Escape the City in Monguí, Boyacá

When you plan travels around Colombia, you often think of getting away from it all…to palm-tree lined beaches, to sultry salsa cities or maybe the Amazon rainforest. I however recently decided to escape to a region actually quite close to Bogotá called Boyacá. What does it have going for it? Well, it is home to some of the highest, most-stunning mountains in the country, lots of onions, delicious cheese, a world class cyclist…ok, ok, but what can you do there? Well, this is just the place for that relaxing “not-doing-anything” type of travel, that is a fantastic way to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of city life; all in a quaint, genuine town amongst beautiful rolling mountains. That wonderful little town is called Monguí and it is just waiting to charm you.

Monguí is found just 4-5 hours by bus to the north of Bogotá. Our little vehicle climbed up, up and up to the town at 2,900 meters above sea level. This altitude means you won’t be sunbathing and you will need a sweater, or better yet a “Ruana”, the traditional Colombian wool poncho seen all around town like it’s the hottest fashion. We hung our hats at a wonderful and rustic country house, La Posada de la Montaña, where our wonderful hosts Julio and Marta made us feel at home and part of the family.

Visiting Monguí is like stepping back in time and taking it down a notch in the pace of life. The actual town is one of the prettiest of Boyacá for its colonial architecture and main plaza with the stunning Nuestra Señora de Mongui church taking center stage. The religious founding of the town was in 1555, and many buildings are hundreds of years old. The famous Calicanto bridge in town remains from the 17th century and is constructed out of a curious combination of clay, lime and bull’s blood! Flowers spill over balconies, children play soccer in the square and neighbors chat in doorways. This place is just a dream and the definition of tranquility. In fact, as we walked into town, we passed the football field that overlooks the mountain panorama and all we found were a herd of sheep grazing.

Monguí is also famous for being the main producer of “balones” or soccer balls! At one time, the town produced 25% of the national demand. You can stop into one of the factories to check out the process and bring home a freshly sewn up ball as a pretty sweet souvenir. The gastronomic offering consists of typical Boyacense plates like “Cocido Boyacense” a platter containing pretty much every vegetable, potato and meat in a giant mountain. You can also snag a locally fished river trout on many menus and of course it is always a good idea to grab an aguapanela or canelazo (spirited version with aguardiente) to warm up from the chilly mountain air. Wander the cobblestoned streets a bit more and before you know it you have spent the whole day just soaking up the peaceful air of this enchanting little town.

If you are looking to add in a dose of exercise, there is a great hike up to the cross overlooking the town. An hour hike winding around farms and old crumbling stone structures, wheezing a bit thanks to the high altitude, is worth every step to reach the panoramic view of the expansive mountains around you! The kind of scenery that makes you want to yodel as if your life depended on it! Ask around for the way to go, since it is not a particularly well-marked route, or if you are lucky, as we were, you might be accompanied by locals, who will show you the way and regale you with some interesting tales of the surrounding area.

From Monguí you can easily arrange day trips to many of the other local highlights like thermal springs, the grand Laguna Tota and other similarly quaint artisan towns. And the real kicker for Monguí is that it lies just at the base of the Páramo de Ocetá, a high treeless plateau, a climate found only in South America and truly stunning and other-worldly. Not to be missed when you visit Monguí! More on the Páramo adventures to come in a future post…

 

So go ahead: leave civilization, smog and honking horns behind for a true escape, a place where time goes slowly but each minute is just a little bit richer. Take a trip to Monguí and see for yourself. It is a place you just have to experience to really understand.

Tracey