Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy
Boyacá
One of Colombia's most spectacular national parks, PNN El Cocuy is mostly made up of a diverse ecosystem known as the páramo. This glacially formed,…
Must-see attractions in Boyacá, Santander & Norte de Santander
Boyacá
This vertigo-inducing mountain path running along a ridge on the way to the Guatoque waterfall is a popular attraction in its own right. At its narrowest…
Villa de Leyva
At 120m by 120m, Plaza Mayor is one of the largest town squares in the Americas. It's paved with massive cobblestones and surrounded by magnificent…
Santander
Santander's answer to Caño Cristales, Las Gachas is a clear, shallow stream that emerges from a spring in lush countryside and runs along a red stone…
Boyacá
Set amid arid hills, 7km beyond Ráquira, the Monasterio de La Candelaria was founded in 1597 by Augustine monks and completed about 1660. A guide will…
Área Natural Única Los Estoraques
Boyacá, Santander & Norte de Santander
This 6-sq-km protected area, one of Colombia's smallest, is an otherworldly delight of eroded and weathered brownstone rock formations sprouting skyward –…
Barichara
A lovely little park decorated with impressive water features (although they were out of service when we visited), statues carved by local sculptors and…
Boyacá
Founded by the Dominican fathers in 1620, this convent is a large stone-and-adobe construction with a huge, faintly regal courtyard. The floors are paved…
Santander
A 6.3km-long, 30-minute cable-car ride in eight-berth cabins that descend to the base of the Chicamocha canyon, then ascend to the top of the opposite rim.
Boyacá
This white-sand Andean beach on the southwestern shore of Lago de Tota is one of the highest beaches in the world (3015m). On weekends it gets crowded…
Santuario de Flora y Fauna de Iguaque
Boyacá
Covering 67.5 sq km, this unique páramo (high-mountain plains) neotropical ecosystem contains hundreds of species of flora and fauna but is most noted for…
San Gil
Take a day trip to this spectacular 180m-high waterfall where you can swim in the natural pool at its base or relax on the rocks. Adventure junkies can…
Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón
Boyacá
The finest historic mansion in town, this place is the original home of the founder of Tunja. Built in the mid-16th century on the eastern side of Plaza…
Museo Arqueológico Eliécer Silva Célis
Boyacá
This very well-done archaeological museum was built on the remains of Sogamoso's Muisca cemetery and highlights this very important Chibcha-speaking…
Boyacá
One of Villa de Leyva's most magnificent buildings is the Gaudí-esque Casa de Barro, an artistic house made from entirely handworked clay fired in stages…
San Gil
Located just outside the town of Curití, La Vaca is the most attractive and adventurous cave in the are,a with numerous caverns filled with stalagmites…
Museo de Arte Moderno Ramírez Villamizar
Boyacá, Santander & Norte de Santander
In a 450-year-old mansion, this museum has about 40 works by Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar, one of Colombia's most outstanding artists, born in Pamplona in…
Santander
The most impressive waterfall in the area, Los Caballeros is a thunderous high-volume wall of water tumbling off a spectacular 90m-high cliff in three…
Parque Nacional del Chicamocha
Santander
Don't be fooled by the name: Parque Nacional del Chicamocha, or 'Panachi' as it's known by locals, isn't a national park in the conventional sense. It's…
Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción
Barichara
This 18th-century sandstone church is the most elaborate structure in Barichara, looking somewhat too big for the town’s needs. Its golden stonework …
Boyacá
This impressive narrow waterfall plunges 60m from a limestone canyon down a multicolored rock face. When there's a lot of water a shallow pool suitable…
San Gil
San Gil's showpiece is the salubrious Parque El Gallineral, a 4-hectare park set on a triangular island between two arms of the Quebrada Curití and Río…
Boyacá
The Estación Astronómica Muisca dates from the early centuries AD and was used by the Muiscas to determine the seasons. This Stonehenge-like site contains…
Boyacá
Construction on this Franciscan monastery, the most dominating building in Monguí, began in 1694 and took 100 years to complete. The stunning red-stone…
Capilla y Museo de Santa Clara La Real
Boyacá
Founded in 1571, the fascinating Capilla y Museo de Santa Clara La Real is thought to be the first convent in Nueva Granada. In 1863 the nuns were…
Bucaramanga
Another piece in the historical jigsaw of Simón Bolívar's life (Colombia is full of them), this slightly musty museum is housed in a colonial mansion…
Centro de Investigaciones Paleontológicas
Boyacá
Just across the main road from the famed El Fósil site, this sleek center combines an open-window research facility with a collection of impressive…
Boyacá
This impressive 120-million-year-old baby-kronosaurus fossil is the world’s most complete specimen of this prehistoric marine reptile. The fossil is 7m…
Boyacá
Once home to scribe Juan de Vargas, Casa de Don Juan de Vargas is a splendid 16th-century residence that has been converted into a museum. It has a…
Casa Museo de Luis Alberto Acuña
Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva's best museum features works by one of Colombia's most influential painters, sculptors, writers and historians, Luis Alberto Acuña (1904–93…
Boyacá
The nondescript exterior of the mid-16th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo hides one of the most richly decorated interiors in Colombia. To the left as you…
Santander
While not the tallest or highest-volume waterfall in the area, La Llanera is worth a visit for its mystical remote setting surrounded by magnificent…
Museum of Paleontology & Archaeology
Santander
The unique Museum of Paleontology & Archaeology has a collection of more than 10,000 fossils, a 700-year-old mummy, a few conehead skulls, Guane artifacts…
Jardin Botánico Eloy Valenzuela
Bucaramanga
Located a short walk from the park in Floridablanca, this lush botanic garden beside a pretty stream is a good place to take a break from the city,…
Barichara
Inside the courtyard of the Museo Aquileo Parra, this collective of 24 senior citizens weaves bags and other artisanal products from fique fibers using…
Barichara
Atop a hill at the north end of town, Barichara's oldest church was carefully reconstructed in the 1990s (only the facade survived). The floor has quite a…
Boyacá, Santander & Norte de Santander
One of the oldest buildings in town, Casa Colonial dates from the early Spanish days. The collection includes some pre-Columbian pottery, colonial sacred…
Villa de Leyva
This colonial mansion has an intimate courtyard with an abundance of plants and trees surrounding a fountain. The front section houses shops, and there's…
Villa de Leyva
This parish church facing the main square was built in 1608 and has hardly changed since that time. The interior is plain, except for the marvelous…
Boyacá, Santander & Norte de Santander
One of Pamplona's finest colonial mansions, La Casa de las Cajas Reales is currently occupied by a college, but visitors can ask the guard for permission…
