At first glance, the vast, empty expanse of the plaza of Villa de Leyva, a colonial city that is three and a half hours by car or bus from Bogota, seems designed to reduce the onlooker to a contemplation of his or her own insignificance. One of the largest town squares in South America, the Plaza Mayor lacks the decorative playfulness of so many of its smaller siblings in Colombia and elsewhere, with only the paving stones giving it shape and form.
But as the sun begins to drop down toward the nearby mountains, the plaza can quietly dazzle. As I stepped into its vastness, with an expanse framed by the remarkable colonial buildings that define its perimeter, the centuries past seemed near. By sundown, tourists — mostly Colombian — and locals begin to traverse its length to fetch dinner or sit on the steps of the church to watch people or the sunset.
Like the plaza that defines it, the city does not flaunt its charms, but requires a willingness to go beyond that which lies in plain sight.
“You have to go inside these walls to see what is really here,” said John Otis, an American journalist living in Bogota who served as our host.
We had been traveling by bicycle in the Boyaca region and elsewhere, including a glorious 16km descent to the Villa de Leyva, which served as an end point after a week of pedaling through smaller mountain villages. The rough-hewn stones of Villa de Leyva pushed us off our bikes, and we settled in for a few days of rest and recreation.
Villa de Leyva, founded in 1572, meets contemporary life on its own terms. Declared a national monument in 1954, it’s an aggressively preserved colonial city, so the clank of the modern rarely interrupts the seance with the past. Long a weekend destination for Bogota residents seeking a less-frantic respite, Villa de Leyva has become a place where Europeans and the occasional American visit to see what made the Spaniards plant a flag there in the first place.
With its uneven streets that threaten even the hardiest vehicle, the spot invites — requires, in fact — strolling (although darkness and a bit too much of the local rum can make walking a hazard as well). Situated in a high mountain valley, the city of 4,000 or so also serves as a base camp for outings in the surrounding hills. And, indeed, many Colombians are fond of nighttime horseback rides and mountain biking. The tranquil comforts of Villa de Leyva, with its mix of people in traditional hats and ponchos walking next to kids in jeans and T-shirts, are especially welcoming upon return.
During the week, it’s easy to spend hours ambling along the narrow streets lined by red-tile-roofed, whitewashed houses, many featuring balconies decorated with flower pots overflowing with bougainvilleas and geraniums. Abundant fossils from the surrounding area are embedded into plaster walls, and massive front doors are flanked by carvings, some echoing the occupation of the original residents. Once you leave the old city and venture into the more modern part of town, don’t be surprised to see a yard full of chickens or goats next to an Internet cafe.
Evenings in town are equally seductive. On a Thursday night in July on the plaza, a group was gathered around several guitars and a harmonica at Terraza, a patio bar where Europeans and Colombians gathered to drink rum and warble Spanish love songs.
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