Last updated on .
We stopped in Moniquirá to break up our drive from Socorro to Tunja. It’s a small town in Boyacá with absolutely nothing to see.
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.
History
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, on March 16th, 1537. The modern town was founded on March 26, 1825. It’s famous for bocadillos and its main industry is agriculture. The most important crops are coffee, sugarcane, and corn.
Parque Simón Bolívar
If it has anything good going for it, the main plaza, Parque Simón Bolívar, is nice. It has several different types of trees and a fountain in the center.
On one side of the plaza is the church, which doesn’t look like much from the outside but has a nice bright interior. On another side of the plaza is City Hall (Alcaldía), which is located in an interesting yellow building.
