COLOMBIA
VILLA DE LEYVA
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Identity card
- Population: 17,466
- Surface area: 128 km
- Region: Boyaca
- Country: Colombia
- Contact: (link to member area)
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Architectural and landscape typologies
Villa de Leyva, a small town nestled in the mountains, is characterized by a harmonious urban ensemble, with its monumental Plaza Mayor standing out as one of the most important in the country. In Villa de Leyva, the magic of the place means visitors have many options for their stay, from sophisticated boutique hotels, to romantic homes transformed into lovers’ retreats, to hotels surrounded by exquisite gardens overlooking the valley from the mountains, to spas integrated into the landscape, to places for relaxation and entertainment.
Villa de Leyva is one of Boyacá’s richest regions in terms of landscape, culture, traditions, crafts and typical cuisine. There are ecosystems of paramo, Andean forest and desert, with magnificent places to explore and admire.
Tourism supply and demand typology
The basic tourism offering in Villa de Leyva is in the order of 700 accommodation places in hotels, inns and the like, and 120 travel agencies; the complementary offering is in the order of 250 restaurants and gourmet venues.
Tourist demand is close to 500,000 visitors a year.
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Heritage and tourism issues :
Touristization, like gentrification, has led to the gradual departure of the old quarter’s traditional inhabitants in favor of the arrival of people who come to seek the benefits of the area’s particular qualities, such as its pleasant temperature, homogeneous architecture and diverse landscapes in the immediate vicinity, but who don’t necessarily live there full-time and today retain few elements of the cultural significance it once had for the local population.
Villa de Leyva’s recognized tourist vocation generates a massive influx of visitors at certain times of the year, when the infrastructure of the historic center is put to the test, subject to the risks that mass tourism entails, but which nevertheless becomes for many inhabitants of the commune and the region a scenario that offers the opportunity to earn an economic income. It is at this point that the conflict arises between the protection of immovable cultural heritage and the activity that, over the last few decades, has brought recognition to the population.
Pilot project
- Biodiversity museum – Supporting the creation of a biodiversity museum in Colombia means contributing to the conservation of biodiversity in one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.
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