North to the coast: Tunja, Villa de Leyva and Santa Marta

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Three hours by bus to the north of Bogotá, I stopped off at the historic city of Tunja. Although recommended by Colombians I had spoken to in the capital, the fact that my Rough Guide doesn’t even give a map of the place indicated that there really wasn’t that much to see. The historic centre was very pleasant, being as it’s one of the oldest cities in the Americas, but this was explored in a few hours. The main square (once again called Plaza Bolivar) is the main focal point, with the cathedral and the Casa del Fundador (the colonial mansion built by the city’s founder) being the main attractions. Besides this, there really wasn’t much to do. I was also able to visit some of the beautiful colonial churches; in one a friendly soldier on duty gave me a free guided tour. This does beg the question however why churches need soldiers on guard, but taking into account the recent violent history of the country, it’s not surprising (though rest assured everywhere I’ve been so far seems perfectly safe). For once, I had a nice private room, just off the main square, (a bargain at only £3.50 for the night), which made a nice change. The next morning, having done everything possible in Tunga, I headed for the bus station to get on a minibus to the small town of Villa de Leyva, one of the best preserved colonial towns in the country. Once again, the centre was lovely, with reputedly the largest town square in Colombia and whitewashed traditional buildings lining the cobbled streets. But besides talking to a rather strange Colombian man at the campsite I was staying, there wasn’t a great deal to do. I decided to stay 2 nights however, firstly because it was very cheap to camp there, and secondly because the surrounding area is very good for hiking. In the end I did only a short hike up one of the hills overlooking the town, finishing at a statue of Christ which had panoramic views over the town, before heading back the same way. In the end, I’m glad I did the hike that day, as the following day smoke and large flames could be seen next to the statue from the town, so not sure what happened there.
As the town has only a small resident population of around 4,000, it comes alive on weekends when larges number of Colombians flock there, but being a weekday, it was eerily quiet. So after two nights in Leyva, it was back on the bus to continue northwards, this time stopping at the city of San Gil. I decided that I would have time to visit the city and leave the same day for Santa Marta, and luckily there was a left luggage office at the San Gil bus station so I didn’t have to drag my things around all afternoon. The city centre was once again pleasant, and the riverside park also made for nice walking, but I had pretty much seen all there was to see in a couple of hours, leaving ample time for dinner before catching a night bus to Santa Marta. The 12 hour journey flew by as I was asleep for most of it; despite arriving at the hotel before 8 in the morning, it was out to see the city before it got too hot. Santa Marta is the oldest city in Columbia, having been founded by the Spaniards in 1525, but alas little of its historical charm remains. It’s more of an industrial city, though it does have a small (but grimy) beach. Annoyingly the museum, which I wanted to see, is currently closed for refurbishment. But my main reason for being in Santa Marta is not to see the city itself; rather to explore the surrounding area. Tomorrow I begin a 6 day trek to the Ciudad Perdida - a lost city of the local Tayrona people. And after that, I’ll be heading to the Parque Nacional de Tayrona for reputedly some of the best beaches in South America. Will endeavour to update the blog upon my return from The Lost City.

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