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The sleepy town of Mongua is only about 20 minutes from Tópaga. It’s located in the Boyacá department of Colombia and was founded in 1555 by Franciscan monks. We passed through on the scenic route to Monguí.
Mongua means “bath on the hill” or “land of the rising sun” in the Chibcha language. It was originally inhabited by the indigenous Muisca people. The modern town wasn’t officially founded until November 4, 1977. The main economical activities of the town are agriculture and coal mining, with the main crop being potatoes thanks to the cool climate.
Plaza
The large town plaza is beautiful and is surrounded by colonial buildings. Half of the plaza is open space while the other half is full of shrubs and trees. You’ll probably find vendors selling sweets, local crafts, and other goods on one end of the plaza.
There’s a beautiful church on one side but it wasn’t open when we stopped. There’s also a museum but it was also closed.
Bakery
Before we left, we stopped into a bakery on one corner of the plaza and had coffee and some pastries. We enjoyed the friendly service and were able to get out of the cold for a bit.
