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FIBAS and Pozos Azules are two tourist traps near Villa de Leyva. We visited both based on good reviews, but quickly found out that they’re total ripoffs and a complete waste of time.
FIBAS
FIBAS Desert Garden (Jardín de Desierto) bills itself as a magical natural place with desert plants such as cacti. We expected to see a beautiful desert garden and learn about different cactus plants.
They do sell cacti and other plants, and there is a beautifully landscaped desert garden, but the main attraction is their labyrinth. The owners charge a ridiculous COP$20,000 per person fee (as of August 2022) to walk through a labyrinth into their “mother’s womb” and be “reborn” into the universe. It’s supposed to be a spiritual and refreshing experience but it’s really just a huge scam. Avoid this place like the plague.
Pozos Azules
Pozos Azules are the other tourist trap. These six artificial lakes are supposed to “naturally” have a deep blue color due to the minerals in the soil. Admission is COP$15,000 per person (as of August 2023) to follow a trail that leads to all six lakes and then back up to the parking lot. It takes about an hour to complete the loop.
The best part is the beginning of the trail which leads through a recently planted forest of evergreens.
After a few minutes you reach the first few lakes and realize the colors aren’t a spectacular natural blue but more like an artificial green. Maybe it was the cloudy weather affecting the color, but we felt like we were missing the point. Or maybe it was because we saw men dumping bags of powder into the lakes.
Once you reach the fifth lake, which has a rectangular shape and looks more like a retention pond, you realize you’ve been ripped off. At that point, we just felt stupid for even thinking about visiting and couldn’t wait to get back to the car and get on with our lives.
Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You!
The positive reviews for these two places are mind-boggling. Save your money and spend your time elsewhere. There are plenty of great worthwhile attractions just outside Villa de Leyva. Visit El Fósil, El Infiernito, Casa Terracota, and Santo Ecce Homo instead. At the very least, even if you don’t like those places, you’ll see something REAL and not artificial. More importantly, you’ll see something not designed to steal your hard-earned cash.
