The historic cobblestone main square of Villa de Leyva during a private day tour

Villa de Leyva & Surroundings

Colombia's most preserved colonial town, three hours from Bogotá. Blue ponds, fossil deserts, terracotta architecture and vineyards — you choose what the day looks like.

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Overview

Villa de Leyva is one of Colombia's most preserved colonial towns, declared a National Monument in 1954. Three hours from Bogotá through the Andean highlands, the town sits in a dry valley surrounded by mountains, a landscape that feels completely different from the capital.

The surrounding area adds a completely different dimension to the visit. Blue ponds, fossil deserts, terracotta architecture, vineyards and artisan villages within a few kilometers of each other. Colescape handles the transport and you decide where to go.

Street-level view of whitewashed colonial houses and a vintage jeep in the town of Villa de Leyva

Private round-trip transport from your hotel in Bogotá
Entrance to Pozos Azules
Entrance to the Paleontology Museum
Entrance to the Fossil Museum
Meals and beverages not included
Early departure recommended. Full day tour.

What's included

A colonial street in Villa de Leyva.

Traveling with more than 4 people? [Contact us via WhatsApp] for a custom quote and special vehicle options for larger groups.

Pricing

About the destination

The town centers around Plaza Mayor, one of the largest colonial squares in South America. Cobblestone streets, white walls and wooden balconies that time has largely left alone. Good for walking, eating and browsing artisan shops without feeling rushed.

A few kilometers outside the town, the landscape changes completely. The Pozos Azules are a series of natural blue ponds sitting in the middle of a dry desert valley. The color of the water against the arid landscape is something photographs don't quite capture. The tour includes entrance to the ponds, where you can walk along the water's edge and take in a landscape unlike anything near Bogotá.

The Paleontology Museum and the Fossil Museum are two of the most interesting stops in the area. The Fossil Museum houses one of the largest marine reptile fossils found in Colombia — a kronosaurus that swam these waters over 100 million years ago, when the region was an ancient seabed. The Paleontology Museum documents the geological history of the valley and explains how a dry desert ended up full of ocean fossils. Both are included in the tour.

The Casa Terracota, designed by architect Octavio Mendoza over decades, is a house built entirely from baked earth. No straight lines, no right angles. Every surface curved and hand-shaped, worth a stop even if architecture is not usually your thing.

For those who want to add more to the day, the area also offers quad biking through the desert valley and a visit to one of Colombia's only high altitude vineyards. Neither is included in the tour price but both can be arranged on the day.

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