In my last episode I talked about five day trips you can do from Bogotá: Zipaquira, Nemocón, Guatavita, La Chorrera, and Chingaza. But today I’m going to talk about other roadtrips or getaways that you can do during the weekend. These places are close to Bogota, but not as close as the ones I recommended in the last episode. Besides, you have a lot of things to do in each of these destinations, so that’s why I recommend staying longer in them. So, let’s get started with the best 5 weekend trips from Bogotá!
Villa de Leyva
The first tour you can do in a weekend is a very popular one: Villa de Leyva. Villa de Leyva is a heritage town famous for its white facades, large windows and wooden doors, balconies with flowers of all colors, and cobblestone streets. This town is a four-hour drive from Bogota, and it looks like a fairytale town because the echoes of the Hispanic tradition of colonization are still present in every corner. The architecture of this town also has the Moorish influence of southern Spain, and could almost be mistaken for an Andalusian town if it were not for the cold climate.
Villa de Leyva was founded in 1572 and was built in a valley. The main square is immense and is believed to be one of the largest squares in all of Latin America, because it has 14,000 m². At the time of the Reconquest, supporters of freedom were executed in this square. Today, the square is used for festivals and celebrations, such as the kite contest in August and the festival of lights in December.
It is cold in Villa de Leyva, but you can have a hot chocolate with cheese in one of the cafeterias in the main square and you will feel like in the colonial times, where you can admire the mountains, the big main church, and the Colombian roots.
What to do in Villa de Leyva
There are many places to visit in Villa de Leyva, but some not to be missed are:
- First, the main square, which as I already mentioned is huge, completely cobblestone, and has the parish church that was built in the 17th century.
- Then, you can visit the Casa del Cabildo or the Casa de Nariño, two historical and important places in Colombia.
- Later you can visit the convents or churches that are in this town, and remind us of the importance of religion in our history. Some of them are the Carmelite convent, the church of Our Lady of Carmen, San Agustin and San Francisco.
- Now, on the outskirts of Villa de Leyva you can find the Paleontological museum, where many fossils found in the valley are exposed and take you back 130 million years, to show you the animals and fauna that existed at that time.
- You can also visit the terracotta house, an impressive construction that shows the influences of Gaudi, the Spanish architect, here in Colombia. That house is one of my favorite attractions near Villa de Leyva, especially because it shows that Spanish influence not only occurred during colonization, but continues to occur today.
Villeta
Now, to get into a mood of pool and relaxation I recommend the second trip you can do on a weekend: go to Villeta. Villeta is about two hours away from Bogota, but it is an excellent option for a little getaway to hot land. Villeta is a town full of farms, and the weather is very sunny, it is about 27 degrees Celsius or eighty Fahrenheit. In Villeta you can find some hotels to enjoy the swimming pool with unforgettable landscapes, because you will be surrounded by mountains. In Villeta there is also a river you can go to, or you can take advantage of the town to play shuffleboard, a national sport in Colombia.
Where to Stay in Villeta
A place I recommend to enjoy Villeta is the hotel Casa Ambrosia. This hotel is a boutique hotel, with a great pool, delicious food, and incredible scenery. They have massage services, a very nice garden for you to walk and relax, and direct access to the river from the hotel. There is also the option of Glamping, a new tourist concept that mixes glamour and camping so you can be in nature with all the comforts you need.
Ubate
The third trip you can make from Bogota is to a town called Ubate. Ubate is 95 kilometers from Bogota, and is another option to find a break from the big city, but in a cold town.
What to do in Ubate
- The first thing you can visit on a roadtrip to Ubate is the Embalse El Hato, which is a 130 hectare water mirror surrounded by mountains. The reservoir can be visited in small boats, or you can take short walks or trails around it. It is also the ideal place to enjoy a picnic with family or friends, or to fish.
- Then you can visit the central square of uvate, where you will find a French Gothic style church, the Basilica of the Holy Christ of Ubaté. It is believed that this church is very miraculous, so it is important in the department.
