Q & A Fridays: Off The Beaten Track, Boyaca

I often get asked about the real off-the–beaten–path destinations in Colombia and my general answer is that Colombia in general is an off the beaten path destination. There are, however, certain places and routes that are yet to be truly discovered by international travelers.

One of those places is the Boyaca department.  Located only 3 hours away from Bogota, Boyaca has a wide range of activities, climates and destinations on offer. It is one of the very few departments in Colombia that it is well organized in terms of information for tourists (there are maps), the roads are in great condition and the people are authentic!

There are various circuits that you could do. my favorite is called “Sugamuxi’s  Circuit” (Anillo turistico de Sugamuxi), the short version. You head north leaving Bogota through the northern motorway passing by many little towns like Suesca (great for rock climbing), the amazing Sisga Dam, Villa Pinzon where the Rio Bogotá begins, Puente de Boyaca (a huge monument where one of our biggest liberation fights took place – helped by the English!) before arriving to Tunja, Paipa (famous for its hot springs and the Sochagota lake) and Duitama.

There are hundreds of little colonial towns all over the department and could take me 4 posts to talk all about them so I’ll just go into the highlights of this route. I have three favorites:

Mongui and the Tota lake.  Mongui is a truly hidden gem. It is not only locally famous for being the place where most footballs in Colombia come from =), but for being the prettiest town in Boyaca. That’s all cool to know but once you get there you are overwhelmed by the fact that there is a monastery dating from XVII. You have to pay 2000 pesos to get in and to discover – what is left obviously – real oleos, frescos, furniture, pictures from the 17^th century and a bible dated all the way back to 1700! I can only compare this place to the Monastery in Cuzco, it is just breath taking!

The next on the list is the Tota Lake. Tota lake has an extention of 55km2 and a depth of 60 mts. It’s a huge lake with outstanding views, perfect for eating trout at one of the many good restaurants by its shore. During weekdays Palaya Blanca, the only beach on the coast of Tota is avery nice calm spot to visit… but avoid it on weekends at all costs as it gets way too crowded.

Hope this helps you all, and as always if you need more help don’t hesitate to contact us at www.seecolombia.travel 🙂

Marcela