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You may not have heard of the small town of Sutamarchán in Colombia, but it makes for a delicious stop if visiting the department of Boyacá.
Introduction to Sutamarchán
The area around the town was originally inhabited by the Muisca people. The modern town was founded on December 14, 1556, by Antonio de Santana. The name, which honors Captain Pedro Merchán de Velasco, translates to Merchant of the Sovereign Suta in the Chibcha language. On the outskirts of town you’ll find the Convent of Santo Ecce Homo.
Getting to Sutamarchán
Visiting Sutamarchán is easiest from Villa de Leyva, which is only about 20 minutes away. You can take any bus from Villa de Leyva heading to Chiquinquirá or Ráquira and ask the driver to let you off at Sutamarchán.
Where to Eat in Sutamarchán
Sutamarchán is well known for its longaniza, a sausage similar to chorizo. All of the places serving longaniza are on the main road that passes through town.
La Fogata
We tried two different restaurants in Sutamarchán. The first was La Fogata, which is a restaurant and hotel. We each had a portion of longaniza. It was excellent, with very little grease and almost no fat when compared to chorizo, and was served with potatoes. We also shared a plantain stuffed with cheese and bocadillo (guava jelly).
Robertico
On a second trip through town, every single restaurant was jam packed with weekenders from Bogotá. We decided to stop at Robertico and luckily found an open table on the sidewalk.
We shared a portion of longaniza, which came with plantain and potatoes. It was much greasier than La Fogata and a little burnt, but it still tasted great. Service was extremely slow and they made a couple mistakes on our drink orders, but it was forgiven due to the number of people in the restaurant.
Our Verdict on the Best Longaniza in Sutamarchán
Overall, we enjoyed La Fogata much more than Robertico. The quality of meat seemed much better and La Fogata definitely did a better job cooking the longaniza.
Plaza in Sutamarchán
As far as the town itself, there’s not much to see in Sutamarchán other than the pleasant plaza. It contains some trees and shrubs and has a simple fountain in the middle. The plaza is just a block from the main road.
Church of Our Lady of Health
The Church of Our Lady of Health (Nuestra Señora de la Salud), sits on the southeast corner of the plaza.
Astronomical Observatory of Zaquencipa
About 6 kilometers outside town on the road to Santo Ecce Homo you’ll pass the Astronomical Observatory of Zaquencipa and Kosmos Space Museum (Observatorio Astronómico de Zaquencipa y Kosmos Museo del Espacio). It’s supposedly a space museum during the day and astronomical observatory at night. We stopped by out of curiosity. The caretaker told us to honk the horn to get the attention of the owner, but he never came outside. The hours listed were 9am to 5pm and 7pm to 10pm daily.
Convent of Santo Ecce Homo
The Convent of Santo Ecce Homo (Convento de Santo Ecce Homo) is a Dominican monastery founded in 1620. It’s located on the outskirts of Sutamarchán. It makes for a great day trip combined with other attractions near Villa de Leyva.
To get to Santo Ecce Homo from Villa de Leyva, you can take a bus heading to Santa Sofía. Ask the driver to let you off at the road to the monastery, and it’s about a 15 minute walk from there. You can also hire a taxi in town to take you there and to other attractions, or rent a bike and enjoy the ride.
Admission to the convent is COP$10,000 (as of January 2023) and it’s open Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Tours are self-guided, and info panels are in Spanish, English, and French.
Before purchasing a ticket, just inside the entrance look down and you’ll notice the floor is paved with fossils. The area is rich with fossils, and a stop at the Fossil Museum is a must when visiting Santo Ecce Homo.
Courtyard
After purchasing a ticket, the door enters the beautiful colonnaded courtyard, which is full of perfectly manicured flowers and shrubs. A well sits in the center.
Before walking upstairs to the first stop on the self-guided tour, you’ll notice an original fresco that was once painted over. Once at the top of the stairs, you’ll get a good look at the courtyard from above.
Church
The doors upstairs open to the choir of the church, complete with a creepy faceless mannequin surrounded by several antique books and an organ. You can see the church from above and the wooden ceiling.
The route leads back downstairs where you can enter the church. Construction began on April 25, 1650. To the left of the altar is a side chapel.
Capitulary Hall
A door from the chapel leads to the Capitulary Hall. This is where meetings and special events in the lives of the friars were held. Today, there is an exhibit of ecclesiastical art. On display are crosses, statues, vestments, and more, including a unique crucifix with Christ alive on the cross.
Exhibits at the Convent of Santo Ecce Homo
The next rooms contain various exhibits. The first room displays indigenous clothing and artifacts, the second was the library, and the third displays farming equipment that would have been used by the friars.
The fourth room shows an example of a friar’s cell and how he would have lived during the 17th century.
The Refectory is where the friars would gather to eat meals. One or two would serve the meals while the rest would listen to the reading of a text.
The final few rooms display statues, paintings, and photographs. In the Sacristy, look for a wooden panel depicting a skull and crossbones wearing a traditional Andean winter cap.
Cemetery
The gates to the left of the church open to the cemetery. Several friars, priests, and others are buried there.
Schola Christi
Across from the monastery was a Christian school founded in 1651, Schola Christi. I walked around the building but none of the rooms were open.
Santo Ecce Homo Hotel
Next door to the school, a large hotel was under construction. The Santo Ecce Homo Hotel will provide visitors who want a peaceful place to stay with guest rooms and a restaurant. Behind it is a space where it’s possible to camp.