- Finally, you can also see the tribute to milk that is made in this town, as it is one of the most popular towns for the production of milk, cheese and other dairy products. In the town there is a large statue of a cow, to honor the 70,000 liters of milk produced in this town. If you want to find a hotel in Ubate I recommend Casa Yunque, which offers signature cuisine inspired by local flavors, and has a large garden and lake surrounding its facilities. In addition, this hotel organizes horseback riding and ecological hikes, or bicycle tours in the region.
Neusa
The fourth getaway you can make from Bogota is to Neusa. The Neusa reservoir is a great source of water supply in Cundinamarca. In addition to this, Neusa controls floods and regulates the flows of the Neusa River in dry seasons. The construction of this reservoir began in 1948, its construction was in the hands of the firm Winston Brothers & Company. However, in recent years this place has become a tourist attraction for its landscape, its diversity of fauna and flora and the plans that can be made to escape from the city. The Neusa reservoir is two hours from Bogota, and this site is highly recommended for those who want to go camping. I must clarify that Neusa is very cold, temperatures are around 10 degrees Celsius, or 50 fahrenheit, so if you want to go camping here make sure to bring warm clothes, blankets, and everything you need to keep warm.
The reservoir is the perfect place if you want to go fishing as well, or you can also go if you want to do ecological hikes, picnics, or boat rides on the reservoir. Here is a link to check the prices to enter this reserve, to camp, or to do different activities there.
Paramo de Oceta
Finally, the fifth trip I recommend to do in one day from Bogotá is to visit Mongui and the paramo de Oceta. In my last episode I talked about the importance of the paramos, a very important ecosystem in Colombia and in the world. Again I wanted to mention that half of all the paramos in the world are in Colombia, and these are extremely important ecosystems in terms of generating fresh and drinking water. Last episode I recommended visiting Chingaza, a paramo near Bogotá. The paramo of Oceta is a little further from the city, but it is also impressive.
In fact, this paramo is considered the most beautiful in the world, and is the best preserved in Colombia.
To get to the paramo de oceta you must first visit Mongui, which is 3.5 hours from Bogota. Mongui is a small town that stands out for its main square, the basilica of the lady of Mongui, and the tranquility of its streets. However, although this town is beautiful, its main attraction is not in the city, but in what it has nearby, the paramo de oceta. To go to the paramo I recommend using one of the tours offered from Mongui, for example the Mongui Travels office offers a tour to the paramo at a cost of 60,000 pesos, or 15 dollars.
In the paramo of Oceta there is a valley of frailejones that will make you think you are on another planet. As I mentioned in my last episode, the frailejon is a small plant that grows in areas where trees do not grow, and besides being a source of food for birds such as hummingbirds, they help protect the soil and are the regulators of water systems by capturing and retaining water in the paramo. This plant is very characteristic of the paramos, and is part of the wonderful landscape that you will find in the paramo de oceta. Here is a link where you can learn more about Oceta and Mongui
Summary
As you can see, there are many places close to bogota to explore with a roadtrip or a weekend trip. To finish the podcast I am going to make a small summary so you can choose the place that best suits your interests and tastes.
- My first recommendation is Villa de Leyva, which is 4 hours from Bogota, has a cold climate, and is perfect for lovers of history and architecture.
- My second recommendation is Villeta, which is two hours from Bogota, has hot weather, and is perfect for enjoying the sun and the pool.
- My third recommendation is Ubate, which is two hours from Bogota, has a cold climate, and is good for those looking for horseback riding, biking, and enjoying nature.
- The fourth recommendation is Neusa, which is two hours from Bogota, is cold weather, and is perfect for camping or camping.
- Finally, my last recommendation is the paramo de oceta, which is cold, is 3 and a half hours from bogota, and is perfect for those who want to be amazed by the extraordinary scenery of the paramo. It is also perfect for those who like nature, so they can see the most beautiful paramo in the world.
