town.
Monasterio de Santo Eccehomo
  • Vineyard Ain Karim – the paper map the store gave me had a winery listed on it, but I chose to continue riding up to the monastery instead so I didn’t check it out but it is fairly popular
  • Monasterio de Santo Eccehomo – my personal favorite place I visited in Villa de Leyva was the 17th century monastery Santo Eccehomo (pictured multiple times on this page), although it was not easy to reach by bike (almost 9 miles, mostly uphill) but definitely worth it in my opinion
  • Piedra de la Suerte – on the route back to Villa de Leyva a small, somewhat insignificant site that is worth running your hand across is the “Lucky Stone”; it’s nothing more than a big rock with the words “Piedra de la Suerte” carved into it but it supposedly brings good luck
  • Casa Terracota – the last stop before gettin back into Villa de Leyva is the Terracota House which is a construction project using the four elements (earth, air, water, and fire) by architect Octavio Mendoza Morales

What’s The Weather Like In Villa De Leyva, Colombia?

I think Villa de Leyva can be worth it because the weather is usually pretty nice here.
Pozos Azules

Like many parts of Colombia, Villa de Leyva has pretty nice year round weather that doesn’t change too much no matter what time of year it is.

Typically, it doesn’t get much hotter than 70 degrees (21 celsius) or much cooler than 45 degrees (7 celsius).

Even though it is a desert, it can rain a decent amount in Villa de Leyva, especially in the spring and fall, but rain usually comes in the morning or the afternoon (not both) and it doesn’t stick around for too long so plans don’t typically get ruined.

Is Villa De Leyva Safe?

I felt safe traveling all over Villa de Leyva on my own.
Monasterio de Santo Eccehomo

I went all over Colombia on my own and aside from a few possible pickpocketing scenarios (because it was so crowded), I felt pretty safe everywhere I went, especially in Villa de Leyva (where I mountain biked all over on my own).

Aside from my personal experience, Villa de Leyva is also known as a very safe place in Colombia and it has some of the lowest crime rates in the country, so whether you’re traveling alone or just want to be safe, Villa de Leyva is a great place to go.

❌ Why It Might Not Be Worth Visiting Villa De Leyva, Colombia?

Villa de Leyva might not be worth it if you're not interested in history, architecture, or small old colonial towns.
Monasterio de Santo Eccehomo

I loved Villa de Leyva and I would definitely go back there again, but some might find it not worth visiting because:

  • it’s a very small town so there aren’t tons of things to do, restaurants to eat at, or hotels to choose from, so if you prefer big city trips, Villa de Leyva might not be for you
  • if you’re not that interested in colonial history or architecture, prehistoric fossils, or small charming towns, then you probably won’t enjoy Villa de Leyva

📆 How Many Days Do You Need In Villa De Leyva?

I don't think you need too many days here.
Museo el Fósil

Because it’s so small, I don’t think you need too many days in Villa de Leyva. I spent a weekend here and felt like I saw everything I wanted to see, so I’d say three days is probably perfect.

🏨 Best Hotels In Villa De Leyva, Colombia

Since it's a small town, there's not too many hotels to choose from in Villa de Leyva, but I still think it is worth visiting.

Although there aren’t tons of hotel options to choose from in Villa de Leyva since it’s such a small town, these are some of the best and highest rated options if you plan to stay here for a couple of days:

🔁 Sum Up: Is It Worth Visiting Villa De Leyva, Colombia?

I loved the colonial charm of Villa de Leyva along with the nearby 17th century monastery, prehistoric dinosaur fossil, and Spanish architecture, so I definitely think this small town is worth visiting, but if none of those things sound very interesting to you or you don’t have much time in Colombia, then the 3 to 4 hour bus ride might not be worth it for you (although you could also take a day trip tour from Bogota which might make things easier).

Haley

Haley is the owner and author of Adventure Evermore, a travel blog that encourages users to explore, adventure, & bucket list around the world, no matter what anxieties or other difficulties they may have. When she's not writing blog posts about her favorite destinations, she's reading, playing soccer, or watching sports, movies, or TV (especially The X Files).