Last updated on .
An easy day trip from Villa de Leyva, colorful Ráquira is the pottery capital of Colombia. Handwoven goods and other Colombian souvenirs can also be found there. We visited in the morning and combined it with a trip to La Candelaria.
Shopping
The streets nearest to the plaza are lined with souvenir shops packed to the gills with colorful pottery, mugs, piggy banks, hammocks, toys, fridge magnets, and all kinds of other things. You can even find unpainted pots and banks in some stores.
Architecture
The colorful buildings are a stark contrast to nearby Villa de Leyva. Bright oranges, yellows, and reds dominate the streets. On the plaza, you can even find a building decorated as the Colombian flag.
Plaza
The plaza is surrounded by other colorful buildings including the City Hall (Alcaldía), which also joins in on the fun. The church, however, is a plain brick building with a tall bell tower.
In the plaza you’ll find all kinds of statues created by local potters. There are men making vases, women weaving, religious figures, and even a donkey. A ceramic relief of the town surrounds the trees planted in the plaza.
A fountain in the center of the plaza has a peeing boy with his hat on backwards. I guess it’s the Colombian version of Manneken Pis in Brussels.
Cazuelas Boyacenses
One restaurant you have to try is Restaurante Cazuelas Boyacenses. Their specialty is in the title – cazuelas boyacenses. Before going inside, you can admire the colorful exterior.
The exterior of the restaurant has a few caricatures of famous Colombian athletes, such as cyclist Nairo Quintana from nearby Cómbita and the 2014 and 2018 Colombian World Cup teams.
On the ground floor, there’s a souvenir shop with a huge bulldog. The restaurant is upstairs.
Inside, there’s pottery hanging from the walls and ceilings along with some fun posters and pictures. We sat on the balcony, which has a nice view overlooking the plaza.
For lunch, we shared a cazuela boyacense, which is a hearty stew full of beans, peas, potato, meat, and other goodies. It came with a patacón, rice, and a slice of avocado. We also tried an arepa boyacense, which was excellent.
Bridge of Souls
Next to the restaurant is a small covered bridge called the Bridge of Souls (Puente de las Ánimas). From there, you can see the small river that passes through town.
Getting There
To get to Ráquira, you can take a bus from Villa de Leyva. It takes about 45 minutes.
