Villa de Leyva

Colombia’s Villa de Leyva is a mass of Spanish colonial styles and revolutionary zeal, but its history dates back to long before Homo sapiens set foot here, finds George Kipouros

Less than a three-hour drive from Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, lies one of the country’s most quaint and engaging historic towns. Although still not well known to international audiences, Villa de Santa María de Leyva, as the town is formally known, was declared a Colombian national monument as early as 1954. This resulted in a large part of its historical centre, much of it dating back to the town’s founding by Spain in 1572, surviving in pristine condition. Even the newly built parts reflect this Spanish colonial legacy, with the local architecture adhering mostly to two-storey townhouses lined with wooden balconies and wrapping square internal courtyards.