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Barichara or Villa de Leyva? Which one of these two picturesque Colombian colonial towns should you visit if you only have time for one?
Barichara
Barichara is a small colonial town about 8 hours northeast of Bogota located in the department of Santander. The nearest city and the place you have to change buses when heading there is San Gil about an hour away. In contrast to Barichara, San Gil is way more touristy and probably the most popular place to visit in the region, especially for adrenaline junkies. The proximity to Chicamocha Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world, makes it a great place for all extreme sports, such as canyoning, rafting or paragliding offered by loads of tour agencies. But the city of San Gil has not much else to offer; in fact driving through it I found it quite dull and was glad to go straight to Barichara.
Let me tell you, Barichara is BEAUTIFUL! It’s lively but not too lively, calm but not too calm, a traveller’s place without being touristy. There is a good number of local art and craft galleries and initiatives of local artists selling jewellery, craft, home goods, fashion and accessories. You won’t find streets packed with touristy souvenir shops – instead everything feels just very authentic. There is also a good number of restaurants including a couple of really good organic and vegan ones such as Shambala. Barichara is not quite on the international tourist path yet and most visitors are Colombian.
What to do in Barichara?
Unless you need some time to chill and forget about everything that’s going on in the world, Barichara is probably a good place to visit for about 2-3 days. The town is super peaceful and I really enjoyed just walking around the gorgeous roads and pretty houses with the occasional stop at one of the craft shops. Barichara has a little bit of a boho hippie vibe going on. There is a variety of workshops you can attend such as the All Female Artisanal Paper Making Workshop.
Depending on how much time you have, I also recommend to visit Chicamocha Canyon which is about an hour away for some hiking or any type of adrenaline filled activity. What I would highly recommend is hiking the Camino Real to the mountain village of Guane, an easy 2-3 hour hike along an ancient cobbled stone paved road build by the indigenous Guane people. Arriving into sleepy Guane, you might feel that the time stands still.
I stayed at Hostal Casa Nacuma, a lovely small and very cozy place on one of the side streets about four blocks from the main plaza. The owners are lovely, fresh fruit, bread and coffee is included in the price int the morning. The dorms are large and the beds comfy. It might not be your typical boutiquey flashpacker hostel, but these don’t exist yet in Barichara which is part of the charm.
Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva, situated in the municipality of Boyacá is considerably closer to Bogota than Barichara. There are direct buses that get you there in about 3 1/2 hours depending on traffic in the capital. It’s is a fantastic little colonial town and there is lots do in the surrounding areas. Due to its proximity to Bogota, it’s a weekend getaway for a lot of Colombians, but it’s also visited by an increasing number of international tourists. It’s definitely a lot more touristy than Barichara with lots of souvenir shops and restaurants lined up on almost every street.
What to do in Villa de Leyva?
Plaza Mayor, the impressive heart of the town is South America’s largest square. From here you can stroll along the cobbled plaza’s surrounding streets packed with cafes, souvenir-, art and craft shops. Casa Terracota is also be worth a visit, a house made entirely of clay by Colombian artist Octavio Mendoza and a 30 min walk from Plaza Mayor. For wildlife and trekking enthusiasts visiting Iguaque National Park will be a highlight, especially the day hike to the Laguna Iguaque. With about a 900m difference in altitude from start to finish, the hike to the Laguna is quite tough and steep but the views onto the lagoon are amazing.
Accommodation in Villa de Leyva
Accommodation options are abundant and range from hostels to mid range boutique hotels to lovely lodges on the outskirts of the city. I stayed at Hostal Xue about 6 blocks from Plaza Mayor conveniently located only a block from the bus station. The owners were really nice and comforted me with some fruit and and a sandwich when I arrived late in the evening after a crazy journey from Barichara (more about that later). They have got a lovely lounge area outside in the courtyard and and a few hang out spots inside. If you feel like staying in a private room, this is where to go for it! I only paid about 20 US$ for my very cozy private room and semi private bathroom. Totally worth it! The dorms looked great as well. The hosts organise weekly BBQs and a few other fun social events.
A little pricer but absolutely stunning is Hotel Casa Terra, set in beautiful gardens only 10 minutes from the main square. The surrounding views are amazing and you’ve got the choice between several different room types. Prices start at about 60 US$ for a private room ensuite.
The bottom line is, Villa de Leiva is the choice for flashpackers not wanting to travel too far northeast from Bogota without missing out on some small town Colonial charm. For a day trip from Bogota it’s a little far, but it’s a nice short one or two night getaway depending on if you want to explore the nearby Paramo and Laguna Iguaque.
Barichara or Villa de Leyva? Which one should you choose?
