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Moniquirá is a small town in the department of Boyacá, Colombia, with very little to see.
Introduction to Moniquirá, Colombia
In the Chibcha language, Moniquirá means “bath place”. It was once inhabited by the indigenous Muisca people, and the first European to pass through was Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1509-1579), on March 16, 1537. The modern town was founded in 1556 and became a municipality on March 26, 1825. The main industry is agriculture with the most important crops being coffee, sugarcane, and corn. It’s also famous for bocadillos (guava snacks) and panela, earning it the nickname Sweet City of Boyacá (Ciudad Dulce de Boyacá).
We stopped in Moniquirá to break up our drive from Socorro to Tunja. On our first two trips through Boyacá, every town we stopped in was pleasant. Moniquirá destroyed our romantic idea of the department. It’s also dirty and a bit unfriendly, at least from our short experience.
Parque Simón Bolívar
In our opinion, the best thing the town has going for it is the main plaza, Parque Simón Bolívar. It’s a nice open space with several different types of trees and a fountain in the center. The plaza is surrounded by civic buildings, restaurants, shops, and a hotel.
Church of Our Lady of the Rosary
On the east side of Parque Simón Bolívar is the town’s main church, Church of Our Lady of the Rosary (Nuestra Señora del Rosario). It was founded as a parish on February 24, 1780. Construction on the current church started in 1916, and it was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI on September 11, 2010. While it doesn’t look like much from the outside, it’s worth popping in to see the nice bright interior.
City Hall
On the south side of Parque Simón Bolívar is City Hall (Alcaldía), which is housed in an interesting historic building.
