Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva: the town that time forgot. Nestled in a valley between the highland hills of north-central Colombia, the quaint townhouses, white-washed cottages and historic adobe homes that stand together to form this colonial settlement look just as they did nearly 500 years ago—when the intrepid Spaniard Hernán Suarez de Villalobos first conceived of the sprawling square of cobblestones and the criss-crossing grid of low-rise constructions that now dominate the town centre. And while this indelible authenticity is slowly garnering Leyva attention from touristic quarters, there’s no question that it remains a truly endearing and off-the-beaten-track place.

Must-see sights include the exhibition rooms of the Museo del Carmen, and the pretty towers of the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora del Rosario right at the heart of town, while more quirky attractions, like the Casa Terracota (a house completely moulded out of clay) and the city’s fossil museum, also beckon a certain crowd. And while you’re up here—on the doorstep of Colombia’s wilder north—be sure to quiz your Villa de Leyva tour guide about the natural wonders that abound, from the scintillating pond waters of the Pozos Azules, to the winding hiking trails to high-perched Laguna de Iguaque in the hills.