I liked Barichara a little more than Villa de Leyva, but there are definitely reasons to skip the former. The main reason is time, which is an important factor when deciding to visit either Barichara or Villa de Leyva. Barichara is (don’t be fooled by some guide books) about 8 hours from Bogota depending on what bus you take. Most buses stop several times along the way and without you ever knowing for how long. If bus journeys longer than six hours are not really your thing, you can hop on a short flight to Bucaramanga, which is a university town three hours north of Barichara. From the airport take a taxi (34.000 col pesos) to the bus station, take a Cotrasangil mini bus to San Gil, then catch a bus to Barichara (every 20 min.).
I found the bus system in Colombia not to be comparable to other destinations in Latin America such as Peru or Mexico, where most coach companies are reliable, efficient and on time, sometimes offering super luxurious long distance coaches with flat beds, food service and the like.
So Barichara might a long way in case you’ve got only a couple of days to spare and also if you’re planning to just see that town in the region. But absolutely worth it if you’re not too tight on time and planning to continue your travels north or south towards Villa de Leyva. Another deciding factor when only able to visit either Barichara or Vila de Leyva is to look at the places’ “touristiness”. As mentioned above Barichara is luckily not quite yet on the international travel map, whereas Villa de Leyva is quite a busy tourist town appealing to both foreign travellers and Colombians.
Top Tip: On the way from Bucaramanga to San Gil make sure to get a seat on the left side of the van for some spectacular views into Chicamocha Canyon. The drive is epic!
How to get from Barichara to Villa de Leyva
Don’t be misguided by looking on the map and being overly optimistic about the travel time. The distance between Barichara to Villa de Leyva is literally only 115 miles, yet it took me an insane NINE hours to get there. I made the mistake expecting it to be more like five hours subsequently left Barichara quite late at around 1pm. I got the bus from Barichara’s main square to San Gil.
Top Tip: Ask the bus driver to drop you off at the long distance bus terminal of San Gil. The city has two terminals, one only for the region and a bigger one for long distance coaches to destinations all over the country.
Once arrived at San Gil bus station you need to buy a ticket to Tunja. All buses that go to Bogota go via Tunja. Don’t make the same mistake that I made and just ask for departure times and prices at one company’s window. The sales reps are working on commission and competing against each other so might stretch the truth when it comes to the next departure time. DO NOT GO WITH A COMPANY CALLED OMEGA. First, the guy selling the tickets lied about the departure time, tried to overcharge me and on top of that the bus was over an hour late. By that time two other buses had left to go to Tunja including Copetran which I would recommend going with if the departure time works. Don’t pay more than 35.000 Col Peso to Tunja.
Changing Busses in Tunja
So when I was finally on the bus at 4pm, I knew it’s going to be almost impossible to catch the last minibus from Tunja to Villa de Leyva which leaves around 7pm. What should have been roughly a 3 hour ride turned into about 5 hours. By the time I arrived in Tunja it was 9pm, dark and the station was completely empty. The Omega bus driver took his chance and hit on me when handing me my bag. The low point of the day was yet to come though after getting in a taxi for another 50 minute drive to Villa de Leyva (that is a whole other story and deserves a separate post). So after leaving Barichara at 1pm, I finally arrived at the Hostal Xue in Villa de Leyva at 10.15pm. The reception and doors were long closed but luckily the hosts had waited for me.
So, when travelling from Barichara to Villa de Leyva, make sure you
- Leave Barichara in the morning
- When arriving at San Gil’s long distance bus station, check several different company’s departure times and prices to Tunja
- Plan to be on the road for about 7-8 hours (if everything goes smoothly)
How to get from Villa de Leyva to Bogota
Luckily you don’t need to go via Tunja. There are three direct services from Villa de Leyva to Bogota each day. The minibus leaves Villa de Leyva bus station at 10am, 1pm and 3pm. The direct busses are are booked out quickly, so I’d recommend getting your ticket a few hours before departure. The 10am service is the quickest with about 3 hours as you skip rush our in Bogota. I hope this post made your decision a bit easier whether to choose Barichara or Villa de Leyva!
Going back to Bogota? Have a look at my post about the best flashpacker hostels in Colombia’s capital
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Pingback:20 Cheapest Destinations in South America | Ellie's Travel Tips
Posted at 00:24h, 11 February[…] Barichara, a small colonial town about 8 hours northeast of Bogota, is a true hidden gem. The proximity to Chicamocha Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world, makes it a great place for all extreme sports, such as canyoning, rafting, or paragliding. But this stunning town is also a place to relax and recharge while surrounded by stunning mountainous landscapes. […]
Pingback:20 Cheapest Destinations in South America – World Travel Blogger
Posted at 01:44h, 11 February[…] Barichara, a small colonial town about 8 hours northeast of Bogota, is a true hidden gem. The proximity to Chicamocha Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world, makes it a great place for all extreme sports, such as canyoning, rafting, or paragliding. But this stunning town is also a place to relax and recharge while surrounded by stunning mountainous landscapes. […]