Baby Bear really knew his stuff. Things were never too hot or cold. They weren't too hard or soft. He always managed to combine the two to get it just right. Tourism can be a bit like that. Visit a place in its peak, and it overcrowded and noisy. But see that same place in the off-peak and it's dead as Goldie Locks would have been if she actually walked into a bear's den. Villa de Leyva can be one of these too much or too little kind of places, that is unless you time it right.
Villa de Leyva is a tiny Town, nestled in the leafy hills about 3 hours north-ish from Bogota. At first, the town might not seem like much. It was never really on any major trade route, nor were there mining fortune made in the area. So the town was built to be pretty, lived in and that's about it. But the thing is due to the fact that there was no reason to exploit the place, it pretty much laid dormant for 400 years. Largely untouched, Villa de Leyva is considered one of the best preserved colonial towns in Colombia, if not the greater region.
These days, though, the town is anything but untouched. Being so close to the capital, Villa has become a favourite weekend getaway for Bogota-in-anian-ese looking to getaway from the city. That means that if you come here on a Friday or Saturday night, the tacky touristy streets have more people that cobblestones and blaring thump-thump music bellows out of every restaurant, hotel or internet cafe. It is loud, crowded and obnoxious.
The alternative is to visit on a weekday. While normally i'd be all.. like... "Cool! I get the place to myself!!" it's kind of a double edged sword. Because while the place is darn near deserted, that also means many of the cafes and restaurants are closed to, or at the very least have limited operations. It's all a bit feast or famine.
So i guess the trick to enjoy Villa de Leyva is the yin/yang the place. That is to say, try to get the best of both worlds. I rocked up on a Sunday, surfed the crowds, got my fill of thump-thump music then as the sunset, the weekenders evacuated the place like rats off the Titanic. The next day, i had it all to myself. For that reason, I quite liked Villa de Leyva and would go back if ever in Bogota again.
Villa de Leyva is a tiny Town, nestled in the leafy hills about 3 hours north-ish from Bogota. At first, the town might not seem like much. It was never really on any major trade route, nor were there mining fortune made in the area. So the town was built to be pretty, lived in and that's about it. But the thing is due to the fact that there was no reason to exploit the place, it pretty much laid dormant for 400 years. Largely untouched, Villa de Leyva is considered one of the best preserved colonial towns in Colombia, if not the greater region.
These days, though, the town is anything but untouched. Being so close to the capital, Villa has become a favourite weekend getaway for Bogota-in-anian-ese looking to getaway from the city. That means that if you come here on a Friday or Saturday night, the tacky touristy streets have more people that cobblestones and blaring thump-thump music bellows out of every restaurant, hotel or internet cafe. It is loud, crowded and obnoxious.
The alternative is to visit on a weekday. While normally i'd be all.. like... "Cool! I get the place to myself!!" it's kind of a double edged sword. Because while the place is darn near deserted, that also means many of the cafes and restaurants are closed to, or at the very least have limited operations. It's all a bit feast or famine.
So i guess the trick to enjoy Villa de Leyva is the yin/yang the place. That is to say, try to get the best of both worlds. I rocked up on a Sunday, surfed the crowds, got my fill of thump-thump music then as the sunset, the weekenders evacuated the place like rats off the Titanic. The next day, i had it all to myself. For that reason, I quite liked Villa de Leyva and would go back if ever in Bogota again.
