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Iza is a small town in Boyacá, Colombia, known for its amazing desserts.
Introduction to Iza
Iza comes from the word za, which means “night” in the Chibcha language. The town was founded on January 2, 1556, and was elevated to a municipality on January 2, 1656. It has a thriving handicraft industry, especially production of wool, and the main economic activities are agriculture and mining. The town is also considered the country’s dessert capital, and is known for its beautiful traditional architecture.
Parque Álvaro Díaz Gómez
Parque Álvaro Díaz Gómez is the main plaza in the center of Iza. It’s a pleasant place to visit, with cobblestone paths and benches under tall trees. The plaza is surrounded by colonial buildings and features some local art.
Church of the Divine Savior
The Church of the Divine Savior (Iglesia del Divino Salvador) is on the east side of the plaza. It was originally built as a straw chapel in the early 17th century but burned down in 1675. A year later, it was replaced by an adobe structure. The current church was constructed by the Franciscans in 1678. It houses an image of the Divine Savior, which was found on a stone by Friar Juan Agustín Camacho on April 23, 1748.
Plazoleta de Postres
The Plazoleta de Postres (Desserts Plaza) is a small area a few steps from the main plaza set aside for locals to sell their desserts. We were there on a weekday so there was only one counter open. The woman who served us told us every single counter is full on weekends and people come from all around Colombia to try them.
We were able to get a few portions of different desserts, and each one was amazing. They’re made with fruits, Oreo cookies, chocolate, and several other delicious ingredients. I wish we could have substituted our dinner to try more desserts!
2 Comments
Hello, how are you? My name is Ricardo. I’m going to visit Boyacá. In my research about the region, I’ve often come across your posts with very good information. Thank you! I would like to ask for a suggestion. I will be in Villa de Leyva for a few days. After this, I will have another 3 days to visit other cities and villages. I am curious about the hot springs of Paipa and the “pueblito boyacense”, which are close to each other, and also Sogamoso, Monguí, Iza… Since I will not have transportation, I am thinking about which cities or towns would be the most interesting to be hosted to make this route in 3 days. Do you have any suggestions for me? I would be very grateful!
Hello Ricardo, thanks for the question. Sogamoso isn’t the nicest town to stay but it’s central and easiest to reach all of those places from there by bus. You can get to them in less than an hour, Iza in about 30 minutes. I think the most interesting of those towns is Monguí. The hot springs of Paipa are nice to enjoy. Pueblito Boyacense is good if you can’t make it to more towns of the region. I also really enjoy Tibasosa if you have time. I hope this was helpful and I’m happy to give more suggestions.